GB2161519A

GB2161519A - Apparatus and method for transporting liquid utilising the potential energy of an operating fluid

Info

Publication number: GB2161519A
Application number: GB08512499A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tibor Dora; Janos Pucher
Original assignee: PLANORG MERNOKI IRODA GM
Current assignee: PLANORG MERNOKI IRODA GM
Priority date: 1984-05-22
Filing date: 1985-05-17
Publication date: 1986-01-15
Also published as: HU190476B; JPS6198978A; DE3517172A1; IN163704B; FR2564906B3; HUT37480A; ZA853792B; CA1244743A; GB2161519B; FR2564906A1; DE3517172C2; RU1794226C; GB8512499D0

Abstract

Energy exchanges between fluids are produced in a system of vessels containing a pressure transmission piston (12) and cylinders (11) sealed from the atmosphere, in a succession of cycles in which liquid to be moved and pressurised operating liquid are alternately fed to individual chambers above and below the piston (12) respectively. In order to make up for the energy losses incurred in the course of the liquid transporting process in a mine cooling system, forces are applied via an actuating device (12') to the pressure transmission piston (12). To render this possible the actuating devices (12') of the particular cylinders (11) are interconnected by a common drive system (13), preferably composed of a crankshaft (17), a transmission gear (16) and an electric motor (19). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus and method for transporting liquids utilizing the potential energy of an operating fluid The present invention relates to a method for transporting liquid substances by means of an operating fluid possessing potential energy, and a water column machine for carrying out the method.

Processes and water column machines are known, in which the exchange of energy needed for the transportation of the liquid substance takes place in a closed system of vessels sealed from the atmosphere and containing a pressure transmission gear between the two fluids by successions of alternating intake and displacement (discharge) strokes of quanta of the liquids, in the frames of an alternating motion.

Such solution are presented, for instance in Hungarian Patent Specification No. 1 68 430.

Although the systems described in this patent specification utilizing the potential energy of the liquid with a very high efficiency (in some cases over 90 per cent), in certain fields of applications the losses of energy incurred in the course of the transportation must be made up for. Such are, for instance, the cooling systems of deep mines.

This is why these machines operating on the principle of liquid displacements, alternatively called water column machines, must be completed with pumps to make up for the losses of energy, at least for one of the two liquids. Such pumps for making up for losses render the otherwise unsophisticated systems intricate and expensive, permitting the utilization of the otherwise quite substantial advantages in the application mentioned above only to a restricted extent.

Various types of pumps are known which are working on the principle of liquid displacement (piston and membrane pumps, etc.) having a pressure transmission gear (e.g. a piston) performing alternating motions in a closed space (say, in a cylinder), and a drive unit is connected to the assembly through a mechanical component (say, a piston rod).

These pumps do not use the energy of the operating fluid, but are powered by motors of their own and utilize electric current or heat.

The basic idea of the invention is the discovery that the making up for losses incurred in fluid conveyance can be solved in the water column machine itself, by most simple means.

To this end it is sufficent to apply a force by mechanical ways upon the pressure transmission gear taking care of the energy exchanges between the two fluids while performing an alternating motion. This makes the application of pumps to make up for losses superfluous as it is the water column machine that is rendered suitable for the transmission of the potential energy of the operating fluid and of the auxiliary energy to make up for losses at the same time. This renders the system simple again, and its advantages may be made the most of also in the fields of applications pointed out in the introductory part, even to a substantially increased degree.

As a result of this discovery our invention concerns a method for the conveyance of a fluid by means of an operating fluid in which the energy exchange needed between the two fluids for the purposes of conveyance is solved in a closed system of vessels sealed off from the atmosphere, in successions of intake and displacements of quanta of the fluids in the frames of an alternating motion, while, to make up for the losses incurred in fluid transportation system auxiliary energy if fed at least to one of the fluids and in which, according to the invention, at least a part of the auxiliary energy if fed to the vessel system, by means of an energy impression by a mechanical device, in the course of at least in one of the directions of the alternating motions of the pressure transmission device.

