Pumps are provided, more particularly piston type pumps having increased energy efficiency, systems incorporating such piston type pumps, and methods of operating piston type pumps. The pumps are suitable for pumping of oil from an oil well or for pumping other liquids such as ground water, subterranean liquids, brackish water, sea water, waste water, cooling water, gas, coolants, and the like.

A hydraulic booster using a variable-volume piston includes a main cylinder configured such that, if a fluid introduced into the upper portion of a main piston is pressurized by a pressurizing means, the fluid in the lower portion of the main piston is output. A guide moves downwards separately from the main piston and then moves to the original position by a return means. A variable-volume piston is integrally assembled on the guide such that the volume thereof increases during a downward movement and decreases during an upward movement, thereby changing the volume of the upper side of the main piston. A fluid storage-and-supply unit connects to fluid channels in the upper and lower portions of the main cylinder. This configuration boosts the pressure of the fluid discharged through the lower portion of the main cylinder due to a volume change caused by upward/downward movements of the variable-volume piston.

An apparatus includes a linear motor and a fluid pump functionally connected to the linear motor. A fluid inlet of the fluid pump is in fluid communication with a fluid source. A fluid outlet of the fluid pump in fluid communication with a well. A pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the well. A controller is functionally coupled to the linear motor and the pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to operate the fluid pump to maintain a selected pressure in the well.

A switching device for alternately connecting a hydraulic drive of a lubricating pump to a pressure line and to a return line of a hydraulic circuit. The switching device includes first and second drive lines connected to the hydraulic drive, and pressure and return drive lines connected to the pressure and return lines. A switching valve is in fluid communication with the drive lines and is switchable between first and second switching states to connect the pressure drive line to the first drive line or to the second drive line. A plurality of hydraulic control lines control the position of the switching valve. The drive lines are configured to conduct a first volumetric flow of hydraulic fluid and the hydraulic control lines are configured to conduct a second volumetric flow of the hydraulic fluid different than the first volumetric flow.

A double-acting pump device includes a piston arrangement being slidably arranged in a pump housing. The pump housing is separated into a drive section with a drive fluid inlet and a drive fluid outlet and a pump section with an inlet and an outlet for a pump fluid. The drive section includes a switch mechanism which utilizes the difference between the drive fluid supply pressure and the drive fluid outlet pressure to reciprocate the piston arrangement, such that axially acting forces are transferred to the pump fluid which thereby achieves a desired pressure increase. Thus, the double-acting pump is arranged to utilize the energy in a supplied drive fluid to provide a defined pressure increase in a supplied pump fluid.

An intensifier pump includes a piston including at least two selectable piston diameters. Additionally, the intensifier pump includes a plunger that in operation interacts with the piston. The plunger includes a plunger diameter that is smaller than each of the at least two selectable piston diameters.

A fluid-driven linear motor comprises a cylinder (5), a piston (4) and a piston rod (3) connected to the piston (4), wherein the two sides of the piston (4) in the cylinder (5) are alternatively supplied with fluid from a slide valve arrangement, the slide valve arrangement including a slide (9) accommodated in a chamber and which is shifted between its end positions controlled by a pilot rod (22) coaxially mounted in a through bore (12) in the slide (9). The pilot rod (22) is adapted to alternately set the through bore (12) in fluid connection with the ends of the slide (9) when the piston (4) is located in its end positions. The pilot rod (22.) is provided with an extension rod (204) adapted to slide inside a bore (203) inside said piston (5) and said piston rod (3), so that the stroke length of the linear motor can be extended. Moreover, a pressure chamber (209) is provided at the distal end of the pilot rod (22), said pressure chamber (209) being adapted to hold on the pilot rod (22) with a holding force when in its end positions until mechanical forces from the piston overcome said holding force.

A fluid-driven linear motor comprises a cylinder (5), a piston (4) and a piston rod (3) connected to the piston (4), wherein the two sides of the piston (4) in the cylinder (5) are alternatively supplied with fluid from a slide valve arrangement, the slide valve arrangement including a slide (9) accommodated in a chamber and which is shifted between its end positions controlled by a pilot rod (22) coaxially mounted in a through bore (12) in the slide (9). The pilot rod (22) is adapted to alternately set the through bore (12) in fluid connection with the ends of the slide (9) when the piston (4) is located in its end positions. The pilot rod (22.) is provided with an extension rod (204) adapted to slide inside a bore (203) inside said piston (5) and said piston rod (3), so that the stroke length of the linear motor can be extended. Moreover, a pressure chamber (209) is provided at the distal end of the pilot rod (22), said pressure chamber (209) being adapted to hold on the pilot rod (22) with a holding force when in its end positions until mechanical forces from the piston overcome said holding force.

An apparatus includes a linear motor and a fluid pump functionally connected to the linear motor. A fluid inlet of the fluid pump is in fluid communication with a fluid source. A fluid outlet of the fluid pump in fluid communication with a well. A pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the well. A controller is functionally coupled to the linear motor and the pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to operate the fluid pump to maintain a selected pressure in the well.

An apparatus includes a linear motor and a fluid pump functionally connected to the linear motor. A fluid inlet of the fluid pump is in fluid communication with a fluid source. A fluid outlet of the fluid pump in fluid communication with a well. A pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the well. A controller is functionally coupled to the linear motor and the pressure sensor, wherein the controller is configured to operate the fluid pump to maintain a selected pressure in the well.