Solar water pump

The intermittent generation of steam by a solar heat source provides a reciprocating column of water when the steam pressure acts on the top of a water column and the column in turn causes a diaphram in a chamber first to expand into an adjacent chamber when the water in the column is placed under pressure and then secondly to contract when the pressure is relieved and thereby the expanding and contracting cavity experiences a pressure which expells water from the cavity through a check valve as the cavity contracts and subsequently as the pressure is relieved the vacuum formed in the cavity as it expands draws in water through another check valve for later expulsion. The reciprocating action of the water in the column that moves the diaphram into and out of the pumping chamber is caused by alternating surges of steam in which the pressure is increased when water from a reservoir in constant fluid flow communication with a steam generating chamber is periodically caused to flow to the steam generating chamber and then impeded from flowing to the chamber. In a principal embodiment the water reservoir is elevated over the steam generating chamber and the means of providing intermittent water flow to the steam generating chamber is gravity flow controlled by a valve.

This invention follows upon the displacement pump of a parent application 
which is my previous invention called, "Pulsing Steam Solar Water Pump" of 
filing date, Dec. 7, 1979 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,148. 
This invention is a solar powered water pump that used solar heated steam 
to pump water from a deep well. The energy of the steam is transmitted 
down the well to the pump by means of a water filled hose or duct. The 
water in the hose is intermittently pressurized. During pressurization the 
water in hose or duct is directed against a diaphram in a chamber at the 
bottom of the well. The water pressure in that chamber forces the diaphram 
into an adjacent chamber. This action forces water in the adjacent chamber 
out of that chamber through a check valve and upwards toward the surface. 
The column of water that transmits the energy of the steam to the pumping 
diaphram is subsequently relieved of pressure from the steam and the 
elastic diaphram retracts itself from the adjacent pumping chamber into 
which it had been forced by the pressurized water column. The contracting 
action of the diaphram with the pressure removed causes the cavity of that 
adjacent pumping chamber to expand and to create a vacuum which draws in 
water from the well bed into that same pumping chamber through a check 
valve thereby filling the pumping chamber and making it ready for the 
subsequent pressurization when water will force the diaphram into this 
chamber again and again drive the water through the first check valve and 
toward the surface. The novelty of this invention derives from the way in 
which solar energy is employed to provide the reciprocating column of 
water which does the work of pumping by moving the diaphram back and 
forth. In the former art steam pressure has been used to pump water when 
the steam pressure formed in a boiler was directed into a water filled 
chamber by valving and the pressure of the steam then forced the water 
from the chamber through a check valve. When the valving that admitted the 
steam was closed, the condensing steam then created a vacuum which was 
able to draw into the chamber other water through another check valve in 
order to fill the chamber for another pressurization cycle when steam 
would again drive the water from the chamber. However, in this present 
invention water is not drawn into the chamber through one check valve to 
subsequently be expelled through another, but rather the water that is 
driven out of the chamber through a duct in place of the check valve is 
subsequently returned to the chamber so that the same water merely moves 
back and forth, in and out, of the chamber. In this invention the chamber 
in which steam acts on the water is only indirectly a pumping chamber in 
that the same water which is pushed from the chamber immediately returns 
to it, and the water moves back and forth to provide a reciprocating 
column of water and it is then the column of water which is employed to do 
pumping work at great distance from the source of the steam. In this way 
the principle of steam pumping may be employed at the bottom of a well 
where it would be difficult to employ a steam pumping chamber since much 
of the steam would condense on its way to the steam chamber at the bottom 
of the well. The vacuum produced in a steam pumping chamber left on the 
surface would only be capable of drawing up water from a depth of thirty 
nine feet but by the concept of this present and novel invention, the high 
pressure steam acting on the column of water wold provide hydraulic 
pressure for pumping at a great depth. Beside providing a means of 
extending the use of the steam pump for pumping from deep wells, the 
object of this inventive concept is to produce steam surges in a different 
way and to extend the utility of my copending application Ser. No. 101,218 
called, "Pulsing Steam Solar Water Pump". This copending application does 
not require a separate boiler to provide pressure surges of steam from a 
solar collector, but it is not able to draw water to the pump for 
pressurization from a depth of over thirty nine feet. Its novel method of 
providing pressure surges quickly whenever sunlight is available provides 
an ideal source of solar heated steam energy for actuating the deep well 
pumping system of this present invention. Another object of this present 
invention is to provide a more simple and less costly means of producing 
steam surges from a solar collector in order to pump water with solar 
heated steam in a more simple manner. This is done in one embodiment by 
providing an alternate means of intermittent water delivery to the steam 
generating chamber. This new provision removes both the requirement of the 
small electric water pump and also removes the requirement for that part 
of the solar cell array needed to energize that pump. This object is 
accomplished by elevating the pumping chamber in which the steam acts on 
the water to a position higher in elevation than the water inlet to the 
steam generating chamber. Still another object is to combine the 
advantages of the simpler steam pulse generating system with the 
advantages of the reciprocating water column in order to provide a simple, 
solar pump that can pump water from deep in the earth. 
