US1811295A - Air lift pump - Google Patents

Description

G. BLOW 'AIR LIFT PUMP June 23, 1931 Filed May 28, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l I I IIIIIH'MUIVIIII 1 AllIlnivllvllllIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWIIII Aw .AI

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ATTORNEYS June 23, 1931. G, BLOW 1,811,295

AIR LIFT PUMP Filed May 28 '1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS June 23,1931. .GBLQW 1,811,295

AIR LIFT PUMP Filed may 28, v1926 5 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR J fia ATTORNEYS 4` www @a Patented June 23, 1931 GEORGE Brow, or xnoXvILLE; TENNESSEE AIR LIFT :PUMP

y falippiicnoa mea 'May 2s,

` This invention relates toair-liftpumps. 'and'has for'its objects to provide a pump of thistype kwhich ycan beoperated to pump a well of any depth 'with any pressure of air vor other gas which shall be operable to pump oilfwellsby' utilizing vthe naturall pressure V'otfthegasj' which is' given ofi' with ytheoil in said wells;jwhichfshalls'be operable at eitherghigh or low'pressure of the `operating air orjgaswithoutchange in installation, 'to the endtthat the pumpwhenonce installed 1in' anoil well'maycontinue Ato operate during the life of the Well, notwithstanding the declining gas pressure therein; which shall be operable'independently of the depth of submergence; in whichV fluid containing grit, sand, etc., maybe pumped Without injury to the pump; and which shall be so constructed thatthere shall be no wearing of parts,v replacements. or renewals. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide/a pump oi'thistype lwhich may be utilized either in pumping yoils Vfrom wells, Waterl from mines or other fluids-in other locations of great depth. Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.` l/Vith these objects in view, thev invention comprises an outside pipe to belowered int-o the well, Vmine or other location containing 0 the liquid to be pumped, whichv pipe'preferably is composed of' sections Y of suitable length, coup-led Atogether bya stage .coupling having a transverse partition extending lentirely across the same andV dividingit ,into two portions `or sections. The interval between adjacent couplings isdetermined by the Vpressure available,the pressure, of course, being the controlling factor. Suchfpressure may, as above'indicated, be the natural pressure of the gas given off with the oil in'an Y oil well. Extending down through the lowermost stage coupling, which" is located near the surface of the liquidto bepumped, is a riser pipe provided; with .means for admitting air orother gas thereinto from the exterior, and this riser pipe extends upward through the rst stage coupling yand is `Vcoupled,- as by screw-threading or otherwise, into the second stage coupling on one hs'ideofthe transverse partition therein.v The air or gas third' stage coupling.

192e. sei-iai No. 112,405.

under pressureentering this pipe aerates the liquid column therein, whereby said column is rendered lighter than the column of liquid exterior to the riser pipe, and causesthe li uid to risein theriser pipe to the second stage coupling, 'whence it j' overflows baci; to the first stage coupling and .is caught and retained thereby. l Y` Rising'`r from the first or lowermost stage coupling'is a second riser pipe which passes through the second stage coupling to the Suitable means are provided for admitting air or gas under pressure near the base of this second riser pipe, whereby liquid in said pipe is aerated and the liquid raised to the third stage coupling, whence it overtlfrws to the second stage coupling bywhich it is caught. At each coupling, asthe liquid emerges fromthe top of the riserV pipe, theliquid and the fair'cr gas separate, the liquid, as before stated, falling back to thevnext stage coupling below, while the air or gas is conveyed' through a suitable vent to the top of the well, where it is permitted to escape, preferably under control ofla back pressure valve, to the end that the pressure in the system may be regu.'- lated for a purposethatywill be hereinafter explained., By this means, and by supplyf ing vthe requisite number offstage couplings suitably spaced, liquid can bel raised Jfrom a mine or well ofany depth, and by placing the stage couplings at such a distance apart that the available air or gas pressure is slightlyV greater thanfthe pressure due to submergence, a continuous flow of liquid,

as of oil from an oil Well or'waterffrom a mine, can be maintained without the presence of any movable parts within the well or mine, and at either high or low pressure, as circumstances mayrequire.'` 1