Another aspect of the invention covers such a water column machine for carrying out the method which has a vessel system built up of closed cylinders sealed off from the atmosphere; the cylinders house pressure transmission gears fit to perform alternating motion, and according to the invention a mechanical actuating mechanism is connected to the pressure transmission gear which is coupled to a drive unit. One of the preferred embodiments of the water column machine according to the invention has a separate drive unit for each cylinder. In another preferable embodiment the mechanical actuating elements of at least two cylinders have a common drive.A further preferable embodiment has cylinders arranged by pairs, in each pair one cylinder has connections for the intake and displacement only for the operating liquid, while the other one has similar connections only for the liquid to be transported, and the mechanical actuating device of a pair of cylinders are connected to a common drive unit. In a further preferable embodiment of the water column machine according to the invention a mechanism transforming rotary motion into a rectilinear reciprocation coupled between the drive unit and the actuating device. In some cases one of the working cylinders is used as a drive, or even a cylinder making part of the vessel system may be preferable in such application. A further embodiment is a solution in which the driving unit is a motor. The invention will now be described by examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings.In the drawling: Figure 1 shows schematically a conventional mine cooling equipment with two pumps to make up for losses incurred in operation and based upon a water column machine; Figure 2 shows schematically a conventional mine cooling equipment with a single pump to make up for losses incurred in operation, based upon a water column machine; Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention in which one of the pumps that make up for the losses and shown in Fig. 1 is spared; Figure 4 shows a detail of an embodiment of the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, in which respective, separate cylinders are used for receiving the operating fluid and the fluid to be conveyed; Figure 5 shows such an embodiment of the invention, in which the only pump that makes up for the losses in the arrangement of Fig. 2 is also spared; and Figure 6 shows a detail of an embodiment of Fig. 5, in which respective cylinders are used to handle the operating fluid and to take up the fluid to be conveyed.

In the conventional system shown in Fig. 1 a cooling tower T and a cooling machine HG are set up on ground level. Through uptake and downtake ducts forming a vertical circuit the cooling machine HG is connected to one of the sides of a water column machine VG operating on the deep level. The second side of the water column machine VG is connected to a horizontal circuit which includes a suction basin M and a water-and-air heat exchanger V-L. A first pump Pv adapted to compensate for the losses is inserted in the vertical circuit and a second loss conpensating pump Ph is arranged in the horizontal circuit. The first pump operates above ground, the second on the deep level.

The water column machine VG discharges the cold water cooled in the cooling machine HG to the suction basin M of pump Ph. The pump Ph drives the cold water through the water-and-air heat exchanger V-L to stream towards the intake side of the water column VG. The water column machine VG supplies the water warmed up in the water-and-air heat exchanger V-L used for cooling the deep working place again to the cooling machine HG through the uptake duct of the vertical circuit. Full recirculation, however, cannot be attained without the pumps Pv and Ph feeding auxiliary energy to the water column machine VG.

The conventional system illustrated in Fig.

2 differs from that according to Fig. 1 in that also the horizontal circuit is closed and sealed.

This system can be implemented e.g. by the application of the water column machine described with differential piston as shown in Fig. 1 or 2 of the Austrian Patent Specification No. 344512. Such a water column machine VG, can deliver namely the cold water under a required reduced pressure, directly into the forward duct of the horizontal circuit. Though this solution does not require the application of a separate pump Ph in the horizontal circuit, full recirculation cannot be obtained without the compensation of the losses incurred both in the horizontal and vertical circuits, i.e. a pump Pv of sufficiently increased output should be set up on ground level to provide assistance for the water column machine VG.The advantages obtained by the omission of the pump Ph can, however, be used only at the cost of certain other and expensive modifications of the system: i.e. the ground level pump Ph+V, the downtake branch of the vertical pair of ducts with a length of 1-2 km and also the water column machine itself must all be designated to significantly higher working pressures, since the pressure in the horizontal ducts of such systems can sometime be as high as 40 bars.

Fig. 3 shows an example how the present invention can render the use of the pump Pv unnecessary which was indispensible in the system shown in Fig. 1.

In the arrangement of Fig. 3 downtake duct 1 of the vertical circuit is connected through a first shutoff device 7 to a space defined under a pressure transmission gear 1 2 formed by the piston of cylinder 11. The same space is connected via a second shutoff device 9 and a duct 3 with suction basin 5, and the basin 5 is coupled to the intake side of a pump Ph inserted in the forward ducts of the horizontal circuit. The delivery side of the pump Ph is connected to the intake side of the water-andair heat exchanger V-L set on the deep level.

