Bearing and Seal-free Pump for Spacecraft Thermal Control

ABI's innovation is a novel centrifugal pump, which will not have bearings, shaft, and seals. The impeller in this pump would rotate in a stable position in the center of the pump housing. The balance of all hydodynamic forces acting on impeller achieves stability. This pump will have high reliability, durability, and low cost in reduced mass, power and volume configuration, which are required in an active cooling system for a spacecraft thermal control. In addition, the relatively large clearances between the impeller and the housing allow particulates to pass through the pump without freezing the impeller. No commercially available pump offers these performance characteristics.