US1833827A

US1833827A - Method and apparatus for deep well pumping

Info

Publication number: US1833827A
Application number: US345656A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harold B Davidson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1929-03-09
Filing date: 1929-03-09
Publication date: 1931-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1948-11-24

Description

Nov. 24, 1931. I H. B. DAVIDSON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEEP WELL PUMPING Filed March 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l b A- -A Pl L w mo," i

Harold/ B. Davidson.

'INVENTOR.

ab BY ,8 PM, a ,3 .W

ATTORNEY.

H. B. DAVIDSON 1,833,827

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEEP WELL PUMPING File d March 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

INVENTOR. Harold/ B. Davidson.

BY flow-Z. m

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEEP WELL PUMIPIN G Application filed March 9, 1929. Serial No. 345,656.

This invention relates to certain improved methods and apparatus for elevating water and the novel feature thereof will be set forth in the following Specification and claims.

The major objects are to locate all the mechanical apparatus at the surface above and eliminate the moving parts from certain deep Well pumps now requiring rods, cylinders, pistons, et cetera, disposed in the well tube below the surface as well as cumbersome surface equipment and to materially reduce the cost of apparatus required for a given service, also to materially reduce the maintenance ofsame.

My invention consists of increasing the suction range of an independent suction pump for liquids, so that the normal suction of said pump will draw liquids from a lower level to a higher level in excess of the accepted nor-. mal maximum suction range of said pump.

Figures 1 and 2 are combined vertical section and diagrammatic representations of the apparatus employed in illustrating my invention. I 1 z Fig. 3. is a vertical section of a modification of the structure which may be used in the practice'of my invention.

Referring-to drawings,1 indicates a well tube, which is extended down to the stratum or level from which a liquid is to be elevated and delivered above at a higher level, the well tube itself being constructed in any one of the usual accepted forms. 2 represents an ordinary liquid suction: pump operated by an electric motor 211 orother suitable means and can be connected on its discharge side to tank 3 and on its intake side to pipe 4and head 5. From one opening in 5, pipe 6 extends into the well tube and terminates with a foot valve 7 in chamber 8, however, this valve 7 is not essential. This pipe 6 is hermetically sealed'at its contact 6a with chamber 8. To another outlet of 5, pipe 9 is attached and is in communication with spring valve 1 0 and diaphragm valve 13 and extends on through pipe 14 and is hermetically sealed at 14a with chamber 8. Valve 10 communicates with diaphragm valve 13 through pipe 10m.

Pipe 8a extends downward from chamber 7 spond to 8 andterminates in a foot valve Sbwhich,

ber 17 which corresponds to chamber 8 of the other figures.

In valve 10 compression spring 106 is so mounted as to hold the movable valve mem her 100, which is attached to diaphragm'lla, off the seat 10d so as to provide communication to the suction pump on the lower side of valve 11, so that when the vacuum attains a predetermined stage, valve 10 will close and thereby interruptthe suction which extended on into chamber 13a of valve 13 and chamber 8 via pipes 10a and 14. The movable valve member 100 which is attached to the under surface of diaphragm 11a occupies a -relatively large portion of the area of the diaphragm. As this member 100 is brought down into contact with the valve seat 11d there is a consequently large reduction in the lower surface of the diaphragm that can be affected by the atmospheric pressure admitted through valve 130. For this reason the diaphragm is subject first, to the vacuum applied through the pipe 9, second, to the at mospheric pressure upon the entire upper surface of diaphragm 11a, both of which tend .to keep the diaphragm depressed while the third influence, the weak spring 10?) tends to raise the diaphragm but is insufiicient to overcome either the vacuum through pipe 9 or thefull atmospheric pressure on the top of the diaphrag The fourth influence is the atmospheric pressure effective on that reduced portion of the lower surface of the diaphragm 1111 which is'not occupied by the valve member 100. The upward pressure of the atmosphere on this portion of the diaphragm does not equalize the atmospheric pressure from above. The sum of these effects is to from entering at 130 by reason of movable valve member 13d being held against valve seat 136. As pump 2 is put into operation and the vacuum begins to increase, suction is created in chamber 8 throughboth the env trance pipes 14 and 6. In this specific case 6 into the pump and fers less resistance to. the pump the vacuum is applied to elevating water from a well in which the ordinary suction pump equipment can raise it only part-way and for the sake of illustration'dotted line 'A-A will be accepted; as the maximum.