The mechanisms for achieving these objects in the various embodiments will 
be clarified by referring to the drawings.

Referring then to FIG. 1 of the drawings, water 1 in cooler 2 is being 
admitted to pipe 3 in which it is heated by burner 4 and converted to 
steam which causes a pressure throughout the entire cavity composed of 2 
and 3 and indicated on meter 5. Since the entire cavity is at the same 
pressure, the water that condenses in 2 is able to flow by gravity through 
valve 6 when it is open thereby maintaining the pressure in the cavity. 
Referring now to FIG. 2 which has all of the elements of FIG. 1 but in 
which the situation is different, the valve 6 is closed preventing water 
flow to heater 3. Condenser-cooler 2 has condensed the steam generated in 
3 and reduced the pressure in the entire cavity as indicated by gage 5. 
The size of 2 together with its cooling effect is large enough in relation 
to the heating of burner 4 to enable 2 to condense a large proportion of 
the steam in the cavity of 2 and 3 when 6 is closed. When more water is 
condensing in 2 than is being admitted to 3 then less steam is being 
generated in a given period of time and the pressure drops. This is the 
case when valve 6 is closed. the intermittent opening and closing of 6 
produces pressure variations within the cavity. In the invention these 
pressure variations are made to do pumping work according to the following 
desriptions. 
Referring then to FIG. 3 of the drawings, the consentrating collector 19 
heats the collector's steam generating chamber 20 which receives periodic 
flows of water from cooled water tank 21 by the periodic opening and 
closing of valve 22. The intermittent surges of steam that are generated 
in 20 intermittently displace a quantity of the water in duct 23 forcing 
the water down and against the diaphram in pump 24. (The manner in which 
this action is used in 24 will be explained in detail in subsequent FIGs.) 
Part of the diaphram of 24 is shown by 25. At the end of each surge of 
steam the vacuum that follows by the condensation in 21 as well as the 
recoil of the elastic diaphram moves the displaced water back to its 
original position and level in tank 21. The end of each surge of steam is 
effected by the closing of valve 22 which permits condensation in 21 to 
take place more rapidly than steam generation in 20. The low pressure then 
formed over the water in 21 draws in more steam from 20, condensing it 
also and reducing the heat flow from 20 by reducing the water vapor that 
would conduct the heat from 20. This allows the temperature of 20 to 
increase for use in a subsequent period when valve 22 will again be opened 
and gravity will again deliver water to 20 for the production of more 
steam. The consentrating collector 19 has a plenum chamber 26 heated by 
converging reflective plates 27 which open at a very narrow angle to 
repeatedly reflect light inward and toward the plenum to produce a high 
temperature there. The insulation 28 shields both 26 and 27 against heat 
loss as does the glaze 29 which is supported by support 30. The duct 31 
transfers some of the water from tank 21 to 19 for conversion to steam, 
but water does not leave the cavity formed by 19, 21, 31, 23 and 24. This 
is because whatever water is converted to steam in 19 is again condensed 
in 21 and the water forced down duct 23 reciprocates back again when the 
pressure is removed. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, the four end pieces 35, 36, 37, and 38 each have 
the shape of one of the sections that is formed when a short length of rod 
is divided approximately in half along the length of the rod. Three of 
these pieces 35, 36, and 37 have holes through their length. The holes in 
35 and 36 are fitted with check valves 39 and 40. By means of welding or 
water-tight bonding 35 and 36 are positioned with their concave sides 
extending into trough 41 at either end of this trough. With 36 at the 
upper end of 41 its check valve 40 is in a manner that will permit fluid 
flow upwards and out of the trough only. Similarily with 35 positioned at 
the bottom of trough 41 the check valve 39 of end piece 35 is attached to 
permit fluid flow only into the trough. This trough 41 has the shape 
formed when a long cylinder is divided in half along its length. Short 
flanges extending radially outward are part of this trough 41. These 
flanges extend the entire length along the length of 41 and are employed 
for joining troughs together in such a way that their concave surfaces 
face each other. This connection of troughs will be described in more 
detail in the following FIG. 5. In this FIG. 4 the pumping chamber 42 is 
formed in part by the composition of 41 with end pieces 35 and 36 together 
with their check valves 39 and 40. The end piece 37 has the same form as 
35 and 36 except that the hole through its length is fitted with a 
connector 43 in place of a check valve. The end piece 38 is the same in 
form as 35 and 36 except that it does not have any hole nor is it fitted 
with a connector nor a check valve. The chamber 42 becomes a closed 
chamber when it is covered with a diaphram whose placement and function 
are described in the following FIG. 5. 
