A system for raising fluid comprising:
- a number of stage assemblies arranged vertically where:
- each said stage assembly consists of three chambers of equal cross sectional area and:
- said chambers are formed by straight vertical walls circumscribing the perimeter of said chambers and terminating into upper and lower solid decks, and:
- said chambers are positioned vertically joined to each other so each said stage assembly has a top chamber, middle chamber, and bottom chamber, where:
- a solid movable plate located in each said chamber an equal distance above each said chamber's said lower deck divides each said chamber into an upper and lower cell, and:
- said movable plates have a pressure seal between said chamber walls and said plates, and:
- said movable plates are joined together by connecting rods passing through apertures in said solid decks forming a plate collective where:
- a pressure seal is provided between said solid deck apertures and said connecting rods, and:
- said middle chamber lower cell and bottom chamber upper cell are connected by passages with valves and:
- fluid conduits with valves enter said middle chamber lower cells and bottom chamber upper cells, and:
- pressures in said upper and lower cells in said top, middle, and bottom chambers are regulated by external pressure sources, and:
- in a vertical array of stage assemblies where:
- the bottom most stage assembly middle chamber lower cell fluid conduits connect to a fluid reservoir below and the fluid conduits from bottom chamber upper cell connect to the middle chamber lower cell of the stage assembly immediately above said bottom most stage assembly, and:
- the top most stage assembly bottom chamber upper cell fluid conduits connect to a detention vessel and the middle chamber lower cell connects to the bottom chamber upper cell fluid conduits of the stage assembly immediately below said top most stage assembly, and:
- all intermediate stage assembly middle chamber lower cell fluid conduits connect to the bottom chamber upper cells of the stage assembly directly below said intermediate stage assembly, and:
- stage assemblies are spaced vertically at intervals less than the height of a said system fluid column with a base pressure equal to atmospheric pressure, and
- stage assemblies operate through a lift cycle and a transfer cycle, where:
- the lift cycle begins with said plate collectives at the bottom position with all said plates tight to the chamber bottom decks so that all upper cell volumes in all chambers are maximum and all lower cell volumes in all chambers are minimum, and:
- all upper cells in bottom chambers and fluid conduits are filled with fluid, and:
- said valves between middle chamber lower cells and bottom chamber upper cells are closed, and:
- all top chamber upper cells, middle chamber lower cells, and bottom chamber upper and lower cells are open to atmospheric pressure, and:
- all top chamber lower cell and middle chamber upper cell pressures are maintained at vacuum or zero pressure, and:
- all middle chamber lower cells are then switched to vacuum or zero pressure, and:
- the transfer cycle begins when said plate collectives are tight to the chamber upper decks, so that all upper cell volumes in all chambers are minimum and all lower cell volumes in all chambers are maximum, and:
- all lower cells in middle chambers are filled with fluid, and:
- all middle chamber lower cells are switched to atmospheric pressure, and:
- said valves in passages between bottom chamber upper cells and middle chamber bottom cells are opened, and:
- fluid is released from said detention vessel.