GB2165311A - Pumping equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Large capacity pumping equipment is arranged to operate automatically by having a sequence controller 11 actuated by sensors e.g. a level sensor 22 at the pit 19 and a level sensor 24 in the vessel 10. The controller 11 actuates pump 15 to evacuate or pressurise the air in the vessel 10 in order to effect, as required, filling of the vessel 10 from the pit 19 or emptying the vessel 10 into a store 20. Vessel 10 is typically a slurry tanker. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Pumping equipment The invention relates to pumping equipment and in particular, but not exclusively, to pumping equipment for use with slurries of animal excreta.

Conventional slurry tankers simply suck in the slurry at source and then discharge it on to the land.

According to the present invention, on the other hand, there is provided pumping equipment comprising a vessel, input means for introducing material in slurry or liquid form into the vessel, expulsion means for expelling the material from the vessel and control means operative automatically to actuate the input means or the expulsion means as the case may be to enable the equipment to act as a large-capacity pump.

Conveniently, the control means includes sensors sensing the presence of a pre-selected amount of the material at the input means and/or in the vessel.

Conveniently, the input means comprises a conventional pump, but in a currently preferred embodiment, the vessel is a pressure vessel, e.g. as provided by a slurry tanker, and the input means comprises evacuation means for exhausting the volume of the vessel or the space above any of the material already in the vessel thereby to suck material into the vessel.

Conveniently, the expulsion means comprises a conventional pump but in a currently preferred embodiment the vessel is a pressure vessel and the expulsion means comprises means for pressurising the space above material in the vessel thereby to force the material out of the vessel.

Conveniently, the flow of material into and out of the vessel is through an inlet and outlet valve provided by one and the same device but if desired separate inlet and outlet valves may be provided for this purpose.

If desired, the pumping equipment of the present invention may also include means for aerating material in the vessel, e.g. by bubbling oxygen, air, or other suitable oxygen-containing gas or vapour through it.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing.

Thus referring to the drawing, pumping equipment according to the present invention comprises a tanker 10, a sequence controller 11, a suction pipe (inlet) 12, an outlet discharge pipe 13, a pump control lever 14 for a vacuum/pressure pump 15, an electric motor device 16 and an input/output flow control valve 17.

In operation, the valve 17 is set to the "slurry in" position and the pump control lever 14 to "suck" so as to evacuate air from the tanker. Slurry 18 then flows from a pit 19 into the tanker 10 which in this embodiment provides the pressure vessel referred to above. In variations, a static vessel may be used instead.

However, if when the tanker is sufficiently full, valve 17 is set to "slurry out" and the pump control lever 14 is set to "blow", then this causes slurry to be expelled through pipe 13 and into a store 20 as the tanker is pressurised.

In use, the pumping equipment of the present invention is arranged to operate automatically by having the sequence controller 11 actuated by a control system including a level sensor 22 in the pit 19 and a level sensor 24 in the vessel 10.

If the slurry level in the vessel 10 is below the level of sensor 24 and the sensor 22 detects that the pit 19 is sufficiently full, sensor 22 will signal the sequence controller 11 to do three things; namely to drive the electric motor 16 in a sense such as to operate pump 15, to switch the pump control lever 14 to suction, and to switch valve 17 to the input position in which it will connect the vessel with suction pipe 12.

The tanker will now suck slurry from the pit 19 until the slurry level in the vessel 10 is raised to a height at which it will actuate the sensor 24. This in turn will actuate the sequence controller 11 to switch valve 17 to its discharge position. At the same time, the sequence controller 11 will switch the pump control lever 14 in the contrary sense to operate pump 15 as a pressure pump. This will result in the slurry from the vessel 10 being discharged through the pipe 13 and into the store 20.

In an alternative design, the contents of the vessel 10 are instead determined by a weightsensitive sensor.

In other modifications (not shown) of the illustrated embodiment, the input/output valve 17 is replaced by two separate valves, one in the inlet pipe and one in the outlet pipe.

In an alternative system, for use with tankers fitted with two separate filling/emptying ports, one could be used for the filling pipe 12 and one for the emptying pipe 13.

1. Pumping equipment comprising a vessel, input means for introducing material in a slurry or liquid form into the vessel, expulsion means for expelling the material from the vessel and control means operative automatically to actuate the input means or the explusion means as the case may be to enable the equipment to act as a large-capacity pump.

