Alternate Pumping From Plural Pumping Chambers Patents (Class 417/122)
  • Patent number: 11236866
    Abstract: A liquid transfer apparatus comprises an output terminal device, a receiving terminal device, a connecting pipeline, and a control device. The output terminal device includes a first pressurizing member for filling the first storage container with high-pressure air. The receiving terminal device includes an air pressure adjusting member for adjusting the air pressure inside the second storage container. When the liquid transfer apparatus is in a non-transferring state, the air pressure inside the second storage container is high enough to prevent the liquid in the first storage container flow into the connecting pipeline. And when the liquid transfer apparatus is in a transferring state, the pressure difference between the inside of the first storage container and the inside of the second storage container is sufficient to drive the liquid in the first storage container to enter the second storage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Inventor: Te-Ming Chiang
  • Patent number: 8983667
    Abstract: A system is provided to control fluid flow in a wastewater treatment system through wastewater level manipulation. The wastewater treatment system may include a wastewater treatment plant connected to a plurality of pump stations by a main. Each of the plurality of pump stations may include a wet well with a pump therein. The system may include a central server in communication with a sensor to sense a level of wastewater within the wet well. The pump may be automatically moved to an on position when the level of the wastewater in the wet well is at or above a first level and may be automatically moved to an off position when the level of the wastewater in the respective wet well is at or below a pump cutoff level. The central server may systematically manipulate the first level to selectively set the level of wastewater within the wet well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Data Flow Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas F. Smaidris
  • Patent number: 8594851
    Abstract: Reductions in energy consumption and maintenance requirements for operating a wastewater treatment plant are achieved by controlling the operation of pumps at pump stations along a force main in a systematic fashion. The operation of the pumps is controlled to manage the flow of wastewater along the force main to minimize energy consumption, to eliminate sediment, to manage peak pressures encountered by smaller pumps and to avoid septic conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Data Flow Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas F. Smaidris
  • Patent number: 8371826
    Abstract: A geyser pump includes an air chamber having an air chamber interior, a generally U-shaped bubble-forming loop external to and disposed in fluid communication with the air chamber and a liquid delivery conduit disposed in fluid communication with the bubble-forming loop. A liquid recirculation/transfer system having an orifice disk assembly and a geyser pump is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Inventors: George E. Johnson, Richard G. Dupree
  • Patent number: 8277201
    Abstract: Vessels (10, 11, 12 and 13) are associated with an inlet manifold (14) passing to inlets (16), each controlled by a knifegate valve (17). The lower ends of the pots (10) and (12), and pots (11) and (13), pass material through respective outlet knifegate valves (22) to respective first (23) and second (24) delivery lines. The respective knifegate valves (17) and outlet knifegate valves (22) of pots (10) and (11) on the one hand and pots (12) and (13) on the other, are operable by respective common pneumatic actuators (25). Each pot has an ejector assembly (26) having an upper chamber (28), an air injector nozzle (30), and an accelerator tube (31) to create the venturi function. An air cycling valve (32) transitions the upper chamber (28) between a depressurized space and a pressurized space. The accelerator tube (31) exhausts to a delivery line (23 or 24). Ejector assembly (26) air is supplied via air control valve (35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Krohn
  • Patent number: 7007456
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pneumatically powered high-pressure and lightweight fluid pump. The pump is useful for pumping fuel for liquid rocket engines and for pumping water, such as for fire suppression. During operation of the pump, liquid is drained from a tank into a pump chamber and the chamber is then pressurized to deliver fluid. The chamber is then refilled from the main tank. An auxiliary chamber supplies fuel while the main chamber is being filled, thereby a steady stream is delivered from the pump. The auxiliary chamber is refilled from the tank while the main chamber is delivering fluid. The design results in substantial weight savings over a system in which the main tank is pressurized or a system with two pump chambers of similar size. The auxiliary chamber of the present disclosure has a smaller capacity than the main chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Inventor: Steven M. Harrington
  • Patent number: 6810961
    Abstract: A fluid well pumping system includes at least one stage for removing fluid from a well. The at least one stage includes a product line assembly adapted for positioning in the well casing as a unit. The product line assembly includes a first product tube and first and second gas lines in a passage of the product tube. The at least one stage also include a fluid reservoir adapted for positioning in a well casing as a unit that is attachable to the product line assembly in end-to-end fashion. The fluid reservoir includes a housing defining a chamber for storage of fluid and a float in the chamber. The fluid reservoir also includes a third gas line in fluid communication with the first gas line, a fourth gas line in fluid communication with the second gas line, and a product line in fluid communication with the product tube when assembled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Inventors: John E. Marvel, Michael A. Porch, G. Ronald Stoughton
