Mitigating hydraulic gradients by assisting gas displacement pumps with inverted hydrostatic standpipes

Abstract

The invention is a fluid handling process whereby a submerged pulsating low-pressure gas displacement pump is assisted by an inverted hydrostatic standpipe for the purpose of transporting ambient pressure liquid and gas. An apparatus with no moving parts pumps and transports gas and liquid at near-ambient pressure as a mixed medium by means of subtle design-induced pressure differentials within the inverted hydrostatic standpipe, siphon, pump chamber and riser, enabling conveyance over extended distances and inclined planes.

Claims

1. A liquid delivery system, comprising: a liquid reservoir containing liquid having an upper surface of the liquid at a reservoir liquid level within said reservoir, said upper surface of the liquid being exposed to atmospheric pressure; an inverted hydrostatic standpipe containing liquid and sealed at a top end of the standpipe, the standpipe being in fluid communication with the liquid within the reservoir at a lower end of the standpipe and extending upwardly from said reservoir, the standpipe having an elevated liquid level within the standpipe that is above the reservoir liquid level of the reservoir; a pump chamber located within said standpipe, the pump chamber being sealed at a top end of the pump chamber and being in fluid communication with the liquid within the standpipe and the liquid in the reservoir at a lower end of the pump chamber; a gas supply having an inlet discharging into a lower end of the pump chamber for delivering gas into the pump chamber, and said pump chamber having a pump chamber exhaust port extending from the pump chamber at a height above said inlet and below the top end of the pump chamber; a riser tube connecting to the pump chamber via the pump chamber exhaust port and extending upwardly to a discharge opening at a terminus of the riser tube in communication with the atmosphere, said riser being configured to transport gas and liquid suspended therein through the discharge opening of the riser; whereby the gas delivered by the gas supply entering the pump chamber accumulates and displaces liquid within the pump chamber until excess gas is released through the pump chamber exhaust port into the riser and gas buoyancy in the riser and atmospheric pressure propels liquid in the riser upwardly and out through the discharge opening of the riser.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said gas supply includes an ambient gas source or a compressed gas source that delivers gas bubbles through said inlet into the pump chamber.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said gas supply includes a solar powered gas compressor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the liquid is water.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas is air.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said gas supply includes a gas supply tube that extends through the liquid within said reservoir to said inlet discharging into the lower end of the pump chamber for delivering gas into the pump chamber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to initiate delivery of the liquid by introducing the gas by said gas supply.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured to stop delivery of the liquid by interrupting delivery of the gas by said gas supply.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the riser is gradually inclined and free from sharp turns so that gas bubbles freely flow therein.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the riser has a diameter sized to maintain gas bubbles within the riser separated from the liquid within said riser.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said riser has a diameter of about inch.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said system is configured such that the gas delivered by the gas supply entering the pump chamber cyclically accumulates and displaces liquid within the pump chamber until excess gas is released through the pump chamber exhaust port into the riser to cyclically create elongated gas bubbles that propel liquid upwardly through the riser.

13. A method of delivering liquid, comprising: providing a liquid reservoir containing liquid having an upper surface of the liquid at a reservoir liquid level within said reservoir, said upper surface of the liquid being exposed to atmospheric pressure; providing an inverted hydrostatic standpipe containing liquid and sealed at a top end of the standpipe, the standpipe being in fluid communication with the liquid within the reservoir at a lower end of the standpipe and extending upwardly from said reservoir, the standpipe having an elevated liquid level within the standpipe that is above the reservoir liquid level of the reservoir; providing a pump chamber located within said standpipe, the pump chamber being sealed at a top end of the pump chamber and being in fluid communication with the liquid within the standpipe and the liquid in the reservoir at a lower end of the pump chamber; providing a gas supply having an inlet discharging into a lower end of the pump chamber for delivering gas into the pump chamber, and said pump chamber having a pump chamber exhaust port extending from the pump chamber at a height above said inlet and below the top end of the pump chamber; providing a riser tube connecting to the pump chamber via the pump chamber exhaust port and extending upwardly to a discharge opening at a terminus of the riser tube in communication with the atmosphere, said riser being configured to transport gas and liquid suspended therein through the discharge opening of the riser; and accumulating gas delivered by the gas supply within the pump chamber until excess gas is released through the pump chamber exhaust port into the riser and gas buoyancy in the riser and atmospheric pressure propels liquid in the riser upwardly and out through the discharge opening of the riser.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said method further includes cyclically accumulating the gas delivered by the gas supply entering the pump chamber until excess gas is released through the pump chamber exhaust port into the riser so as to cyclically create elongated gas bubbles that propel liquid upwardly through the riser.