'The vent may take thel form of a pipe consisting of sections open lat each end,'withy the lower end of each section secured in one `stage coupling and passing upward to the next stage ycouplinf ,i.` The liquid delivered `from the top of each stage riser pipe overiioivs into the outside pipe, and is Vcaught by the nextlower stage coupling. Each ofthe riser pipes is provided with means near its Ybase forA admitting air or-v gas under pressure.` Such nieansrmay assume the form of y v a variety of mechanical expressions, some of. which, for the purpose of .illustrating the inports controlled by ordinary ball valves provided rwith Vmeans for protecting the entrancey port and,rit` desired and under some 'l joonditions, kas where a return pipe is provided for the liquid nowing downward trein one stage coiiplingto tliefnext below, a pipe if conveying 'air or gasunder pressure tothe` bottom offeach riser pipe may be employed.V

f The inventive idea is capable of .receiving vention, are shown in'fthe vaccompanying drawings.y but it is to be expressly understood f that theinvention `is ynot limited tothe particularconstruction shown Vin the drawings,

-Y reference being hadftothe appended claims fFig. 3 is `an venlarged vertical Vsection through one form of stage coupling and the'y outside pipe, with the interior pipes shown in elevation for the purpose of illustrating l the means or 'coupling'the various pipes;

Fid. 4 ijs a horizontal V'section on the line is a vertical transverse section showing another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal transverse section Fig. 7 isalilre section ontheline 7-*7 of ieferringto the drawings, in. which like vreferencey characters indicate like parts throughout the several views, and irst to the diagrammatic l, A is a. well sea-ied'at its topby a suitable VVelosure B, and @indicates the'suriace ofthe liquid in thevwell. Sup- "ner, and suitablyspaced, is a series of stage y couplings".l,"v 2,'--3-,`74, 5. "While, for tliefpurL f n `the liquidl C (as for example the natural gas Vvpose 'of illustration, live such stage couplings areshow'n, itwill be understood that any deuponVV the depth fotthe weltand the' desired i "spacing of Vsaid stage couplings. EachV of the stagepcouplings Yhere shownis 1n the form of a chamber; and eafch 'of them,='except the 'top'V -L 'and the'bottom one (l and asv here shown),

" tions 2, 3 and 4'( c oupling12,its bottomend being open or'the is divided into two chambers as by the parti- Y' Gefis'a riser p1 Y y I throughthe stage'coupling 1 into the'li'quid to 'V be pumped giorv suitable submergence distance, and opens VVat its top into the stage .admission of'liqu'id :as indicated by the arrows. fThis riser. pipeg is provided with pe extending downwardly means for the admission of air or gas under pressure, here shown in the forinrof a Yring of small holes 7, several such rings being provided at different heights inthe pipe. Extending 'between the stage couplings l and 2 is a return pipe 8, and leading upwardly from stage coupling l through stage coupling 2 and into the stagev coupling 3 isa. second riser pipera. Extendingdownwardly from the riser coupling 3 to the riser couplingj2 is a "second'return pipefla, which pipe connects with the coupling 2 on the opposite side of the partition 2 from the point where the return pipe 8 connects therewith. In like manner, riser b'extends VJfrom stage coupling 2 through stage coupling'l 3 to stage coupling i Llyriser 6 extends romstage-,coupling 3 Vthrough stage coupling 4 `tostage coupling 5f; and riser 6d extends from the stage coupling l through'v stage coupling 5V yand outward throughthe seal, B to the point Vofdischarge alsov return pipe 8b extends froinfstagecoupling i to lstage coupling 8,'-and return pipe 8 extends'irom'stage co'uplingto stage 'couplinff 4, the return pipes in eachinstance connecting with the respective stager couplings on opposite sides of the partitions 2', 3.and4".f 5 'i Each of the riser pipesrb, 6; and 6d is provided'with suitable means for? admitting air or gas under pressure near. v'the .bottom thereof, as forexample the portv indieatedat 9. `Exteiiding from the stage eoupling2VV out through `the seal B' is a vent pipe l0, which pipe may be provided with back pressure valve liexterior to the welll This vent'pipe is"composed 'of openeend'sections in free communication at each endwith therespective stage couplings as shown, so that the air or gas'is vent-ed at each coupling, and the vent valve ll' aiiords means` forcontro'lling the vvent pressure, wherebyisuchv pressure may be maintainedy vat atmospheric pressure or above, as Ymay be found desirable;