Afterthe liquid has been elevated to this level, the suction will have increased to the maximum delivered by the selected pump, whereupon valve 10, by reason of a predetermined adjustment of spring 101), will close just prior to the opening of valve 13 which admits air at atmospheric pressure through same, which immediately is directed to the top of chamber 8 via pipe 14. Spring 13?) is also fixed to effect this operation. Foot valve 8?; holds the liquid from escape and the liquid from chamber 8 now passes through pipe is discharged into tank 3 via air eliminating valve 18. When the pump has discharged the Water in chamber 8 and pipe 6, the vacuum in 8 and consequently head 5 and pipe 9 will be broken by reason of the presence of atmospheric air admitted through valve 13d and pipe 14. At this time the pipe 6 will have been emptied of liquid and replaced with an equivalent column of air under atmospheric pressure. This air of 2 and has a greater velocity so that the vacuum in head 5 and pipe 9 is greatly only slightly less than atmospheric pressure. This is the determining factor in the control of the diaphragm 11a which then has the atmospheric pressure on its upper surface opposed by the same pressure on its free under surface and by only slightly reduced pressure beneath the valve 100, whereupon spring 0 will open valve 10 and spring 13?) will close valve 13 and thereby completes the cycle which continues to repeat.

Valve 18 consists of a ball float 18a and valve 180 which it actuates. Presence 0 water in 18 will keep 181) closed whereas air or a mixture of air and water will allow this P valve to open and air to escape .at 186. 18 may be used to add air to tank 3. l

In Fig. 2 pump 2 discharges directly into tank 3 which is of the closed air pressure type The air in said tank is employed through a slightly different arrangement of valves to that in Fig. 1 to apply air at greater than atmospheric pressure to chamber 8 so as to force the liquid from this chamber to a higher reduced or becomes 7 f with liquid level in pipe 6 than when only atmospheric pressure is employed, so as to further extend the pumping range of an independent suction pump. Valve 20 is of the well known pressure reducing type, while valves 10 and 13 are similar or identical with those'shown in Fig. 1, the connection, however, is somewhat different. When the pump is inactive, valve 13 remains closed and valve 10 is open. As the suction in lines 6 and 14 reach a predetermined value, valve 10 is forced closed by reason of its connection with chamber 5 through pipe 5a whereupon high vacuum which pipe 50 13 causes it to raise diaphragm and movable valve memberliid from its seat 13c and admit air from tank 13, at greater than atmospheric pressure, via line 21, valve 20, pipe 22, top side of valve 10, which is now closed to the suction line, and into pipe 14 which directs the admitted pressure on to the liquid in tank 8 which had been previously filled by suction from pump 2, as ex lained.

It will be noted that cham er 8 must be placed in well tube well within the range of the pumps ability to elevate water into same and that foot valve 6a should preferably be disposed substantially as illustrated, i. e. adjacent lower levels of said chamber.

In a typical installation of the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 2, pump 2 is started with the resultant suction built up in all lines. communicating with pipe 4 which causes tank'8 to be filled with liquid. This suction continues until a vacuum ofapproximately seventeen inches of mercury is attained when spring 10?) yields to diaphragm 11a and closes valve 10. suction is continued I municating side of valve 13 in-line 50 and the comfor the purpose of establishing an opening at valve seat 130,

1; cracks and is then immediately thrown wide open by the suction on one side and air pressure from tank 3 through pressure reducing valve 20 on the other side. This pressure is now led by line 14 to tank 8*which was filled as explained supra. Here we have the liquid rising in line 6 until the ump takes it as in normal operation. As the liquid passes through the pump the vacuum gradually falls until the end of the liquid is reached. As thisliquid'is followed by actual pressure from thetank the pump is obliged to remove same from the communicating lines. During this part of the cycle a combination pressure-vacuum gauge .will show a small am'ount'of pressure. Valve 10 has opened approximatelyas the last of. the

the relatively carries to valve With valve 10 closed liquid has passed through the pump due to reduced suction on its diaphragm. This immediately closes valve 13, thereby cutting off the flow of air from tank 3. The air in the lines is'now delivered back into tank 3 by the pump and the system now has completed one cycle and automatically immediately starts on a new one. I