15. The method of claim 13, including providing the liquid as water.

16. The method of claim 13, including providing the gas as air.

17. The method of claim 13, further including providing the gas supply with a gas supply tube that extends through the liquid within said reservoir to said inlet discharging into the lower end of the pump chamber and delivers gas into the pump chamber.

18. The method of claim 13, further including initiating delivery of the liquid by introducing said gas by said gas supply.

19. The method of claim 13, further including stopping delivery of the liquid by interrupting delivery of said gas by said gas supply.

20. The method of claim 13, further including providing the riser with a diameter along its length that is sized to maintain gas bubbles within the riser separated from the liquid within said riser.

Description

LIST OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 The Subtle Energy Pump in situcross section

(2) FIG. 2 The Subtle Energy Pumpexploded view

(3) FIG. 3 Compressed gas configurationcross section

(4) FIG. 4 Ambient gas configurationcross section

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PROCESS

(5) A submerged pulsating gas displacement pump (See FIG. 1) with no moving parts, for transforming ambient pressure liquid and gas entering the pump via separate inlets

(6) from a liquid source upstream 1 or 7, and a gas source upstream 3 or 9 to a regulated intermittent pulsating flow evacuated downstream into a connected riser 6. Suspended in the riser 6, the gas and liquid are ready for transport at near-ambient pressure.

(7) Enveloped by an inverted hydrostatic standpipe 2, this pulsating device is comprised of an exhausted chamber, (hereinafter referenced as the pump chamber 5), for receiving the liquid and gas flows entering the device, that occupying an initial volume in the pump chamber 5, the liquid (hereinafter referenced as the liquid column) entering the pump chamber 5, is displaced by gas, increasing the volume that the gas occupies in the pump chamber 5 for the purpose of effecting a transient hydraulic surge in said liquid column for the purpose of exploiting a segment of said liquid column at the zenith of this transient hydraulic surge. The transient hydraulic surge is resultant of excess gas accumulation in the pump chamber 5 being released through the pump chamber 5 exhaust port and displacing liquid present in the riser 6 by means of increasing that liquid's elevation. The transient hydraulic surge occurs sequentially at or above in connected proximity to the pump chamber 5 exhaust port, completing the pump cycle as a portion of the liquid column is drawn by exhausting gas through the exhaust port and into the riser 6 where it is held in suspension by the expiration of the transient hydraulic surge and the resumption of atmospheric pressure to said liquid column. Once held in suspension in the riser 6, the gas and liquid are ready for transport. Each cycle's gas exhaust displaces the previous cycle's suspended liquid exhaust and the potential and kinetic energies of the inverted hydrostatic standpipe 2, atmospheric pressure on the reservoir 1, and gas buoyancy in the riser 6, propel the liquid and gas as a regulated intermittent pulse (See FIG. 3 & FIG. 4) over extended distances and inclined planes. The inverted hydrostatic standpipe 2 environ increases the pumps ability to do work, e.g. the higher the elevation desired for gas and liquid delivery, the taller the inverted hydrostatic standpipe 2 needed.

(8) Operation

(9) Operation is initiated by the introduction of gas and is suspended by interrupting the gas flow. Assembly and disassembly is quick and easy as all parts are a tolerance fit and require no fasteners.

(10) This apparatus has been successfully tested to elevations of approximately 10 feet but atmospheric pressure at sea level will only support a water column approximately 33 feet tall, suggesting a possible elevation limit to this apparatus.

(11) This process of energy derivation embodied by a maintenance-free apparatus moves liquid and gas 24 hours a day. Care should be taken to keep the bottom of the standpipe clear of debris that might clog the pump.

(12) The route of the riser for a remote delivery should be one that provides a gradual incline and avoids sharp turns. For delivery closer to the pump assembly, the standpipe may be used to support the riser in a loosely coiled fashion that maintains a gradual upward slope to the delivery height.

(13) Note: Permanent installation of this device might, depending upon the conditions present, require a periodic disassembly and cleaning of any growth that might prove detrimental to the pump cycle.