l Air or gas under Vpressure V'inaybedelivported withinthewell in any suitable man l G, aerates the liquidtherein,` vcausingV the column ofliquid to rise and be delivered "intov the stagejcoupling 2*,fwhere the air' separates theretroingand rises throughlthe 'vent pipe l0, while the liquidi Hows downwardly through the returnpipe Stofthe stage coupling Yl until the pipes 8 and 6a have been Yfilled tothe-'level of the second coupling 2,

whereupon r,the air or gas yunder pressure admitted tl'irough the port`9`cau'sesthe liquid .to riseand :bed'eliveredfrom' the't'ojp of the 8a to the stage; coupling 2 Y handfside of partition 2,

' 1. A. A This operationjust described is repeated frisertit intqfthegstage coupling where" the 'LI' YQT? :gas separates therefrom and passes thence through? the V ve-nt; pipelO, while the liquid flows downward through return pipe andl on the left- ?ltijeacllistage coupling-V until the liquid j's raised and discharged from the top ofthe -ltisery f 1g 'number of stage couplings may-be employed,

and that the spacing'of these stage couplings rmaybe varied atf'wilLtO Vsuitthe circumstances Vo f each particular case, depending' open mine-, ,theair or, gasunder pressure which is delivered to the several `riser pipes wouldV bev conducted tof lthe l ports where it .enters said'risers by suitable piping.

y One f; the important features is the backp-ressurevalve 11 cf the vent pipe 10. When desire/d, thisvalveproduces a back-pressure inthe rentfp'peinstead of atmespher, pressure. Letit be assumed that the stage couplings ,are placed atintervals to require fift pou-ndspressure to operate, and that l the pressure of air or gas in the well is `one hun+ dred pounds.. Inpfthisaselthe valve on the gas outlet ffwould beset to produce back pressure 'of lifty pounds so that there, would be a4 [net I working pressure of fifty .pounds asrequired. Thisproducticn of back presf sure has-thefurther advantage that the sysf tem may be `installed with the stage coupling intervals for low pressure and bernade t-o oper-y ate without loss underhigh pressure, a fact which ,is ofvmuch importance in oil wellssinc'e the natural ,gas Y pressureA gradually declines, and the system' may be installed l with. short stageintervalsfor-the ultimate low pressure, while nit-.Inay neverthelessbe operated under the high pressure existing at the time of installation. Furthermore, the system canbe controlled by varying thev4 back pressureso that one 'installation may Vbeniade to serve forthe life of the well and operated under the declining gaspressure in the well, all

lthrough the proper control of the backpressure: A, y ;The foregoing description will enable the .principle ofl operation of'my improved stage a1iflift-pu1np to' be understood. The pre.-

j ferred constructionV ofthe stage couplings is illustratedfinjFigs. 2,3 'and 4in which there are shownoutside pipey sections 13 connected Vbystagecouplings 14, Awhich stage couplings vdivided into upperand lower-portions by a horizontal partition 14. f 'l y-Referring t'oFig'. 2, 15, 15Aand`15. are therespective risers which deliver the mixed as.; shown in,4 Fig.

y against the passage of liquid. Below the parscribed.

aii' and liquidbelow: the partitions`14, the air or gas being vented through thel pipe 16, and the liquid passing downwardlyy around the respective pipes tobe `caught by the partition 114 in the stage couplingy next below and provide the submergence for the next lift. In thiscase the sectional pipe :13 constitutes thewreturn conduit corresponding to the return pipes 8, 8a, 8b, 8c ofthe diagram 'maticl Fig.` lf'For example, the liquid delivered yfrom' the top of riser pipe 15 will passy downwardly around said pipe as indicated bythe arrows and be caught and retained by partition 14, while ther air or gas issuing from the riser, pipe 15 will find exit through Athevent pipe 16. Air or gas `under pressure is admitted through the port 17 Ynear the base of riser-15, resulting in a repetition ofthe operation. Figs. 3 and 4-illustrate in detail one form of stage coupling and the manner in which the several pipeslare connected therewith. The horizontal partition 14 in the coupling 14 hastwo openings therethrough, one, the opening 18, through which thethrough-riser 15- passes. vThis through-riser has a beveled jamb nut 19 secured thereon which serves to support the pipefon the partition14rand at the same time elfectively seal the opening .1.8

