Non-clogging airlift pumps and systems and methods employing the same

Abstract

Non-clogging airlift pumps and associated systems and methods employing said pumps. The airlift pumps generally include an enclosed air tank within which is located a hollow cylinder having an open top and a closed bottom wall. A gas (e.g., air) line passes into the air tank for supplying gas thereto. A suction port is located in the bottom wall of the cylinder, and a substantially vertically-oriented discharge pipe passes through a top wall of the air tank such that an intake end of the discharge pipe resides within the cylinder. Multiple airlift pumps may be used in conjunction in a given application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-clogging airlift pump, comprising:
 an enclosed air tank;   a gas input line passing into the air tank;   a hollow cylinder located within the air tank, the cylinder having an open top and a closed bottom wall;   a drain port passing through the bottom wall of the cylinder, a drain tube extending downward some distance therefrom; and   a substantially vertically-oriented discharge pipe passing in a sealed manner through a top wall of the air tank at a location that is axially offset from the location of the drain port, an intake end of the discharge pipe residing within the cylinder and at some distance above the bottom wall thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The airlift pump of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one suction tube having a discharge end that passes through a wall of the air tank at a location such that the discharge end of the suction tube resides within the air tank but below the level of the drain port. 
     
     
         3 . The airlift pump of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one suction tube passes through one of a side wall or a bottom wall of the air tank. 
     
     
         4 . The airlift pump of  claim 2 , wherein a plurality of suction tubes are present and extend outward from the air tank in different directions. 
     
     
         5 . The airlift pump of  claim 1 , wherein the discharge pipe and the drain port are axially offset as far as possible within the bounds of the cylinder. 
     
     
         6 . The airlift pump of  claim 1 , wherein the air tank is comprised of a section of plastic pipe. 
     
     
         7 . The airlift pump of  claim 1 , wherein the air tank is a substantially hollow rectangular enclosure having upstanding side walls and a top wall. 
     
     
         8 . The airlift pump of  claim 1 , wherein the discharge pipe extends beyond top wall of the air tank. 
     
     
         9 . The airlift pump of  claim 1 , wherein the discharge pipe terminates at the top wall of the air tank. 
     
     
         10 . The airlift pump of  claim 1 , wherein the air tank is closed at the top by a lid and a weighted anchoring plate is affixed to a bottom surface of the air tank wall, and wherein one or more inlet ports are located in the air tank wall along a bottom edge thereof. 
     
     
         11 . An airlift pump-powered liquid mixer, comprising:
 an air tank in the form of an enclosure having upstanding side walls and a top wall;   a gas input line passing into the air tank;   a separator located within the air tank, the separator comprising:
 a hollow cylinder having an open top and a closed bottom wall, 
 a drain port passing through the bottom wall of the cylinder, 
 a drain tube extending downward some distance from the bottom wall of the cylinder, and 
 a substantially vertically-oriented discharge pipe passing in a sealed manner through a top wall of the air tank at a location that is axially offset from the location of the drain port, an intake end of the discharge pipe residing within the cylinder and at some distance above the bottom wall thereof; 
   upstanding bounding walls surrounding the side walls of the air tank with a space therebetween; and   at least one opening in at least one side wall of the air tank, the at least one opening providing a passageway between the space and the interior of the air tank.   
     
     
         12 . The mixer of  claim 11 , wherein the air tank is substantially rectangular in shape. 
     
     
         13 . The mixer of  claim 11 , wherein the air tank is comprised of concrete. 
     
     
         14 . The mixer of  claim 11 , wherein the separator is attached to a side wall of the air tank. 
     
     
         15 . The mixer of  claim 11 , wherein the height of the bounding walls is substantially the same as the height of the air tank. 
     
     
         16 . An airlift pump-powered liquid mixing system, comprising:
 a primary enclosure having a substantially solid pump section and a substantially hollow intake section;   at least one compartment formed in the pump section of the primary enclosure, the at least one compartment forming an air tank portion of a pump section air lift pump;   a separator portion of the pump section airlift pump located in the at least one compartment and having a discharge port that exits through the top of the pump section of the primary enclosure;   a gas input line in fluid communication with the at least one compartment;   an opening between the at least one compartment and the substantially hollow intake section of the primary enclosure;   a second enclosure having upstanding side walls and a top wall located in the intake section of the primary enclosure, the second enclosure forming an air tank of an intake section airlift pump;   a separator portion of the intake section airlift pump located within the intake section air tank and having a discharge port that exits through the top wall thereof;   at least one opening in at least one side wall of the intake section air tank;   a gas input line in fluid communication with the intake section air tank; and   at least one filtering screen overlying the intake section airlift pump and covering an otherwise open top of the intake section of the primary enclosure, such that when the system is submerged, fluid may enter the primary enclosure only through the at least one filtering screen;   wherein, when the system is submerged in a fluid, the pump section airlift pump may be operated to cause a mixing of the fluid, and the intake section airlift pump may be operated to dislodge any material that has accumulated on the at least one filtering screen.   
     
     
         17 . The mixing system of  claim 16 , wherein the primary enclosure is comprised of concrete. 
     
     
         18 . The mixing system of  claim 17 , wherein there are multiple compartments located in the pump section of the primary enclosure and a separator resides in each compartment to form a like number of pump section airlift pumps. 
     
     
         19 . The mixing system of  claim 18 , wherein air is supplied to the compartments via an air header that is embedded in the pump section of the primary enclosure. 
     
     
         20 . The mixing system of  claim 17 , wherein the pump section airlift pump and the intake section airlift pump are simultaneously operable.