The outlet side of the water-and-air heat exchanger V-L is connected through a return duct 4 of the horizontal circuit and a third shutoff device 10 to another space defined above the pressure transmission gear 12 of the cylinder 11. This other space is connected through a fourth shutoff device 8 to the uptake duct 2 of the vertical circuit, and preferably in this space pressure conpensating and de-aeretion vessel 6 (e.g. a dashpot provided with a de-aerating valve) is provided.

The pressure transmission gear 1 2 has an actuating device 12' extending out in a sealed way from the cylinder 11 and connected with a drive unit 1 3. The actuating element 12' is formed in the embodiment of Fig. 3 by a piston rod and the drive unit 1 3 is made by a pneumatic working cylinder, whose piston 14 is operated by compressed air taken through and air duct 1 5 and a three-way valve 1 6 from a compresser (not shown in the drawing) or from a pressure network.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 3 operates as follows. When the pressure transmission gear 1 2 and the piston 14 both are in bottom extreme positions, the space above the gear 1 2 is filled with hot water discharged by the pump Ph during the preceding stroke, while the valve 1 6 is open to the free atmosphere.

Now the shutoff devices 9 and 10 are shut, and the devices 7 and 8 are opened. The air duct 1 5 is connected to the compressed-air supply (not shown in the drawing) via the valve 1 6. At this instant cold water under high pressure enters from the duct 1 through the shutoff device 7 into the space under the gear 1 2 and thrusts the hot water present above the gear 1 2 through the shutoff device 8 towards the duct 2. This process is supported by the drive unit 1 3 in such a way that compressed air conducted through the duct 1 5 under the piston 14 applies a force through the actuating device 12' upon the pressure transmission gear 12, (Fig. 3 shows the apparatus in this phase).In case of the conventional mine cooling equipment shown in Fig. 1 the drive unit 1 3 is expected to furnish not more than only 5-10 per cent of the total energy needed for the liquid transport, in some other applications, however, quite different proportions may be imagined.

When the gear 1 2 and the piston 14 have reached the top extreme positions, the shutoff devices 7 and 8 are closed and the devices 9 and 10 are opened, and the space under the piston 14 is connected through the valve 1 6 with the atmosphere. Then the hot water streams through the shutoff device 10 into the space above the gear 1 2 and this water pushes the interconnected alternating assembly 12-12'-14 downwards, owing to which the cold water from the space under the gear 1 2 is displaced through the shutoff device 9 into the suction basin 5, and the compressed air contained in the unit 1 3 is discharged to the atmosphere.This results in that the gear 1 2 and the piston 14 are moved again into the bottom extreme positions and the cycle outlined above is re-started.

In Fig. 3 for the sake of simplicity only a single cylinder 11 and drive unit 1 3 have been shown. It goes without saying that in practical applications for obtaining a continuous and even flow several cylinders and associated drive units should be used. This will not be described in detail, since from the above teaching it is within the skill of a man skilled in the art.

Fig. 4 shows a detail of a modified embodiment of the solution of Fig. 3. Here in the place of the cylinder 11 a pair of cylinders 1 la and 1 1b is used which cylinders are associated with the operating fluid and with the fluid that should be conveyed, respectively. Both of them are provided with pressure transmission gears 1 2a and 1 2b, respectively. Between the two cylinders, in a coaxial arrangement therewith there is provided the drive unit 1 3 designed as a pneumatic working cylinder having a piston 14, connected from both sides to the common actuating device 12' which latter enters, in the unit 1 3 through a bottom seal.Corresponding to those above, the ducts 1 and 3 together with the shutoff devices fixed to them enter into the cylinder and the associated means 1 1a through the bottom, whereas the ducts 2 and 4 enter into the cylinder 11 through the top.

This sort of solution with two cylinders may serve, for instance, to prevent heat transmission together with external insulations commonly applied.

The central location of the unit 1 3 shown here is to give an example to illustrate that the relative position of the drive unit and of the cylinder(s) may be freely selected as it is regarded to be the most convenient.

The operation of the system according to Fig. 4 corresponds to that shown in Fig. 3 and no further explanation is required.

