Patent ID: 7377492

Claim:
A hydraulic liquid pumping system for compressing gas, comprising: a body of liquid; a source of gas open to atmosphere; a down pipe having a pipe opening in fluid communication with the body of liquid, wherein at least a portion of the body of liquid is positioned above the pipe opening; a gas injection apparatus having a gas access port therein, the gas injection apparatus for entraining gas into the liquid as the liquid passes through the down pipe, the down pipe and the gas injection apparatus structured and arranged to compress the gas; a separator in communication with a lower end of the down pipe for separating compressed gas from the liquid; and a gas-liquid recycle loop, comprising: a compressed gas storage vessel containing the separated gas; a reservoir containing liquid separated from the compressed gas; and a gas-liquid pump having a gas inlet in communication with the gas storage vessel, and a fluid inlet in communication with the reservoir, the gas-liquid pump structured and arranged for pumping the liquid to the body of liquid and delivering at least a portion of the gas to the gas injection apparatus.