WO1991002901A1

WO1991002901A1 - Water pump

Info

Publication number: WO1991002901A1
Application number: PCT/AU1990/000080
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leslie Harold Sellars
Original assignee: Sellars Air Water Pump Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1988-08-24
Filing date: 1990-02-28
Publication date: 1991-03-07
Also published as: AU626911B2; AU4018689A

Abstract

A water pump (10) that utilizes compressed air for pumping water comprises at least one upright cylinder (12) and characterised by each cylinder having its own exhaust valve (23) and connected to a source of compressed air (13) through its own inlet valve (16), the respective valves being adapted for sequential admission and exhaust of air to each cylinder. Each cylinder is further provided with a water outlet valve (20) and a water inlet valve (24) adapted to operate in combination with the sequential admission and exhaust of air to the respective cylinders.

Description

TITLE: WATER PUMP

FIELD OF INVENTION

THIS INVENTION relates to an air pump and,- in particular, to an air pump that can pump water. BACKGROUND TO INVENTION

Air pumps are used to pump water from wells ■ along with a variety of other types of pumps. Examples of prior air pumps for this purpose are seen in prior Australian patent specification No. 231062. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an air pump by which a plurality of pumping cylinders may be operated by a compressed air line.

Other objects, and various advantages will hereinafter become apparent.

The invention achieves its object by provision of a pump for moving liquids comprising: at least, two pumping cylinders oriented in use, vertically with closed upper and lower ends; a liquid inlet fitted to each cylinder, each fitted with a one way valve; a liquid outlet fitted to each cylinder, each fitted with a one way valve between it and the pumping cylinder; a gas inlet fitted to each cylinder near its upper end; a gas outlet fitted to each cylinder near its upper end; and a liquid outflow means; the pumping cylinders being connected to the outflow means by connection thereto of their liquid outlets; and the gas inlets and gas outlets being valved with gas inlets manifolded to a compressed gas supply line to enable them to switch compressed gas to the pumping cylinders and to exhaust gas therefrom in. sequence to effect discharge of water at the liquid outflow. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to a preferred embodiment that is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:-

FIG. 1 is a section through an air pump in accordance with the present invention, FIG. 2 shows transverse sections through the air pump of FIG. 1, and

FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment of the invention.

FIG 5. shows a sectional view through a pump in accordance with the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The air pump 10 of Fig. 1 comprises two cylinders 11 and 12 connected by a ^' manifold 14 having valves therein that control flow of air through ports 15 and 16 into cylinders 11 and 12 respectively. Compressed air fed via port 15 to cylinder 11 pushes water therein out port 17 into water pipe 19 that leads water ^' to the surface. To prevent back flow, a valve 20 closes off the cylinder that is inactive and into which water flows for a new pump cycle in that cylinder. The feeding of compressed air into cylinder 11 causes line 21 to be pressurised and diaphragm 22 opens valve 23 to allow air in cylinder 12 to be exhausted whilst water flows therein through valve 24. Water pressure in the bore or well should be adequate to open valve 24 and refill cylinder 12.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sections through FIG. 1 in which the upper half of the drawing shows a section through a section through the upper section of the air pump of FIG. 1 at the level of- the air manifold 14 and the lower half of the drawing shows a section through the lower section of the air pump of FIG. 1 at the level of the water flow control valve 20. Solenoid operated valves 25 and 26 are mounted in manifold 14 to control flow of air to the two cylinders 11 and 12 alternately. A variety of valves might be employed at this point with selection dependent upon what energy sources are available to effect actuation of the valves. Where diaphragm valves are shown to exhaust air from the cylinders, these valves might also be solenoid operated and the same solenoid that operates valve 26 might also operate valve 23 so as to simplify the operation of the device.

The pump of FIGS. 3 and 4 operates in basically the same manner as that of FIGS. 1 and 2. A single pump cylinder 30 is shown in FIG. 3, but a plurality of pump cylinders 30 to 35 might be arrayed around an outlet pipe 38 as shown in FIG. 4. The features of the pump of FIG. 4 are described below with reference to cylinder 30 only but it will be appreciated that all the .cylinders may be identical so far as their structure and operation is concerned. In figure 4, its top half is a section through the top of the pump whilst its bottom half is a section through the bottom of the pump.

Cylinder 30 is connected to outlet 38 by a passage 36 which is fitted with a one way valve 37 permitting flow to the outlet but not back to the pump cylinder. As seen in FIG. 4 with reference to pump cylinder 33, the cylinders may be fitted at the top with open inlets and outlets 40 and 41 to which compressed air lines may be applied. Valving of compressed air to the cylinder can be by electrically switched solenoid valves in a cycle determined by the geometry of the cylinder and pressure applied thereto.

