AU784082B2 - A hydraulic pump system - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Ralph Alexander James Findlay Ralph Alexander James Findlay Address for Service: Invention Title: CULLEN CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys 239 George Street Brisbane, QId. 4000 Australia.

A Hydraulic Pump System Details of Associated Provisional Application: PR1568 20 November 2000 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 A HYDRAULIC PUMP SYSTEM This invention relates to a hydraulic pump system for pumping liquid from one location to another. In particular, the invention relates to a submersible hydraulic pump system for pumping ground water from boreholes.

The invention has been designed chiefly to pump ground water from boreholes and will therefore be described in this context. It is to be appreciated however that the invention may have other uses. The hydraulic pump system may, for instance, be used to pump liquids other than water from one location to another BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The pumping of ground water from boreholes has traditionally entailed feeding a pipe of sorts down a borehole until partially submerged in ground water, and then drawing the water up through the pipe by means of an above-ground pump attached to an upper end of the pipe. Various types of engines, as well as wind-power, have been used to drive such pumps.

Another method of pumping ground water entails feeding a submersible pump down the borehole itself. It appears that most known submersible pumps are driven by electric motors. Although electric submersible pumps have advantages over traditional pumps in that they are generally easier to install and more economical to operate, a disadvantage is that they require a source of electricity. In remote areas when a mains supply is not available, such pumps may need to be powered by batteries.

Disadvantages with using batteries include that batteries are usually short lived, requiring frequent replacement and/or maintenance, and are expensive to purchase.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic pump system that overcomes a disadvantage referred to above, or to provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a hydraulic pump system for pumping liquid from a first location to a second location, said system having a pump assembly that includes a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a hydraulic motor housed within the chamber, a progressing cavity pump connected to the motor and extending outwardly from the chamber inlet, and a conduit extending from the outlet to the second location, with the construction and arrangement being such that when the hydraulic motor is driven, liquid is pumped from the first location to the second location.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The pump system may further include a hydraulic pump, a drive for driving the hydraulic pump, and hydraulic lines for circulating hydraulic fluid between the hydraulic pump and the motor.

The progressing cavity pump preferably has a rotor and a sleeve, 15 the sleeve extends from the inlet of the chamber and the rotor is coupled to a shaft of the motor for rotation within the sleeve. The rotor preferably turns on a left-hand rotation. The sleeve of the progressing cavity pump may be made of plastics material or of any other corrosion-resistant material.

The progressing cavity pump enables liquid to be pumped even "20 when the motor operates at low revolutions per minute.

Preferably, the chamber is defined by a substantially cylindrical body and caps adapted to seal opposing ends of the body, and the inlet and outlet are located in the caps. Preferably, the body and caps are made of stainless steel, but they can comprise any other suitable material or materials.

25 The caps are preferably detachable from the cylindrical body.

Preferably, the sleeve of the progressing cavity pump is of smaller diameter than either cap.

Preferably, the pump assembly is submersible. If the system is used to pump bore water, then the pump assembly is preferably dimensioned to fit within an about 4 to 6 inch borehole leading to the underground water.

The conduit for channelling liquid from the outlet to the second location is preferably flexible along most of its length. The conduit may comprise two or more attachable conduit pieces. Preferably, a first inflexible conduit piece is attached to the chamber outlet, a second adaptor conduit piece is attached to the first conduit piece, and a third flexible conduit piece is attached to the second conduit piece and extends to the second location. Preferably, the first conduit piece is a stainless steel pipe, the third conduit piece comprises plastic Polypipe®, and the second conduit piece is a plastic adaptor pipe for joining the first and third conduit pieces together.

The hydraulic lines preferably circulate hydraulic fluid to the motor by way of the cap having the outlet.

If necessary, the system may further have a fluid reservoir, in which case additional hydraulic lines would circulate fluid to the reservoir.

The fluid reservoir may be positioned at any suitable location.

The drive may be a combustion engine or any suitable type of drive known to persons skilled in the art. The drive is preferably a windmill or like device with vanes or sails that rotate with a windshaft. The windshaft of the windmill may be either directly or indirectly coupled to the hydraulic pump.

For instance, the pump may have a shaft that may be coupled directly to an end of the windshaft with any suitable coupling device. Alternately, an end of the windshaft may have a sprocket, the pump may have a shaft with a respective sprocket, and the sprockets may be linked with a chain.

It is to be appreciated that the windshaft of the windmill may be coupled to the pump in any other suitable manner known to persons skilled in the art. For instance, the windmill may have a gear box and any suitable 25 component of the gear box may be coupled to the pump either directly or indirectly.