A series of successive operating units such as described may be employed, the arrangement, type and structural form of the operating valves may be modified and in fact various changes in the apparatus used to disclose the invention can be effected without departing from the spirit of my invention. Therefore, I Wish to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim 1. A method of increasing the normal maximum range .of an independent liquid suction pump so that said pump will draw liquids from a lower level to ahigher level in excess of said normal maximum range of said pump by applying the suction from said pump to lift liquids from a low level to an intermediate level, then diverting the suction and admitting atmospheric pressure to lift the liquids from the intermediate level, said diversion of suction being made de endent upon the increase in the degree 0 vacuum attained.

2. A method of increasing the normal maximum range of an independent liquid suction pump so that said pump will draw liquids from a lower level and discharge same at a higher level in excess of said normal maximum range of said pump by applying the suction from said pump to lift liquids from a low level to an intermediate level, then diverting the suction and admitting atmospheric pressure to lift the liquids from the intergmediate level, said diversion of suction being made dependent upon the increase in the degree of vacuum attained and subsequently re-applying the suction to lift liquids from the low level.

3. A method of increasing the normal maximum suction range of an independent liquid suction pump located adjacent the discharge level by applying the suction from said pump to lift liquids from a low level to an intermediate level, then diverting the suction to lift the liquids from the intermediate suction being madelevel, said diversion of dependent upon the increase in the degree of vacuum attained during its first application, and thereafter applying the suction and adlift liquids from the levels alternately on the attainment of the predetermined degree of vacuum.

4. Apparatus for pumping liquids from a given level to a higher one by means of a suction pump for liquids, which consists of a plurality of spaced chambers in a well tube in communication with said suction pump,

means for alternately applying a vacuum produced by said pump and then admitting air, at greater than atmospheric pressure, into one of said chambers and thereby cause the liquid to rise said pump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in said chamber.

5. Apparatus for pumping liquids from a given level to a higher one by means of a suction pump for liquids, which consists of a plurality of spaced valved chambers in a well tube in communication with said suction pump, means for alternately applying a vacuum produced by said pump and then admitting air, at greater than atmospheric pressure, into one of said valved chambers and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufliciently high level for said pump to draw the liquid from said level bythe vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in said chamber.

6. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids, from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive sections constituting a Well v tube, provided with a discharge adjacent the upper end, a valve controlling the lower end of said well tube, a secondary chamber located therein, means for applying vacuum produced by said pump to the sections and means controlled by the vacuum produced by said suction pump for periodically admitting air to the secondary chamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufiiciently high level for said pump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in said chamber.

7. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids, from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive valved sections constituting a well tube, pro vided with a discharge adjacent the upper end, a valve controlling said well tube, a

valved secondary chamber located therein, means for applying vacuum produced by said pump to the valved sections and means controlled by the vacuum produced by said suction pump for periodically admitting air to the secondary chamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufliciently high level for said pump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in said chamber.

8. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids, from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive valved sections constituting a well tube, provided with a discharge adjacent the upper end, a valve controlling said well tube, a valved secondary chamber located therein and remote from the ends of said well tube, means for applying vacuum produced by said pump to the valved sections and means for periodically admitting air, at greater than to a sufiiciently high level for atmospheric pressure, to the secondary chamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufiiciently high level for said pump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pres-- sure'existing in said chamber.

9. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids, from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive valved sections constituting a well tube, provided with a discharge adjacent the upper end, a valve controlling said well tube, a valved secondary chamber located therein and remote from the ends of said well tube, means for applying vacuum produced by said pum to the valved sections and means controlled by the vacuum produced bv said suction pump for periodically admitting air, at atmospheric pressure, to the secondary vchamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufficiently high level for said pump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in said chamber.

10. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids, from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive valved sections constituting a well tube, provided with a discharge adjacent the upper end, a valve controlling said well tube, a valved secondary chamber located therein and remote from the end of said well tube, means for applying vacuum produced by said pump to the valved sections and means controlled by the vacuum provided by said suction pump for periodically admitting air, at greater than atmospheric pressure, to the secondary chamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufficiently high level for said pump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in said chamber.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HAROLD B. DAVIDSON.