  • Patent number: 6537032
    Abstract: There is provided an autonomous inverter-driven hydraulic unit in which a command pressure and command flow rate do not need to be inputted from outside and a pressure and flow rate can be autonomously controlled without requiring any input signal wire. A target horsepower calculation unit 25 of a controller 11 judges which of a plurality of regions a point representing a present operating state belongs to and calculates a target horsepower represented by a point on a target pressure-flow rate characteristic line based on the present pressure and present flow rate. A comparison unit 28 calculates a deviation of this target horsepower and a present horsepower received from a present horsepower calculation unit 26, inputs a control signal representing this deviation to the inverter 3 and controls a rotational number of a variable-speed motor 2 so that the present horsepower coincides with the target horsepower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Horiuchi, Jun Nakatsuji
  • Patent number: 6435838
    Abstract: A fluid pumping system includes a number of stages. Each stage has a fluid chamber having a top end with an air aperture and a bottom end with a fluid apertures. An air line is connected to the air aperture, and a fluid input conduit, with an input check valve) is connected to the fluid aperture. A float valve is disposed in the chamber directly between the fluid aperture and the air aperture. A fluid output conduit is connected to the fluid aperture above the input check valve. The float has a bottom end adapted to seal with the fluid aperture when the chamber is empty. A first set of pumping stages are supplied by a first compressed air line and a second set of pumping stages are supplied by a second compressed air line. Periodically, compressed air is supplied to a first set of pump stages to drive fluid from each of the first set of pump stages to a second set of stages, and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Inventors: John E. Marvel, Michael A. Porch
  • Patent number: 6036446
    Abstract: A portable system of inter-connected smaller and larger canisters for near simultaneous vacuum and liquid transfer free from any external power. Captured vacuum in the canisters is employed for waste liquid extraction and a subsequent pressure transfer may take place without any liquid being exposed to the atmosphere. A mechanical manifold is adapted to receive the canisters, and one or more canisters may be physically connected to the manifold and are left in place as a user drives to another site location. An intermediate canister in the system is fitted with either manual or a self tending valve for the vacuum and pressure modes of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Lowell R. Goodman
    Inventor: Lowell R. Goodman
  • Patent number: 5660530
    Abstract: Pumping under the present invention includes movement of material, in a first embodiment fluid and in a second embodiment a piston assembly, between first and second positions including detection of said material at each position. Control circuitry and supporting mechanical and fluid coupling responsive to material position toggles the pump into alternate modes of operation driving the material toward each point. The pump arrangement has fewer moving parts than traditional pumps and enjoys higher reliability for its simplified design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Inventor: Iraj Rafei
  • Patent number: 5584179
    Abstract: A pumping machine is disclosed which comprises valve means and air intakes, the valve means comprising a plurality of check valves and having a double-layer structure, the valve means being caused to vertically reciprocate by delivery of compressed air, the air intakes being so formed that external air is introduced in mid course of the reciprocating motion of the valve means, wherein external air is introduced in parallel with suction of water to be pumped up in mid course of the reciprocating motion of the valve means, the introduced air is then compressed, and then expansion force of the air generated by releasing the water with air from the pressure is utilized as water pumping force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignees: Endo, Katsuhisa, Isa, Shinei
    Inventor: Shinei Isa
  • Patent number: 5368447
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for a well testing or production facility system. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the invention discloses a method and apparatus to transfer crude oil from a separator to an oil pipeline, or alternatively, to a burner flare. The method includes collecting oil in a separator, and then transferring the oil to a first, second, and third pump cylinder. The oil is sequentially forced from the cylinders by high pressure gas, and after being drained, the cylinders are again filled with crude oil. The apparatus includes a separator, a first, second and third pump cylinder which will sequentially receive crude oil. Sensing means are associated with the pump cylinders for sensing the level of crude oil within the cylinders. A control system is utilized to cycle a high pressure gas or air into each of the cylinders in order to force the oil out of the cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Schwendemann, Timothy M. Young
  • Patent number: 5290151
    Abstract: A process is disclosed, for pumping a multi-phase gas-liquid mixture by using a pump as the thrusting machine, and at least two pumping vessels alternatively performing functions of intake and functions of compression/delivery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1994
    Assignees: Snamprogetti S.p.A., Agip S.p.A.