The system may further have a hydraulic brake for controlling the rotational speed of the windshaft. Hydraulic hoses may connect the brake to the hydraulic pump. Preferably, the brake comprises a disc brake that is activated by the pressure of the fluid within the hydraulic hoses. Such brakes and mechanisms for their activation are well known to persons skilled in the art.

The windmill may have a tower for supporting the windshaft. The tower may be height-adjustable so that the windshaft may be raised or lowered relative to the ground. The windshaft may have either a substantially horizontal or a vertical attitude, and the windshaft may be able to pivot relative to the tower. If the windshaft has a horizontal attitude and is pivotable, the hydraulic lines may extend from the hydraulic pump through an interior region of the tower. Preferably, the hydraulic lines extending from the hydraulic pump each have a rotary coupling such that the windshaft can pivot about the tower without twisting or pinching closed the lines.

Any suitable hydraulic pump known in the art may be used to pump the hydraulic fluid. Any suitable hydraulic motor known in the art may be used to drive the pump of the pump assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 15 Figure 1 is a schematic of a submersible hydraulic pump system powered by a windmill, for pumping ground water from a borehole to an above-ground reservoir, according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a magnified and detailed side elevation view of part of the submersible hydraulic pump system of Figure 1; 20 Figure 3 is a partly detailed top plan view of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a schematic of part of the submersible hydraulic pump system of Figure 1 but powered by a different type of windmill, according to an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS .i 25 In all of the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Figure 1 shows a submersible hydraulic pump system for pumping ground water 2 through a borehole 3 to an above-ground reservoir 4. The system has a windmill 1, a hydraulic pump 5, a pump assembly 6, and hydraulic lines 8, 9 for circulating hydraulic fluid between the pump 5 and the motor 11. The windmill 1 drives the hydraulic pump 5 that in turn drives the motor 11.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the pump assembly 6 includes a 6 chamber 11 having an inlet 17 and an outlet 14, a hydraulic motor 19 housed within the chamber 11, a progressing cavity pump 60 connected to the motor 19 and extending outwardly from the chamber inlet 17, and a multi-piece conduit 7, 27, 28 that is attachable to the outlet 14 and which extends from the outlet 14 to the above-ground reservoir 4.

The chamber 11 is defined by a cylindrical body 15, an upper end cap 12 and a lower end cap 13. The end caps 12, 13 are sealingly secured to the cylindrical body 15 with bolts 16 (only some of which have been labelled) having O-rings. The upper end cap 12 has outlet 14 and the lower end cap 13 has inlet 17. A threaded spigot 18 extends from the inlet 17.

Figures 1 and 2 show the progressing cavity pump 60 to have a sleeve 22 and a rotor 21, wherein the rotor 21 is rotatable within the sleeve 22. An end 23 of the sleeve 22 is screwed to the spigot 18. An end 24 of the rotor 21 is coupled to a shaft 26 of the motor 19 with a clamping device Figures 1 and 2 show the conduit 7, 27, 28 to comprise multiple attachable pieces. Conduit piece 7 is made of stainless steel and has an end attached to outlet 14. Conduit piece 27 is a plastic adaptor that serves to S•attach conduit piece 7 to conduit piece 28. Conduit piece 28 is a flexible plastic pipe (Polypipe®) and has an end positioned above the reservoir 4.

Conduit piece 27 has an end 20 that is threaded and an end 29 that frictionfits to conduit piece 28.

The windmill 1 of Figure 1 has a tower comprising legs 30, a body 31, a neck 32 and a head 37. A hand winch 33 enables the neck 32 to be raised or lowered relative to the body 31. Located at the head 37 is a 25 windshaft 34 that is connected to vanes 35 with arms 36. The head 37 has a S•bracket 37 that is fastened to the neck 32 and which holds the hydraulic pump 5 in position. The pump 5 has a shaft bearing a sprocket, the windshaft 34 also has a sprocket, and the spockets are linked to one another with a chain (not shown). In this way, pump 5 is driven by the rotation of the windshaft 34.

Hydraulic lines 8, 9 circulate hydraulic fluid between the pump and motor 19. The lines 8, 9 comprise flexible hoses and are of suitable length for lowering the sleeve 22 of the assembly 6 into the ground water 2.