Fig. 5 represents an example how to feed auxiliary energy to make up for losses by means of a common drive unit 1 3 in case of a water column machine having three cylinders 11 connected in parallel. In this arrangement the pressure transmission gears 1 2 (pistons) of the three cylinders 11 are coupled through respective actuating devices 12' (each comprising a piston rod and a driving bar connected thereto) to a common drive unit 13 consisting of a crankshaft 17, a steppingdown transmission 18 and an electric motor 19.

The pressure transmission gears 1 2 of the respective cylinders 11 as well as the shutoff devices 7, 8, 9, 10 operate in phase shifts, like in the case of a three-cylinder two-stroke engine, and- also the crankshaft 1 7 is similarly designed to those of such engines. Notwithstanding this difference the operation of this embodiment is similar to that described in connection with Fig. 3, and further differences lie in that the suction basin 5 and the pump Ph are not used and the duct 3 is connected to the water-and-air heat exchanger V-L. The closing and opening logic of the shutoff deviced need not be described in detail, since it logically follow from the already described principles. Identical reference numbers designate identical elements in the figures.

In connection with the basic idea of the invention the only thing still worth mentioning is that in the solution as represented in Fig. 5 the required auxiliary energy is delivered by the motor 1 9 of the drive unit 1 3 by applying mechanical energy to the pressure transmission gear 1 2 through the actuating elements 12', the crankshaft 1 7 and the energy transmission gear 18. The motor 19 is preferably provided with a conventional thyristorized continuous speed control (not shown in the drawing) which forms an economic means for the volume control of the streaming fluid.The shutoff devices of the cylinders 11 for, at least those numbered 7 and 9 are controlled automatically (not represented here), preferably by a camshaft as are widely applied and operated in internal combustion engines.

Fig. 6 shows a modified detail of the arrangement of Fig. 5 with three cylinders, concerning the middle cylinder and its connections, with the difference that here the crankshaft is arranged at the side from where the fluid is to be conveyed and, like the solution according to Fig. 4, separate cylinders are provided to receive the operating fluid and that to be conveyed, respectively.

Since the designation used in Fig. 6 are the same as that of Figs. 5 and 4, and the operation corresponds to that of one of the cylinders shown in Fig. 5, no further explanations are needed.

It should, however, be noted that in the arrangement of Fig. 6 the actuating device 12' is connected directly to the pressure gear 1 2b in the way known in the field of singleacting internal combustion engines and, like in such engines, the activating device 12' can be introduced deeply into the cylinder 11 b which reduces the size of the apparatus perpendicular to the crankshaft and simplifies the constructional design.

To prevent any misunderstanding it should be emphasized that auxiliary energy application is equally possible with equipment using working cylinders like those shown in any of the Figs. 3, 4 or with those shown in Figs. 5, 6 and using motor driven auxiliary energy feed, whereby any of the horizontal, vertical and bi-directional pump-driven energy supply can be replaced. With machinery working with cylinders this possibility depends only on the proper selection of the appropriate cylinder type i.e. whether it be single or doubleacting type and possible on the assembly thereof, while in case of motor powered individual machines the way of the energy supply is self-explanatory.

It should be noted that the unit referred to as "actuating device" and designated by the reference number 12' may consist of a single member (a piston rod or a connecting rod) or of several members (e.g. a connecting rod linked to a piston rod), in which the pistion head can have a cross or other guiding. The guiding mechanism for the piston has not been shown for the sake of preserving clarity of the illustration.

In the cases represented in Figs. 5 and 6 the cylinders 11, as well as those 11 a, 11 b, apply auxiliary energy also to each other by means of the crankshaft 1 7 which means that they take the role of the driving unit with respect of each other. In some applications it is possible that the motor 19 and the transmission gear 18 are temporarily not required or can even be fully omitted. In such cases the particular fonctions of the respective cylinders 11, or 11 a-i 1 b as being water column machines or auxiliary energy suppliers will be distinguishable only by momentary operational phase positions, and these phases form repetitive sequences.It is a general characteristic of the invention that the way of the arrangement and spatial assembly of the cylinders of the water column machine relative to each other and to the mechanism that transforms rotary motion into reciprocation may be chosen freely as required.

