A New or Improved Method of Raising and Forcing Liquids by means of Compressed Air or Gases and Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1898
CUALI LEIE DITUIFICATION.
A New or Improved Method of Raising and Forcing Liquids by means
of Compressed Air or Gases and Apparatus therefor.
(A communication from abroad by THE INGERSOLL-SERGEANT DRILL COMPANY, of
26, Cortlandt Street, in the City, County and State of New York, United States
of America.)
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech. E., of Norfolk House, Victoria
Embankment, London, W.C., in the County of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as ccmmunicated to me from abroad)
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to improvements in the art of raising liquids by means
of compressed air, and it consists in an improved process and apparatus whereby
alternate charges of water and compressed air are delivered to the eduction pipe
at a high initial velocity.
The object of the invention is to accomplish the elevation of water or other
liquids by means of compressed air or other gases with greater economy than
has heretofore been possible.
In accordance with this invention the compressed air is not directed into the
water in the form of fine streams or jets which would readily commingle therewith;
nor is it delivered continuously at the foot of the eduction pipe, thereby, as
asserted by some, dividing the water into piston-like layers the existence of which
is doubted; nor is either the air or the water started on its upward journey through
the eduction or delivery pipe in a continuous stream; but by means of the arrange-
ment of apparatus and the proper regulation of the pressures of the liquid and
the gas employed, it is so arranged that masses of the liquid and masses of the
gas are started up the delivery pipe in alternation, and each with a high velocity,
as will appear.
Whether the gases and the liquid become more or less intimately
commingled before leaving the delivery pipe is immaterial, so long as they start
up the delivery pipe with a sufficiently high initial velocity; for it necessarily
follows that if so started and the supply of air and water in alternation be main-
tained with sufficient frequency, that the velocity of the inflow will communicate
itself to the rising column, and as the same rises the superincumbent pressure
will be reduced and the masses of compressed gas by expansion will assist in the
expulsion of the liquid above them.
It is to be understood that acording to my invention compressed gases of almost
any character may be employed and liquids of any kind may be elevated by
means thereof. For convenience I will hereinafter refer to them as compressed air
and water.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, is a view in elevation showing an air compressor, an air reservoir, and
in section, a well equipped according to my invention.
Fig. 2, is a sectional elevation showing a slightly modified arrangement.

page_text: A, is an air compressor engine of any suitable type; B, is a tank for receiving
and holding the compressed air from A. Pipe a, connects the cylinder of the
air compressor with the tank B. The tank B is provided with a safety valve b.
C, is the well to be pumped, which may be of any type sufficiently large in
diameter to accommodate my apparatus. D, is a delivery pipe, which, where
drilled wells are used, will vary in size according to the diameter of the well, and
in the case of a large well may be of any desired capacity. E, is a device which
I have termed a pressure chamber, which is in the present instance shown as being
supported at its lower end upon legs e, resting on the bottom of the well, although
it may be supported from above if preferred.
The pressure chamber E, is larger in diameter than the delivery pipe D, and
extends a short distance below the lower end of said delivery pipe. The pressure
chamber is open at its lower end to permit the free ingress of water and closed
at its upper end around the delivery pipe D, so that there is no escape of air at
this point. Compressed air is supplied to the upper end of the pressure chamber
through pipe F, extending from the tank B and provided with a stop-cock f.
The lower end of the pressure chamber E, and also of the delivery pipe D,
should be considerably below the level of the water in the well, which is indicated
by the line X-X.
Where the invention is applied to a drilled well which is provided with a
metallic or other air-tight casing, as indicated in Figure 2, the pressure chamber E,
as a separate construction, can be omitted and the casing of the well used in
place thereof; the space between the casing C₁ and the delivery pipe D¹ consti-
tuting a pressure chamber E¹. This arrangement simplifies the apparatus and
enables me to use a larger pump in a well of given size. In said Figure 2, C¹, is
the permanent casing of the well; D₁ is the delivery pipe; f¹ indicates the air-
tight joint provided between the delivery pipe and the casing at or above the
surface of the ground, and completing the pressure chamber E¹. F, is the air
pipe extending from the tank B. X-X is the normal water level; G-G,
H-H are the lines between which, or approximately between which the water
line will rise and fall, or pulsate, due to the irrepressible conflict between the
momentum of the water flowing into the pressure chamber, from the veins supplying
the same, the opposing pressure of the compressed air, and the constant variation
of pressure caused by the escape of a portion of each alternately through the
delivery pipe.
Normally, the water will stand in the pressure chamber and in the delivery pipe,
at for example, the level indicated by the line X-X Figs. 1 and 2. When,
however, compressed air is admitted to the upper end of the pressure chamber E
or E¹, by opening the cock f, which is left open so long as the apparatus is in
operation, the water will be forced down in the same, and if the pressure of air
is sufficient it will be forced down and back into the well on into the veins from
whence it came until it reaches, or almost reaches, the line G, G, when the air will
escape up the delivery pipe D. The escape of air will lower the presure in
the pressure chamber, whereupon the water will rise; but since the inflow of air
is not checked mechanically, the pressure in the chamber E or E¹, will increase
until the rise of the water is checked at a point above the exit or lower end of the
pipe D, say at about the line H-H, when the supply of compressed air from the
tank B in the chamber E will check the rise of water and again drive it down
until the excess of air pressure escapes through the delivery pipe as before;
when, just as soon as this happens, the water will again rise until stopped by
the pressure in the chamber E or E¹.
Each time the water rises in the pressure chamber due to its momentum under
the head of the water in the well, a portion thereof will pass into the delivery pipe,
and for the purpose of causing the water which enters the eduction or delivery
pipe to do so with the highest initial velocity, I have contracted the pipe near
its lower end for a short distance, so that the momentum of the water rising there-

