US 12,448,982 B2
Impeller bearings for pumps
David Raju Yamarthi, Bengaluru (IN); Brian G. Brzek, Niskayuna, NY (US); Adam Joseph Wangler, Evendale, OH (US); David Justin Brady, Lynn, MA (US); Prachi Anand Tappu, Bengaluru (IN); Santosh Pattnaik, Bengaluru (IN); and Mohan Kannaiah Raju, Bengaluru (IN)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on May 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/676,216.
Application 18/676,216 is a continuation of application No. 17/832,360, filed on Jun. 3, 2022, granted, now 12,000,406.
Prior Publication US 2024/0309882 A1, Sep. 19, 2024
Int. Cl. F04D 29/20 (2006.01); F04D 13/02 (2006.01); F04D 13/06 (2006.01); F04D 25/06 (2006.01); F04D 29/04 (2006.01); F04D 29/041 (2006.01); F04D 29/047 (2006.01); F04D 29/049 (2006.01)
CPC F04D 29/20 (2013.01) [F04D 29/0473 (2013.01); F04D 13/021 (2013.01); F04D 13/0646 (2013.01); F04D 25/0606 (2013.01); F04D 29/0405 (2013.01); F04D 29/0413 (2013.01); F04D 29/049 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid pump comprising:
a motor;
a shaft coupled to the motor;
an impeller coupled to the shaft forward of the motor, the impeller including blades to pump a fluid;
a first radial bearing positioned around the shaft aft of the motor;
a second radial bearing positioned around the impeller forward of the blades of the impeller or a portion of the shaft forward of the blades of the impeller; and
a stator vane housing including guide vanes, wherein the stator vane housing includes a base in contact with the second radial bearing, wherein the stator vane housing includes a shroud concentrically positioned around the base, wherein the stator vane housing is coupled to a casing of the fluid pump, wherein the guide vanes extend radially from the base to the shroud upstream of the blades of the impeller, wherein the guide vanes define a first flow path for a first portion of the fluid between the guide vanes at an axial position defined by the fluid pump, and wherein the second radial bearing defines a second flow path for a second portion of the fluid through the second radial bearing at the axial position.