Patent ID: 8506236

Claim:
An inducer assembly, comprising: an auger mounted to a shaft and having one or more helical blades that spiral in a first direction about an axis of said shaft; a housing surrounding said auger, said housing including an inlet, an outlet and an exterior housing having an interior wall with one or more helical grooves formed therein that spiral in a second direction that is in counter rotation to said first direction, said one or more helical blades being positioned sufficiently close enough to said interior wall to push at least a portion of a fluid rotating in said first direction with said one or more helical blades into said one or more helical grooves and to move said portion of said fluid toward said outlet along a path formed by said one or more helical grooves; and an interior hub positioned below said shaft on said axis, said interior hub having an interior hub wall with one or more interior helical grooves formed therein that spiral in the second direction in counter rotation to the first direction, wherein at least a portion of said one or more helical blades overhang said shaft and are positioned sufficiently close enough to the interior hub wall to push at least a second portion of said fluid into said one or more interior helical grooves and toward the shaft along a second path formed by said one or more interior helical grooves.