Abstract: A vane pump comprises: a drive shaft that passes through the pump frame; a rotor coupled to the drive shaft that has multiple vanes and rotates within the pump frame in an axial direction about an axis of rotation with an outer rotor surface that has a radius that extends from the axis of rotation; a cam ring within the pump frame that circumscribes the rotor and vanes with a cam ring inner surface; multiple radial tilting pad bearings that support the cam ring; a bearing support ring coupled to the pump frame that generally circumscribes the cam ring and mounts the radial tilting pad bearings; side plates that radially extend from the drive shaft to the pump frame to enclose the rotor and the cam ring with at least one side plate having an inlet port and an outlet port; and means for initiating rotation of the cam ring from rest.

Abstract: A vane pump comprises: a drive shaft that passes through the pump frame; a rotor coupled to the drive shaft that has multiple vanes and rotates within the pump frame in an axial direction about an axis of rotation with an outer rotor surface that has a radius that extends from the axis of rotation; a cam ring within the pump frame that circumscribes the rotor and vanes with a cam ring inner surface; multiple radial tilting pad bearings that support the cam ring; a bearing support ring coupled to the pump frame that generally circumscribes the cam ring and mounts the radial tilting pad bearings; side plates that radially extend from the drive shaft to the pump frame to enclose the rotor and the cam ring with at least one side plate having an inlet port and an outlet port; and means for initiating rotation of the cam ring from rest.

Abstract: A regenerative pump which has a controlled output by having movable lateral channel arcuate slots (36, 38) in channel plates (26) which are on opposite sides of a bladed rotor (18). The channel plates (26) are mounted for sliding movement to reduce the effective vortex channel length in a range from about 325.degree. to about 40.degree.. This will result in a proportional reduction of pump pressure rise and input power requirements. The position of the channel plates may be varied by a servo system that responds to a desired system output performance such as pressure rise or flow delivery rate.

Abstract: The use of a single main centrifugal fuel pump for supplying fuel to an aircraft gas turbine engine has advantages over other known systems, however a problem has existed in that the centrifugal pump, when driven in a fixed ratio to the engine speed, cannot deliver fuel at adequate pressure under engine starting conditions. The disclosed fuel supply system using a main centrifugal pump overcomes this shortcoming by having a turbine-driven start pump added to the fuel supply system with both the turbine and the start pump receiving fuel pumped by the main centrifugal pump and the turbine utilizing the high flow, low pressure fuel to drive the start pump which increases the pressure of the fuel to a value adequate for engine starting. The start pump delivers fuel until such time as the main centrifugal fuel pump has reached a speed to provide the fuel to the engine at the required pressure, at which time the turbine is no longer driven and the output of the start pump goes to zero.

Abstract: The use of a single main centrifugal fuel pump for supplying fuel to an aircraft gas turbine engine has advantages over other known systems, however a problem has existed in that the centrifugal pump, when driven in a fixed ratio to the engine speed, cannot deliver fuel at adequate pressure under engine starting conditions. The disclosed fuel supply system using a main centrifugal pump overcomes this shortcoming by having a turbine-driven start pump added to the fuel supply with both the turbine and the start pump receiving fuel pumped by the main centrifugal pump and the turbine utiliziing the high flow, low pressure fuel to drive the start pump which incresases the pressure of the fuel to a value adequate for engine starting. The start pump delivers fuel until such time as the main centrifugal fuel pump has reached a speed to provide the fuel to the engine at the required pressure, at which time the turbine is no longer driven and the output of the start pump goes to zero.

Abstract: A lubrication scavenge system for an engine bearing compartment or the like utilizing a gear pump with two or more independent inlets with separate flow paths through the pump. The inlets and flow paths are maintained separate from each other by the use of inlet and discharge seal arcs to avoid any fluid communication therebetween. The pump can operate to pump different fluids through each inlet with the fluid being either a gas or liquid or a mixture of both and with the pump continuing its pumping action when there is an instantaneous interchange in the fluid being pumped at each inlet as can occur when the engine bearing compartment is subjected to varying positive and negative gravity forces.

Abstract: This invention relates to a fully modulatable centrifugal pump capable of handling a fluid containing solid contaminant particles and minimizing the temperature rise of the pumped fluid. The pump is of the type that includes an impeller to propel the fluid through a radial outlet to a diffuser which includes a plurality of diffuser passages. The improvement is comprised of the following cooperative combination which includes rotatably mounted valve elements passing, in part, through the diffuser and across the diffuser passages. Each of the valve elements have a port therethrough to variably selectively allow fluid passage therethrough upon rotation of the valve element. A driving arrangement is coupled to each of the valve elements to thereby affect a yieldable rotation of the valve elements in one direction to progressively reduce the opening of the valve element port to the diffuser passage.

Abstract: A boost pump incorporates a low-flow impeller pump for charging the inlet of a gas producer fuel pump and a high-flow impeller pump for charging the inlet of an augmentor fuel pump. The low-flow pump is connected to a drive shaft so as to be continuously driven thereby. The drive shaft may be placed in driving connection with the high-flow pump through the medium of a friction clutch which is engageable by the application of a fluid pressure. Disengagement of the high-flow impeller, when augmentation is not required, significantly contributes to an increase in pump efficiency and a reduction in heating of the fluid being pumped.