The base of cylinder 30 is extended 42 beyond its base 43 to provide an inlet 44 to which water drains for flow into cylinder 30 when valve 39 opens after pressure in the cylinder is switched off and outlet line 40 is opened. Thus water alternately flows to cylinder 30 and is pushed to outlet 38 through passage 36 and valve 37. With a plurality of pump cylinders connected to the outlet pipe, it is possible, by sequencing cylinder operation, to have an almost constant pressure at the outlet. Any pulse variation at the outlet may be smoothed by usual hydraulic apparatus for that purpose. It will be clear that solenoid valves to the air lines should be placed near to the cylinders so as to reduce the volume of gas in the line, which gas performs no real work. Various design factors of this character will be apparent to a man skilled in the art. It will be clear that the valves of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 may also be electric solenoid valves rather than the mechanical structures illustrated.

Whilst the pump of FIGS. 1 and 2 is suited to operation down a bore hole, the pump of FIGS. 3 and 4 is designed for moving water from dams, ponds, etc. With proper attention to valve design, it will be clear that the pumps of this invention can tolerate a degree of contaminate in the water they pump and provide useful operation with quite muddy water. Of course, various screens or fitters might be provided at their inlets if desired.

FIG. 5 shows with a sectional view, taken transverse of the elongate axis of a pump, a variation in design of the cylinders 45 and 46 which are formed by kidney shaped vertically extended walls 47 and 48 respectively. The kidney shape cylinders 45 and 46 are clustered about liquid outlet line 49 and their assembly may be contained in a cylindrical sleeve 50. The pump may comprise end caps which are sealably clamped to close the cylinder ends, the end caps being ported to provide the respective gas and liquid inlets and outlets and also a base to which the valves required by the pump may be mounted.

It will be clear from the above that additional cylinders could be used, each additional cylinder being readily connected to the inlet and outlet manifolds, each being valved to operate in turn, and pressurised by a single input line if required, to create flow out the one outlet line. However, for a near continuous output, two cylinders are adequate. Additional cylinders may have the same effect as larger cylinders such that bigger outputs may be best obtained by increased cylinder sizes so as to minimise the numbers of valves and related structures that would otherwise need to be added.

The flow of compressed air into the pump, or the flow of air exhausted from the pump, may be used to power an additional pumping mechanism in the water outlet line so as to boost the flow therein and/or provide for pumping from greater depths. A small turbine might be employed for this purpose. So as to vary the external dimensions, the outlet water pipe might be co-axial with a pumping cylinder, rising centrally therefrom. These adaptations involve only minor structural variations with the working of the pump being much the same.

Whilst the above has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment it will be clear that many modifications and variations can be made thereto within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A pump for moving liquids comprising: at least one pumping cylinder oriented, in use, vertically with closed upper and lower ends; a liquid inlet fitted to each cylinder, each fitted with a one way valve; a liquid outlet fitted to each cylinder, each fitted with a one way valve between it and the pumping cylinder; a gas inlet fitted to each cylinder near its upper end; a gas outlet fitted to each cylinder near its upper end; and a liquid outflow means; the pumping cylinder being connected to the outflow means by connection thereto of their liquid; and the gas inlets and gas outlets being valved with gas inlets manifold to a compressed gas supply line to enable them to switch compressed gas to the pumping cylinders and to exhaust therefrom in sequence to effect discharge of water at the outflow.

2. A pump as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the respective gas outlets of the two cylinders are opened by switching of compressed gas to the other gas inlet by action of compressed gas on the outlet valve.

3. A pump as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the outlet valve is actuated by a diaphragm and the compressed gas switched to one cylinder is enabled to operate the diaphragm and activate the outlet valve of the other cylinder.

4. A pump as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the compressed gas inlet and outlet valves are solenoid actuated valves which are switched in sequence electrically.

5. A pump as claimed in Claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of axially parallel pumping cylinders arranged symmetrically about the liquid outflow means and each connected thereto by passages extended radially off the outflow means each with a one way valve therein to restrict backflow.

6. A pump as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the liquid outlets are coaxial, the one way valves comprise valve plates engaged in valve seats at the outlets connection to the liquid outflow means and the valve plates are mounted coaxially with a resilient means spanned therebetween to bias the valve plates onto their seats.

7. A pump as claimed in claim 6 wherein the compressed gas inlets are fitted with butterfly valves whose rotation gates the compressed gas in sequence to the respective cylinders.

8. A pump as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a cylinder is formed with a generally kidney shaped cross-section.

9. A pump as claimed in claim 8 wherein the pump comprises two kidney shaped cylinders mounted about a central fluid outflow means with a cylindrical casing.