High-efficiency airlift pump

Abstract

This document describes a gas streaming device for use between an injection port and a mixing chamber within an airlift pump, and an airlift pump with the gas streaming device. The gas streaming device includes a planar plate with multiple holes extending therethrough, where the holes are dimensioned to direct the gas into multiple micro-streams for streaming air from the injection port into the mixing chamber. An airlift pump in combination with such a gas streaming device is useful for removing anomalously high concentrations of dissolved gas in a liquid. The increased efficiency for this invention may also enable this type of pump to be economic in other applications where it is desirable to lift a liquid or induce flow.

1 . A device for use between an injection port and a mixing chamber within an airlift pump, the device comprising:
 a planar plate with multiple holes extending therethrough, the holes dimensioned to direct the gas into multiple micro-streams for streaming air from the injection port into the mixing chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple holes are evenly spaced through the body. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple holes are unevenly spaced through the body. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the planar body is a plate having a first face and a second face, and the holes extend from the first face to the second face. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the multiple holes have diameters generally between 0.3 mm-0.4 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the multiple holes have diameters generally between 0.15 and 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the holes are spaced 0.5 mm-0.6 mm center to center apart from one another in a grid pattern. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the holes are positioned at least 0.5 mm from a perimeter of the plate. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the plate has a thickness between 12-13 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the holes in the plate contain a helical groove pattern, or rifling, to gyroscopically stabilize the gas flow as it leaves the plate. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the rifling in the holes is orientated at a 30 degree angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the hole. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the body is composed of packed fiber which may be oriented vertically and/or horizontally to force the gas to flow around the fiber. 
     
     
         13 . An airlift pump comprising:
 an injection port for injecting pressurized air into the airlift pump;   a mixing chamber with perforations, the mixing chamber coupled to the injection port for receiving air from the injection port and receiving water through the perforations;   a lift tube fluidly connected to and extending from the mixing chamber   an ejection port fluidly connected to and extending from the lift tube, the ejection port have a gas discharge aperture and a liquid discharge aperture; and   a gas streaming device positioned between the injection port and the mixing chamber, the gas streaming device having a planar body with multiple holes extending therethrough, the holes dimensioned to direct the gas into multiple micro-streams for streaming air from the injection port into the mixing chamber.   
     
     
         14 . The airlift pump of  claim 13 , wherein the multiple holes in the gas streaming device are evenly spaced throughout. 
     
     
         15 . The airlift pump of  claim 14 , wherein the gas streaming device is a plate having a first face and a second face, and the holes extend from the first face to the second face. 
     
     
         16 . The airlift pump of  claim 15 , wherein the multiple holes have diameters generally between 0.3 mm-0.4 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The airlift pump of  claim 16 , wherein the multiple holes have diameters generally between 0.15 and 0.25 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The airlift pump of  claim 16 , wherein the holes of the gas streaming device are spaced 0.5 mm-0.6 mm center to center apart from one another in a grid pattern. 
     
     
         19 . The airlift pump of  claim 18 , wherein the holes are positioned at least 0.5 mm from a perimeter of the body. 
     
     
         20 . The airlift pump of  claim 19 , wherein the holes in the plate contain a helical groove pattern, or rifling, to gyroscopically stabilize the gas flow as it leaves the plate.