tition,'the riser 15 (if vitis desired to form the saine inv sections) is coupled to'la lower section by means of an ordinarycoupling 20, as'will be readily understood.` The other opening 21 in the partition 14 receives the 100 lowerend of the section of the vent lpipe 16 which projectsupward from said'p'artition to a pointslightlybelow the partitionin the next stage coupling. The section of the lvent pipe 16 just below the opening 21 terminates a considerable distanceabove the top of the riserpipe 15 but below the partition 14, to theend that air or gas escaping from the riser pipe'15 may-be ableto enter the vent pipe and, pass upwardly as previouslyde- Referring now to Fig. 4, the stage coupling has projecting from its inner periphery a riser pipe support inthe form of a shelf or bracket 22 through which is provided an opening 23, and the lower end of the riser pipe'15 is screw-threadedinto said opening asshownl in Fig. '3, The bracket 22has a port, or preferably` a plurality of ports 17, extending'fromy the routside of the stageV coupling 14 to the interior of the p'ening 23` as clearly shown in Fig. 4, `and in each of these openings4 a ball and cage valve 24 is mounted Forthepurpose of protecting the entrance of the ports 17, a guard or shield is providedwhich guard or shield preferably talrejs i the 'form of 4outwardly extending protuberances 25 formed on the exterior surface of the stage coupling above and below the pas" 17,.-asi`wiii .te-unaware@ .eem-aa any spection ofFigA. l

The yoperation fo-f the vstructure shown 1in Figsfx and 4 willbe readily understo'od'from what has alreadybeen vdescribed in connection with Fig. VThe lliquidpassing iupward by-'way of the through-riser 15 over.-

flows at a Vpoint just beneath thehorizontal l partition 14 of the nextstagecoupling above and 'descends'within the exterior pipev 13 `and around vthe other three pipes, being caught bythe partition-14. Y The liquid Arisesin the space surrounding the riser 15 1 and inthe riser 15, and the liquid within-thefriser 15 yisia'erated through lthe'gports 17,-'setting1up u, thefair-lift operationheretofore described..

Figs. 5, Gand 7 illustrate ay somewhatfdif-k vferent Yarrangement of the `sever-al `pipes which, however, perform the; same vfunctions and'foperate upon the same principle as heretofore described. .In said figures, a continuous pipe 26 extends downwardly from the top of the'structure to the bottom thereof. T his pipe is made upk of sections secured together by ordinary ypipe couplings 27,prefer ablyy located'just-:below thev partitionin the` stage couplings, and a lock nut 28 isscreW- threaded onto each section just above theparf stagecouplings,*but1shall ralso* :serve to seal f 'the' opening in the partition ofthe stage cou- 1915 --pling through which the pipe' 26 passes.A ,Suittition in the couplingvand provided Vwith "a lower beveled edge portion, tothe endithat said nut shall not .on-ly support the pipes when' they rest upon'the liartitio-n's of the ably secured upon eachsection l:of the pipe 26,

adjacent the stage coupling, is ahorizentally.

extendingyoke 29; Thisfyoke", as will be understoodfrom an examination of Fig.-,6',lias at'itsrespective ends Avertical openings29 and' 29V extending vertically therethrough, which openings are connected by a port 3 0,

' as will be readily understood from'an inspectionV of Figs. 5 and 6. The pipe26 Lis in open communicationwith said port-preferably by Y having the sections of saidpipe. above'and below the yoke screwthreaded into the latter but without beinginsertedffar enoughto obstruct'the port. The bottom .of-each riser isV likewisescrew-threaded intothe opening29 in thef-respectiveyokes, b-ut without entering 'farenough thereinto to obstructtheport 30. The opening; 29 i in the yoke-'being entirely open at its bottom, theriseris in open com-` munication with thespace immediately above the partition in the stage,coupling .just be-V neath.