In FIG. 5a then, the chamber 44 is formed by trough 45 in the shape of a 
half cylinder like trough 41 of FIG. 4. FIG. 5a shows 44 with its end 
pieces 37 and 38. FIG. 5b shows the same trough without its end pieces so 
that 46 the diaphram which is a wall of chamber 44 may be clearly shown in 
its position relative to trough 45. This diaphram 46 is a strong, elastic, 
rectangular partition which is at the same time a common wall between 
chamber 44 and chamber 42 of FIG. 4 when these two chambers are placed 
together with their concave surfaces facing each other. The FIG. 5c shows 
this placement in which trough 42 and trough 44 with all of their end 
pieces and check valves and connectors are placed together to form two 
separate chambers separated by the diaphram 46 which may be stretched and 
distorted under pressure but returns by virtue of its elasticity to its 
original shape when the pressure is removed. This is what happends when 
water pressure produced in chamber 44 forces 46 into chamber 42. Thereby 
42 becomes smaller in volume and water is forced out through 40. Then when 
the pressure in 44 decreases 46 regains its original shape, thereby 
expanding the volume of 42 and drawing in water through check valve 39. 
The bolts 47 hold the troughs tightly together sealing them by compressing 
them against the diaphram 46 which separates them. 
Referring next to FIG. 6, the elevated water tank 50 receives solar heated 
steam from consentrating collector 51 when probe 52 reaches a high steam 
generating temperature and when valve 53 is opened to admit water from 50 
to 51 where it is converted to steam in the insulated phenum of 51. The 
water is able to flow by gravity from 50 to 51 because the weight of the 
column of water above the point of the water's entry into the steam 
generating chamber is always added to the pressure of the steam. This is 
because there is always approximately equal pressure of steam over the 
water as there is pressure of steam in the generating chamber of the 
collector because of insulated transfer duct 54. Since the pressures are 
equal over the water and in the generator then the weight of the water 
column can effect the downward movement of the water into the generator. 
While the top and the botom of the water column face of the same steam 
pressure, nevertheless, the bottom of the water column also has a downward 
pressure that is additional to the steam pressure namely the weight of the 
water column itself. This moves the water into the steam generating area 
but, while gravity is moving the water to be converted to steam inside the 
high pressure steam environment, nevertheless at the same time the steam 
pressure itself is acting to force the water in the tank 50 out of check 
valve 55 to a low pressure area outside of the tank. When the tank reaches 
a lower level and sufficient water has been pumped from it and the 
collector has lost temperature in the production of steam valve 53 closes 
and the steam over the water condenses then the vacuum created inside 50 
draws in water through check valve 56. When the collector has had time to 
reheat, the cycle begins over again. The principal event governing the 
operation of the pump is the control of valve 53 by the use of probe 52. 
In the principal embodiment of this concept 52 is a heat-variable resistor 
whose value of resistance increases as the temperature increases. The 
resistor is connected to the inverting input of a linear amplifier with 
the effect that as the resistance increases the amplifier's output current 
also increases. At a calibrated point, as the temperature reaches a level 
high enough to produce steam with enough pressure to achieve the required 
pumping level, the resistance of the probe will then be sufficiently low 
to have caused the amplifiers output to have risen to the level at which 
it is able to activate relay 65 which then brings current from 
photoelectric cell array 66 and battery 67 to electric valve mechanism 58 
to open valve 53. The armature of is easier to hold on than it is to first 
engage and it requires considerably less current to maintain the contacts 
in a closed circuit position than it does to initiate the closing of the 
contacts. For this reason the resistance of 52 may drop significantly 
while the temperature of the steam generator drops significantly before 
the output of amplifier 59 has dropped sufficiently to open the contacts 
of 55 and close valve 53. The temperature difference between the point at 
which the collector begins generating steam and and the point at which it 
ceases in any cycle may be determined by the difference in the current 
required to engage and the current required to hold the relay contacts 
engaged and this may be determined by the tension on the relays armature 
as well as by the spacing between the armature and its magnet. Calibration 
of the actuation temperatures is also accomplished by adjustment of the 
amplification factor of the amplifier 59 as well as by adjustment of the 
gain of this amplifier according to state of the art practice. The duct 57 
brings the water from the tank 50 down to the steam generating chamber of 
51. 
Referring then to FIG. 7 of the drawings, a diagramatic drawing depicting 
the solar steam pump adapted for pumping from a deep well is shown. A 
steam generating chamber 70 which is a plenum of a consentrating solar 
collector 71 receives heat by conduction from narrowly converging 
reflective plates which repeatedly reflect incident light toward their 
apex where the reflections are trapped and unable back away from the apex. 