    Inventor: Giovanni Orlando
  • Patent number: 5261794
    Abstract: A fluid pressure feeding apparatus for feeding cold water for cooling a mining pit into the pit and pumping water and muddy water heated within the mining pit onto the ground. A controller for switching a number of the operative chambers is provided to thereby perform a continuous operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukishige Kamino, Kenji Uchida, Makoto Saito
  • Patent number: 5242272
    Abstract: Procedure for pumping liquid at high temperature through a pipe, characterized in that the liquid at high temperature is pressed, by means of a fluid at low temperature that is inert in relation to the liquid at high temperature, away out of a first reservoir that is mounted on an extremity of the pipe. The liquid at high temperature which is pressed out is taken up in a second reservoir that is mounted on the other extremity of the pipe, while the aforementioned fluid that is in the second reservoir, is let out, after a time the liquid at high temperature is now pressed out of this second reservoir and is taken up again in the first reservoir, and this by means of the aforementioned fluid that is now let out of the first reservoir and is pumped into the second reservoir. The pumping procedure including means to calculate a flow rate through the pipe via temperature and level indicators, taking into account expansion or contraction of the high temperature liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Inventors: Kari Ven, Juha Ven, Timo Ven, Petri Ven, Irja Ven
  • Patent number: 4846800
    Abstract: An autotransfuser includes, in a single receptacle, a pair of chambers separated by a common wall. Each receptacle can alternately perform a blood infusion or blood collection function. Each chamber includes at least three inlets/outlets, a blood inlet, a blood outlet and an air inlet. In some embodiments of the invention the air inlet serves alternately to couple either an air or a pressure source on the one hand or a vacuum source on the other hand to the corresponding chamber. In other embodiments of the invention, the air inlet comprises a vacuum inlet and a separate air or pressure inlet. A disk like device or valve manifold is arranged for rotatable movement adjacent the inlets/outlets. The disk like device includes four channels, one for each of air or pressure, vacuum, blood inlet and blood infusion. Each channel includes a port for coupling to external tubing and at least one channel end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1989
    Inventors: Kenneth Ouriel, Karl D. (Skip) Kirk, III, Douglas M. Spranger
  • Patent number: 4778532
    Abstract: Contamination of wafers is reduced by an enclosed full-flow method and apparatus for the cleaning and other wet processing of semiconductor wafers. Process fluids flow sequentially and continuously past the wafers such that the processing does not require movement or operator handling of the wafers between processing steps. The vessel containing the wafers is hydraulically full during each process step. Wafers may be cleaned using a hot corrosive fluid, such as sulfuric acid; rinsed using high purity water at high flow rates; and dried using a drying fluid such an isopropanol. In addition, chemical reagents such as dilute hydrofluoric acid or hydrogen peroxide may be precisely mixed in situ and applied to the wafer surface for a precisely controlled period, by injecting concentrated reagent into rinse water purified by multipass filtration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1988
    Assignee: CFM Technologies Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Christopher F. McConnell, Alan E. Walter
  • Patent number: 4655691
    Abstract: A temperature-difference-actuated pump is disclosed which does not require the use of electrically operated solenoid valves or the like, making the inventive pump especially useful in locations where electricity is not readily available. Either one or two pump chambers is provided, in which is disposed a pumping element such as a flexible bag or piston. One side of each chamber is connected selectively to a boiler or condenser through a mechanically operated switch deriving its working power from the pumping element. The other side of the chamber is utilized to provide the pumping action, either directly or via a noncondensable fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: Nippon Mining Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Noriaki Wakao
