Supports for rotatable housings of liquid ring pumps

摘要

A stationary support structure is adjacent to but spaced radially outward from the housing surface. Cylindrical rollers are distributed axially along the housing surface and circumferentially around the housing surface with each of the rollers having a cylindrical, radially outer bearing surface. A mounting rotatably mounts each of the rollers on the support structure so that a longitudinal axis of each roller is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing and the bearing surface of each roller is in contact with the housing surface in order to rotatably support the housing relative to the support structure. Each of the mountings permit the removal and replacement of an associated roller without the need to alter the relative positions of the housing and the support structure. The number and distribution of the rollers is sufficient to allow the removal and replacement of at least one of the rollers while the remainder of the rollers continue to rotatably support the housing relative to the support structure.