These lines 8, 9 extend through the neck 32 and body 31 of the tower. Each of the lines 8, 9 has a rotary coupling 38 positioned within the neck 32 so that the windshaft 34 can pivot freely without twisting the lines 8, 9 closed, ie.

restricting flow of the fluid within the lines 8, 9. Lines 8 and 9 have threaded ends 39, 40 that are sealingly secured to the upper cap 12 of the chamber 11 so that the fluid is circulated to the motor 19, as seen in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the hydraulic pump system in that it has a different type of windmill 41. The windmill 41 has a tower 42, a windshaft 45, vanes 52 and connecting arms 53. The windshaft 45 is mounted with bearings 46 to a top region 44 of the tower 42 such that the windshaft 45 may rotate axially. A pump 5, much like that of Figure 1, is supported beneath the windshaft 45 with arms 47. The pump 5 has a shaft 48 that is directly coupled to an end of the windshaft The system also has a disc brake 49 for regulating the rotational speed of the windshaft 45. The brake 49 is fastened to the tower 42. The windshaft 45 has a disc 50 extending therefrom. A hydraulic brake line 51 S- communicates fluid between the pump 5 and the brake 49. When the rotational speed of the windshaft 45 reaches a predefined value, the fluid pressure in the line 51 automatically actuates callipers of the brake 49 so that they engage the disc 50 and so that rotation of the windshaft 45 is retarded.

In use, the progressing cavity pump 60 (of Figure 1 or Figure 4) is lowered into the borehole 3 until a lower end of the sleeve 22 is submersed in ground water. Wind caught in the vanes (35 or 52) of the windmill, (1 or 41) 25 causes the windshaft (34 or 45) to rotate, and consequently, the hydraulic pump 5 circulates fluid to the hydraulic motor 19, whereupon the motor 19 turns the rotor 21. The rotor 21 moves the water to the chamber 11 via inlet 17, and when the chamber 11 is full of water, water is forced through the outlet 14 to the reservoir 4 via conduits 7, 27 and 28. In the embodiment of Figure 4, if the rotational speed of the windshaft 45 exceeds a predefined value, then the disc brake 49 is automatically activated until the speed drops below the predefined value. The progressing cavity pump 60 enables water 8 to be pumped even when the motor 19 is turning at low revolutions per minute.

S*

Claims (9)

1. A hydraulic pump system for pumping liquid from a first location to a second location, said system having a pump assembly that includes: a chamber having an inlet and an outlet; a hydraulic motor housed within the chamber; a progressing cavity pump connected to the motor and extending outwardly from the chamber inlet, wherein the progressing cavity pump has a rotor and a sleeve, the sleeve extends downwardly from the inlet of the chamber and the rotor is coupled to a shaft of the motor for rotation within the sleeve, and the sleeve is of smaller diameter than the chamber; and a conduit extending upwardly from the outlet to the second location, wherein the conduit is of smaller diameter than the chamber, with the construction and arrangement being such that when the hydraulic motor is driven, liquid is pumped from the first location to the second 15 location.

2. The hydraulic pump system of claim 1, wherein the chamber is *provided by a substantially cylindrical body and caps adapted to seal opposing ends of the body, and the inlet and outlet are located in the caps. 2 o* n3. The hydraulic pump system of claim 2, wherein the conduit is flexible along most of its length.

4. The hydraulic pump system of claim 3, wherein the conduit comprises o three attachable conduit pieces, a first inflexible conduit piece is attached to the chamber outlet, a second adaptor conduit piece is attached to said first conduit piece, and a third flexible conduit piece is attached to said second conduit piece and extends to the second location. The hydraulic pump system of any one of claims 2 to 4 further including a hydraulic pump, a drive for driving the hydraulic pump and hydraulic lines for circulating hydraulic fluid between the hydraulic pump and the motor.

6. The hydraulic pump system of claim 5, wherein the hydraulic lines circulate hydraulic fluid to the motor by way of the cap having the outlet.

7. The hydraulic pump system of claim 5 or claim 6 further having a hydraulic fluid reservoir.

8. The hydraulic pump system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pump assembly is submersible.

9. The hydraulic pump system of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the drive comprises a windmill. The hydraulic pump system of claim 9, wherein the windmill has veins or sails that rotate with a windshaft, and the windshaft is coupled to the hydraulic pump.

11. The hydraulic pump system of claim 10 further having a hydraulic brake for controlling the rotational speed of the windshaft.

12. The hydraulic pump system of claim 11, wherein hydraulic hoses connect the hydraulic brake to the hydraulic pump, and the hydraulic brake comprises a disk brake that is activated by the pressure of the fluid within said hydraulic hoses. S 15 13. A hydraulic pump system as defined in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 14th day of November 2005 Ralph Alexander James Findlay By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. ogoo. oooooo