Another general characteristic lies in that the water column machine according to the invention may be built up of single or doubleacting cylinders of any type. The designing of additional ducts and of connections, the application of shutoff devices and their locations that might be necessary in such cases do not require any additional skill on the part of the average expert.

A point of importance is that the apparatus and its component parts should be fitted out with devices for de-aeration, in particular cases even with continuous de-aeration. Such accessories are not indicated in the Figures either.

The same applies to the necessity of the fitting out of the equipment with known complementary units which, before every changing over of the shutoff devices produce pressure equalization between the fluid spaces, sufficient to avert water impacts. Such a unit might be, for instance, a connection, between the two sides of the operating fluid, permitting a very low liquid flow only, such connection can be made even permanently.

The present invention offers the following additional advantages, beyond those pointed out above: In a mine cooling system the water column machine according to the invention becomes the centre of the cooling-water circulation and, in consequence: -No personnel is needed for maintenance or attendance at the pumping stations erected on ground level of at distant deep-level stations; -Spare parts and cold reserves may equally be concentrated in the vicinity of the water column machine;; -Unlike to the partial concentration as indicated in Fig. 2, the full concentration renders the design of the downtake branch of the vertical pair of ducts and of the water column machine for superimposed pressures superfluous, as here the water column machine can automatically be at the pressure of the horizontal circuit that is always lower than that of the vertical circuit, and in fact, the machine supplies-at least partly-this pressure without imposing any increase in the pressure of the vertical circuit, and this property offers a direct and convenient way for a simple change over to the system according to the invention; ; -In water column machine according to the invention, provided with a crank gear, particularly in a multi-cylindrical embodiment, the concurrent operation of the cylinders forms a highly efficient tool to prevent the production of water impacts. This condition may futher be improved by the energy supply of constant speed offered by the electric motors.

-To conclude, a concentrated cooling water circulation system according to the invention, while demanding much more modest investment costs, operates at a much higher overall efficiency, which results in a substantial reduction of the energy costs.

It goes without saying that the invention is by no means limited to handle water only, or any other particular fluid. The only stipulation is that the operating fluid must be free from air as well as of any other aeriform substance.

Considering this, pulp or hydraulic material conveyance might become precious new fields of application for the invention.

Claims

1. A method of transporting liquids by the use of an operating fluid possessing potential energy, in which the energy exchanges between the fluids needed for said transport are effected in a closed system of vessels sealed from the atmosphere and containing a pressure transmission gear, in sequences of intakes and discharges of quanta of said fluids that take place during alternating reciprocal movements, in which auxiliary energy being fed at least to one of the fluids in order to make up for the losses incurred during the process of fluid transport, characterized by the step of feeding at least a part of the auxiliary energy in said system of vessels itself by applying mechanical force to said pressure transmission gear during at least one direction of the reciprocal movement thereof.

2. A water column machine for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, comprising a closed system of vessels having cylinders sealed from the atmosphere adapted to perform both intake and displacement strokes of the fluid to be transported and of the operating fluid and comprising connections provided with shutoff means, said cylinders comprise pressure transmission gear for performing alternating reciprocal motion characterised by a mechanical actuating unit connected to said pressure transmission gear, extending out of the cylinder and coupled to a drive unit.

3. The water column machine as claimed in claim 2, characterised by comprising separate drive units for each of said cylinders.

4. The water column machine as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the actuating elements of at least two of said cylinders are coupled to a common drive unit.

5. The water column machine as claimed in claim 4, characterised by having cylinders arranged by pairs; in each of said pairs, one of the cylinders having connections only for the intake and displacement of the fluid to be transported and the other cylinder comprises connections only for the intake and displacement of the operating fluid, and the mechanical actuating elements of the cylinders in a pair are coupled to a common drive unit respectively.

6. The water column machine as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, characterised by comprising a mechanism for transforming rotation into alternating motion along a straight line inserted between said drive unit and said actuating elements, said mechanism comprising preferably a crankshaft and a transmission gear.

7. The water column machine as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 characterised in that said drive unit is made of one or more working cylinder(s).

8. The water column machine as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that said drive unit consisting of a cylinder or of several cylinders makes part of said vessel system.

9. The water column machine as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, characterised in that said drive unit is a motor.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described in connection with any one of Figs. 2 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A water column machine substantially as hereinbefore described in connection with and as illustrated in any one of Figs. 2 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.