Residential water pressure booster

Abstract

A residential water pressure booster is disclosed comprising a housing with a primary inlet attached to a water source and with an outlet supplying the residential water use. Some of the energy of the flowing water is captured by a turbine impeller that is mounted on a drive shaft. The drive shaft transmits this energy to a pump impeller and, in the preferred embodiment, to a centrifugal pump impeller, both of which boost the pressure of the liquid. Water pressure is also increased by a constriction chamber which constricts the flow between the turbine impeller and the pump impeller. The efficiency of the pump impeller is increased by the action of the centrifugal pump impeller and directional fins and directional grooves in the constriction chamber, which impart a rotational motion to the liquid. The device efficiently boosts water pressure with an external power source.

1 . A hydraulic pressure booster comprising: 
 (a) a housing having an inlet end and an outlet end, the centers of which are connected by a horizontal axis, with respect to which there is an upstream direction toward the inlet end and a downstream direction toward the outlet end;    (b) a primary inlet in the inlet end, which primary inlet is positioned below the horizontal axis of the housing, whereby a flowing liquid enters the housing;    (c) an annular cavity within the inlet end of the housing, which annular cavity forms below the horizontal axis a lower induction chamber and above the horizontal axis an upper induction chamber, which is hydraulically connected to the primary inlet through the lower induction chamber, such that the flowing liquid enters the primary inlet and fills the lower induction chamber and from there flows into the upper induction chamber;    (d) a turbine chamber axially positioned immediately adjacent to and in the downstream direction from the annular cavity, which turbine chamber is hydraulically connected through a secondary inlet to the upper induction chamber, such that the flowing liquid flows from the upper induction chamber through the inlet into the turbine chamber;    (e) a constriction chamber having a truncated conical shape such that its cross-sectional area decreases in the downstream direction, which constriction chamber is axially positioned immediately adjacent to and in the downstream direction from the turbine chamber, to which it is hydraulically connected through a tertiary inlet, such that the flowing liquid flows from the turbine chamber through the tertiary inlet into the constriction chamber;    (f) a pump chamber axially positioned immediately adjacent to and in the downstream direction from the constriction chamber, to which it is hydraulically connected, such that the flowing liquid flows from the constriction chamber into the pump chamber;    (g) an outlet axially positioned in the outlet end of the housing immediately adjacent to and in the downstream direction from the pump chamber, to which it is hydraulically connected, such that the flowing liquid flows from the pump chamber through the outlet and out of the housing;    (h) a drive shaft extending along the horizontal axis of the housing from the inlet end to the pump chamber, which drive shaft is supported on either end by a bearing mount, such that it may rotate freely in either direction;    (i) a turbine impeller mounted on the drive shaft in the turbine chamber, which turbine impeller is designed to extract energy from the flowing liquid and impart rotational motion to the drive shaft;    (j) a pump impeller mounted on the drive shaft in the pump chamber, which pump impeller is designed to impart energy to the flowing liquid, thereby increasing the pressure of the liquid flowing out of the outlet.    
   
   
       2 . The hydraulic pressure booster according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (a) a centrifugal pump chamber axially positioned between the turbine chamber and the constriction chamber;    (b) a centrifugal pump impeller mounted on the drive shaft in the centrifugal pump chamber, which centrifugal pump impeller is designed to impart a centrifugal force to the flowing liquid, thereby causing it to whirl around the drive shaft as it flows through the constriction chamber, wherein the decreasing cross-sectional area augments the rotational velocity of the flowing liquid as it moves toward the pump chamber.    
   
   
       3 . The hydraulic pressure booster according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 (a) a series of static directional fins projecting from the wall of the constriction chamber and oriented in the downstream direction in a spiraling pattern, so as to direct and regulate the whirling motion of the flowing liquid;    (b) a series of static directional grooves formed in the wall of the constriction chamber and oriented in the downstream direction in a spiraling pattern, so as to direct and regulate the whirling motion of the flowing liquid.    
   
   
       4 . The hydraulic pressure booster according to  claim 2  or  3 , further comprising: 
 (a) a tertiary inlet bypass tube hydraulically connecting the turbine chamber with the centrifugal pump chamber, such that a portion of the flowing liquid may bypass the tertiary inlet and thereby maintain a flow rate undiminished by the turbine impeller;    (b) a recyled flow transfer tube hydraulically connecting the area of the pump chamber in the downstream direction from the pump impeller with the turbine chamber, such that a portion of the pressurized liquid may flow back in the upstream direction to impart additional energy through the turbine impeller to the drive shaft.    
   
   
       5 . The hydraulic pressure booster according to any one of claims  1 - 4 , further comprising a tubular flow diffuser positioned immediately adjacent to and in the downstream direction from the pump impeller, which tubular flow diffuser has a series of openings designed to reduce to the turbulence of the flowing liquid in order to avoid cavitation on the back of the pump impeller blades.