  • Patent number: 4336763
    Abstract: An automatic pneumatic pumping system of the type using two or more pumping tanks which are filled in alternate sequence with liquid from a common source and are alternately purged by air pressure so as to effect a continuous and uninterrupted flow of the liquid into a common discharge line, wherein exhaust pumping air is used to create additional head within the liquid supply tanks and the creation of vacuum is used for system and auxiliary use. A preferred application of the system to marine vessels, for example a barge, is described (FIGS. 2-5), along with two special valves, a cargo valve of "top hat" design (FIG. 6) and a cargo inlet feed valve of a two-port wafer type (FIGS. 7A-C).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1974
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1982
    Inventor: Robert C. Wolff
  • Patent number: 4140437
    Abstract: An apparatus for conveying liquids mixed with solid substances to a distance is disclosed, comprising a compressed air pump formed by two or more cylindrical chambers, each provided with an inlet valve for the liquid and with a connection for the inlet and discharge of compressed air, which is cyclically and alternatively fed into and expelled from the cylinders under the control of a proper distributor, the apparatus comprising a free surface loading hopper located upstream and above the pump body, having an outlet communicating with said inlet valves of the cylindrical chambers, whereby the flow rate of the liquid arriving to the hopper is continuously compensated so as to uniformly feed the liquid by gravity to the cylindrical chambers, the apparatus further comprising at least a spare cylindrical chamber adapted to be used in substitution for one of the normally operating cylindrical chambers, for servicing and/or maintenance purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1976
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1979
    Inventor: Giovanni Faldi
  • Patent number: 4094616
    Abstract: A device using only steam to simultaneously heat and pump a liquid or a slurry to a high pressure is disclosed, which device does not employ any rotating or reciprocating mechanisms commonly employed in the conventional pumping machinery. The combined use of steam for the simultaneous heating and pumping enables the outstanding device to utilize 100 percent of the steam supplied to the device in either pumping or heating. The simple structure and operational principle of said device results in particularly low capital cost and trouble-free operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1978
    Inventor: Hyok Sang Lew
  • Patent number: 3994082
    Abstract: Air operated dredging apparatus comprising a submerged pumping unit adapted to be dragged along an underwater bed which unit includes at least two pumping chambers periodically filled with loose material in admixture with water entering the chamber through a duct connecting a dredging shovel to the chamber, and emptied by feeding compressed air into the said chamber. A check valve is provided on the duct upstream of the entrance to the chamber whereby escape of air through the duct and the shovel is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1974
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1976
    Assignee: Pneuma International S.A.
    Inventor: Giovanni Faldi
  • Patent number: 3958346
    Abstract: An improved dredging apparatus comprising a plurality of pumping chambers, each pumping chamber having a separate inlet pipe branched off from a single intake duct, the intake duct in turn being either connected to the dredging shovel or directly adapted to take out samples from an underwater bed, the pumping chambers in operation being cyclically filled with dredged material and emptied by air pressure. The pump body is slidably mounted to a rigid frame structure, whereby the intake duct is surrounded and protected during sampling operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1974
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1976
    Assignee: Pneuma International S.A.
    Inventor: Giovanni Faldi