" fee' "plng,

`1 sur@ is delivered@ are pipe 2e, andina above Y j Vent portsil arek provided throughi'tlie vertical lwall of the stage couplingjust'be# neath the Y horizontal partitionV in said Icou-l In this construction, airf or gas under piresthe `fhorizontal partition of each 'stagecoue pling the airpassesthrough the ports'lBO from `saidpipe to the `Vbase 'of the riser npipes115 --15,etc. It will be seenthat in vthisacase the yoke29 performskthe-lsame functionsnas the shelf orbracketQQ in the form :of the invention illustratedv in Figs. 3 andfll,- to` witjit pipeiand contains'the port through which air or gas under pressure is conductedto the base ofsaidpipey V' f;

In this form, as in the other formsiheretofore described, the liquid is delivered Iat thetop of the riserpipe, beneath the partition of the stage couplings, anddescendsftofthe partition ofthe stage coupling next below,\where "itis lcaught and retained within the pipel to the top of the well-inthe spacesurroundf ing the pipe 13,V the movements 'ofi the air. Vand liquid being clearly; indicated by-` the/"arrows in the drawings.,VL Y Y Y It will be observed-that the 'corupling isy one of simple construction, "lending 'itself :read- Yily tothe assemblage of the several vpipesto bev connected therewith'in yfirm position; and that the entire pumping systemfis 'free from moving parts of'fevery descriptionfwhatsoever rwithin theinterio'rof Vthe'we'll. f Thisis a matter of much importance, since,when' the systemfis once installed,` there is no necessity for removal- "for repair vfor 'replacement 'of parts.r Furthermord'it will bes'een that, even if the 4liquid 'to "be pumpedy contains grit, sand, s or? other Y foreign matter, thesame cannot interfere with'the'succes's'ful operation of the system, n'or canfitwear or 'deteriorate the Partsl ter to Vwhat height the; liquid-is .t'obe raised,

the system v is adapted f' to eilicientlyf'function, Y

since the number of stages ofthe system can )be increased or decreased to suit such conditions. It will also be readilyA appreciated that the system is adapted to operate under widely varying conditionsof pressure,- since' the distance lbetween the Istage* couplings can be adjusted to confornf tothe pressure avail'- ab'le or desired.Y As indicated above,y the systemmay be installed withY the stagecouplings sospaced as' to Vbe effectively operated atlow pressure and Vwill nevertheless operate at high pressure, and this-rendersthe,-system peculiarly adaptable to oil wells, wherein the natural pressure* of vthe gas is employed,

Vserves as' asupportffor the base ofthe riser ,f n Win be further# ptreeiatedrha so martwhich pressure is bound to be high when it is iirst put in operation and bound to decrease during the continued operation of the well.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the system has been diagrammatically illustrated and, while preferred forms of stage couplings are shown more in detail, it is to be expressly7 understood that the invention is not to be limited to such showing and specific construction, since those skilled in the art will readily understand that variations may be made in the arrangement and construction of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, the limits of which are to be taken not from such illustraf What is claimed is l. The combination of a sectional exterior pipe, a series of stage couplings connecting the sections thereof, a series of riser pipes delivering liquid to `said stage couplings serially, means sealing the upper or outlet end of said exterior pipe, whereby gas under pressure can be retained in said exterior pipe, and means venting the gas passing through the riser pipes to the external atmosphere against pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure.

2. In an-air-lift pump, the combination of a series of stage couplings arranged one above the other, riser pipes connecting the alternate couplings, a return conduit between the adjacent couplings, air venting means communicating with the top of each riser, a riser pipe leading from the liquid source to the coupling immediately above the bottom tion, but from the claims hereto appended.)

coupling, means supplying air or gas under pressure to the surface `'of the liquid to be raised, said last-named riser pipe being provided with va series of ports'extending down specilication.

GEORGE BLOW.

below the surface of the liquid for admitting .Y

air ork gas under pressure into said riser pipe as the surface of the liquid is'lowered.

3. In an air-lift pump, the combination of a series of stage couplings arranged one above the other and each having a partition dividing it into uppervand lower sections, a series of riser pipes leading from the upper side of each partition to the under side of the partition of the next higher coupling but one, means conveying liquid from the upper end` of each riser to the base of the riser in the coupling next below, means aerating the liquid in each riser, air venting means com# .municating with the top of each riser,fand

' means controlling the `pressure in said air# venting means.

"4. In an air lift, a sectional pipe, a couvpling for the sections consisting of a transverse partition having two openings there' through, a riser pipe passing through one opening and supported therein by a packing ring secured on said riser pipe, and a section of a vent pipe secured 1n the other opening.

5. Inv an air lift, a sectional pipe, a coui l. O

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