Free spool inducer pump

Claim 1

In fluid pumping apparatus, the combination comprising (a) a housing, (b) an impeller rotable in the housing about an axis to discharge fluid centrifugally outwardly, (c) a rotary spool having an inducer section through which intake fluid passes to the impeller, (d) a rotary radial diffuser connected with the rotary spool and having driving vanes located at the inlet of the diffuser and outwardly of the impeller periphery for rotatably driving the spool in response to outward flow of said discharged fluid against and between the vanes, (e) said driving vanes having inner ends substantially adjacent the impeller periphery, and outwardly thereof, (f) said impeller having blades which spiral radially and circumferentially outwardly in one rotary direction about the impeller axis, said driving vanes spiralling radially and circumferentially outwardly in the opposite rotary direction about said axis and from said inner ends, and entirely outwardly of the impeller, (g) said spool at all times being rotatable free of connection to the impeller, (h) there being Tesla ring means on the spool and located radially of the driving vanes.