This plenum 70 is part of a cavity composed of a water pumping chamber or 
tank 72 and the pumping chamber of a small electric pump 73 with its 
ducting 74 and 75. Also part of this cavity are ducts between 70 and 72 
which are ducts 76 and 77. The final parts of this cavity are finned 
cooler 78 and diaphram pump 79 with ducting 80 between coole 78 and 
diaphram pump 79. The probe 82 corresponds to the probe 52 of FIG. 6. The 
amplifier 83 of this FIG. 7 corresponds to amplifier 59 of FIG. 6. The 
relay 84 likewise in this FIG. 7 is the same as relay 65 of FIG. 6. 
Similarly the photovoltaic cell array 86 with its chargeable battery pack 
87 in this FIG. 7 are the same as the photovoltaic array 66 and battery 67 
of FIG. 6. When probe 82 of this FIG. 7 reaches a temperature at which 
high pressure steam is generated amplifier 83 activates relay 84 which 
switches current from 86 and 87 to small electric pump 73 the pumping 
chamber of which is always at approximately the ambient pressure of the 
cavity composed of 70, 72, 76, 77 and 78. Because the pressures are nearly 
equal throughout the cavity, 73 has merely to expend enough energy to lift 
some water from 72 to 70 for the purpose of generating steam. Pump 73 does 
not have to pump water against the pressure of the cavity because its work 
is done within the cavity. This is in just the same way that a small water 
pump in a highly pressurized submarine has to work just as hard to lift 
water three feet when the air pressure inside is 150 psi. as it does when 
the inside pressure is 15 psi. This is true as long as the pump does not 
have to pump water into or out of the submarine and all the work is done 
within the confines of the submarine. Accordingly, when 73 pumps water to 
70 and the pressure rises in 72 some water is forced through 78 and 80 and 
against the diaphram in diaphram pump 79. This diaphram pump 79 is the 
same as the submersible diaphram pump described in FIGS. 4 and 5. The 
pressure on the water in 80 and against the diaphram of 79 causes the 
diaphram of 79 to expell water through duct 88 which is connected to the 
exit check valve of 79. This is the same exit check valve as the valve 40 
of FIG. 5c. As the water from 73 through duct 74 cools 70 and 82 then 83 
and 84 act to stop 73 and as steam ceases to be generated in 70, the 
remaining water 89 condenses the steam in 72 thereby creating a vacuum in 
72. The vacuum then relieves the water pressure on 80 and on the diaphram 
of pump 79. The diaphram then contracts from its extended position in the 
pumping chamber of 79 and as it does so draws water into the pumping 
chamber of 79 which is the same as the pumping chamber 42 of FIG. 4. In 
this FIG. 7 the finned cooler 78 assures that the steam heated water 
reciprocating in and out of 72 will not become too heated to continue to 
condense steam during the vacuum part of the cycle. 
In the diagrams of the various figures a type of consentrating collector is 
shown to represent particular embodiments. In other embodiments other 
consentrating collectors may be used and the presentation of one type is 
not meant to limit the inventive concept to one type of consentrating 
collector nor only to consentrating collectors, but any consentrating 
collector known in the solar art may be used by heat sinks connecting it 
to the steam generating chamber. Other collectors that are capable of 
reaching steam generating temperatures may be utilized in the same manner. 
It should also be noted that throughout the description of the inventive 
concept of working elements of various embodiments are intended to be 
interchangeable with elements of similar function in other embodiments. 
Forinstance, the manual valve 22 of FIG. 3 can be interchanged with valve 
53 and its control mechanism of FIG. 6. Similarly, the use of a gravity 
delivery system for the intermittent injection of water into the steam 
generating chamber is not meant to preclude the use of a small motor 
driven pump to assist in the injection of water nor the use of the small 
motor driven pump in the place of a valve like valve 53 of FIG. 6. Also 
there are some obvious extensions of the basic inventive concept. One of 
these extensions that forms another embodiment is the use of each type of 
pumping mechanism of this invention to provide a motive force for a boat 
not shown. In this case the water that is expelled from the pumping 
chamber, like the chamber 21 of FIG. 3 or 50 of FIG. 6 or chamber 72 of 
FIG. 7, is directed rearward and into the water. In this way this solar 
water pump is used as a reaction engine when placed on a boat. The pump's 
output produces a jet drive and inlet water may be taken from the water 
through which the boat is moving. In another embodiment combustion heat 
sources are used to heat the steam generating chamber in the way that 
burners heat a boiler. Similarly, geothermal heat may be applied to the 
steam generating chamber.