page_text: through will give increased velocity to the portion entering the pipe, thereby
adding to its upward moving force, and to the force with which the water will
be drawn towards and into the delivery pipe.
The air pressure now increasing sufficiently to drive the water down below the
foot of the delivery pipe D or D₁, or to the line G, G, permits a portion of the com-
pressed air to also enter the delivery pipe D, which it does in the rear of the mass
of water which had previously entered, forcing the same up the delivery pipe;
and, in view of the fact that the water entered as a solid body, the compressed air
following the same will have a solid body to act upon, and therefore it cannot
escape except by driving the body of water immediately above it and those above
that, up the delivery pipe.
The supply of air from the tank B will be continuous, and of course must be
maintained in said tank at a pressure in excess of the pressure necessary to over-
come the momentum of the water rising in the pressure chamber under the head
of the well; and, so long as the supply of compressed air is maintained and there
is sufficient water in the well, the water and air will pulsate up and down in the
pressure chamber above and below the delivery pipe, and alternate masses of each
will escape into the delivery pipe and be forced to the surface.
Modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of the apparatus
consistent with the foregoing description without departing from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and the manner in which it is to be performed (as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent), I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The herein described method of pumping, which consists in supplying directly
to the open lower end of a valveless delivery pipe surrounded by an open bottom
chamber continuously supplied with a gas under pressure, charges of the liquid
and of the gas under pressure and in alternation.
2. The method of pumping which consists in supplying to the open lower end
of a valveless delivery pipe surrounded by a submerged pressure chamber having
its lower end permanently open to receive the liquid and continuously supplied
with a gas under pressure, charges of liquid and of gas at a high velocity and
in alternation.
3. In a pumping operation the process of raising liquid, which consists in supply-
ing to a pressure chamber permanently open at its lower end to receive the liquid,
and provided with a downwardly extending delivery pipe also open at its lower end,
said lower end located near the opening of the chamber, compressed air at a point
near the upper end of the pressure chamber from a constant source of supply,
admitting liquid to the open end of the chamber and of the delivery pipe under
sufficient momentum to force itself into the delivery pipe and also to cause an
increase of the pressure of the compressed air in the upper part of the chamber,
until the momentum of the water entering the chamber is overcome thereby,
when the water is forced down and out of the chamber into the well and the excess
of air pressure allowed to escape up the delivery pipe forcing the air before it
and vice versa.
4. In connection with a well to be pumped, the combination of a delivery pipe,
the lower end of which is open to receive the water and which extends below the
normal water level, a pressure chamber surrounding said delivery pipe, and
permanently open at its lower end to receive the water, connections between the
upper part of the pressure chamber and an independent source of compressed
air or other gas, whereby, under the variations of pressure in the chamber due
to the momentum of the head of water and the escape of part of its contents, the
air and water will pulsate above and below the mouth or exit of the eduction
pipe, and portions escape thereinto alternately.
5. In connection with a well, the combination of a pressure chamber closed
at its upper end and permanently open at its lower end to permit free inflow of

page_text: water, of a delivery pipe arranged within the pressure chamber and extending
below the normal water level, and open at its lower end to receive the water from
the well, and an independent source of compressed gas connected with the upper
end of the pressure chamber, whereby under a constant flow of gas under pressure
from the independent source into the pressure chamber the gas and liquid will
pulsate about the lower end or mouth of the delivery pipe, alternately entering
the same.
6. In an air lift pump the combination of a delivery pipe extend-
ing below the normal water level, a pressure chamber enclosing part
of said delivery pipe and extending down below the lower or inlet
end thereof, and permanently open
at its lower end to receive the
water, connections between the upper part of the pressure chamber and an inde-
pendent supply of air under pressure, and means for regulating the pressure of
air supplied to the pressure chamber.
7. In an air lift pump the combination of a stationary delivery pipe formed
with a contracted portion near its lower extremity, a pressure chamber surrounding
said pipe, said chamber permanently open at its lower end to receive the water,
and valveless connections between the pressure chamber and an independent
source of compressed air at one end, and with the water at the other end, whereby the
head or normal level of the water in the well and the pressure of air from the tank
will always oppose each other in the pressure chamber, causing them to pulsate
above and below the lower end of the delivery pipe, air and water escaping there-
into in alternation.
8. In an air lift pump, the combination of a delivery pipe formed with a
contracted portion near its lower end or mouth, a pressure chamber surrounding
said pipe and permanently open at its lower end to receive the liquid and supplying
compressed air thereto from above in alternation with the supply of liquid, and
connections between the pressure chamber and an independent source of compressed
air.
JAMES G. LORRAIN,
Communicatee.