2. Equipment as claimed in Claim 1 in which the control means includes sensors sensing the presence of a pre-selected amount of the material at the input means and/or in

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Pumping equipment The invention relates to pumping equipment and in particular, but not exclusively, to pumping equipment for use with slurries of animal excreta. Conventional slurry tankers simply suck in the slurry at source and then discharge it on to the land. According to the present invention, on the other hand, there is provided pumping equipment comprising a vessel, input means for introducing material in slurry or liquid form into the vessel, expulsion means for expelling the material from the vessel and control means operative automatically to actuate the input means or the expulsion means as the case may be to enable the equipment to act as a large-capacity pump. Conveniently, the control means includes sensors sensing the presence of a pre-selected amount of the material at the input means and/or in the vessel. Conveniently, the input means comprises a conventional pump, but in a currently preferred embodiment, the vessel is a pressure vessel, e.g. as provided by a slurry tanker, and the input means comprises evacuation means for exhausting the volume of the vessel or the space above any of the material already in the vessel thereby to suck material into the vessel. Conveniently, the expulsion means comprises a conventional pump but in a currently preferred embodiment the vessel is a pressure vessel and the expulsion means comprises means for pressurising the space above material in the vessel thereby to force the material out of the vessel. Conveniently, the flow of material into and out of the vessel is through an inlet and outlet valve provided by one and the same device but if desired separate inlet and outlet valves may be provided for this purpose. If desired, the pumping equipment of the present invention may also include means for aerating material in the vessel, e.g. by bubbling oxygen, air, or other suitable oxygen-containing gas or vapour through it. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing. Thus referring to the drawing, pumping equipment according to the present invention comprises a tanker 10, a sequence controller 11, a suction pipe (inlet) 12, an outlet discharge pipe 13, a pump control lever 14 for a vacuum/pressure pump 15, an electric motor device 16 and an input/output flow control valve 17. In operation, the valve 17 is set to the "slurry in" position and the pump control lever 14 to "suck" so as to evacuate air from the tanker. Slurry 18 then flows from a pit 19 into the tanker 10 which in this embodiment provides the pressure vessel referred to above. In variations, a static vessel may be used instead. However, if when the tanker is sufficiently full, valve 17 is set to "slurry out" and the pump control lever 14 is set to "blow", then this causes slurry to be expelled through pipe 13 and into a store 20 as the tanker is pressurised. In use, the pumping equipment of the present invention is arranged to operate automatically by having the sequence controller 11 actuated by a control system including a level sensor 22 in the pit 19 and a level sensor 24 in the vessel 10. If the slurry level in the vessel 10 is below the level of sensor 24 and the sensor 22 detects that the pit 19 is sufficiently full, sensor 22 will signal the sequence controller 11 to do three things; namely to drive the electric motor 16 in a sense such as to operate pump 15, to switch the pump control lever 14 to suction, and to switch valve 17 to the input position in which it will connect the vessel with suction pipe 12. The tanker will now suck slurry from the pit 19 until the slurry level in the vessel 10 is raised to a height at which it will actuate the sensor 24. This in turn will actuate the sequence controller 11 to switch valve 17 to its discharge position. At the same time, the sequence controller 11 will switch the pump control lever 14 in the contrary sense to operate pump 15 as a pressure pump. This will result in the slurry from the vessel 10 being discharged through the pipe 13 and into the store 20. In an alternative design, the contents of the vessel 10 are instead determined by a weightsensitive sensor. In other modifications (not shown) of the illustrated embodiment, the input/output valve 17 is replaced by two separate valves, one in the inlet pipe and one in the outlet pipe. In an alternative system, for use with tankers fitted with two separate filling/emptying ports, one could be used for the filling pipe 12 and one for the emptying pipe 13. CLAIMS

1. Pumping equipment comprising a vessel, input means for introducing material in a slurry or liquid form into the vessel, expulsion means for expelling the material from the vessel and control means operative automatically to actuate the input means or the explusion means as the case may be to enable the equipment to act as a large-capacity pump.

2. Equipment as claimed in Claim 1 in which the control means includes sensors sensing the presence of a pre-selected amount of the material at the input means and/or in the vessel.

3. Equipment as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the vessel is a pressure vessel and the input means comprises evacuation means for exhausting the volume of the vessel or the space above any of the material already in the vessel thereby to suck material into the vessel.

4. Equipment as claimed in Claim 3 in which the pressure vessel is part of a slurry tanker.

5. Equipment as claimed in any preceding claim in which the explusion means comprises means for pressurising the space above the material in the vessel to force the material out of the vessel.

6. Equipment as claimed in any preceding claim in which the flow of material into and out of the vessel is through an inlet and outlet valve provided by one and the same device.

7. Equipment as claimed in any preceding claim including means for aerating material in the vessel.

8. Pumping equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.