# US 2014/0154099 A1 · Pumping system with energy recovery and reverse osmosis system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0154099 A1 - Document ID: US20140154099A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/693,762 - Filed: 2012-12-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Shyam SIVARAMAKRISHNAN; Todd Alan ANDERSON; Matthew David D'ARTENAY; Robert Bruce KINGSLEY - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154099A1 ## CPC - F04B 1/00: Multi-cylinder machines or pumps characterised by number or arrangement of cylinders (machines or pumps with pistons coacting within one cylinder F04B3/00) - F04B 5/02: with double-acting pistons - F04B 7/00: Piston machines or pumps characterised by having positively-driven valving - F04B 9/113: reciprocating movement of the pumping members being obtained by a double-acting liquid motor - F04B 17/00: Pumps characterised by combination with, or adaptation to, specific driving engines or motors - F04B 23/06: the pumps being all of reciprocating positive-displacement type - F04B 49/065: {and making use of computers} - F04B 53/14: Pistons, piston-rods or piston-rod connections - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract A liquid pumping system comprises a plurality of liquid pumps and a hydraulic drive unit. Each liquid pump is driven by a separate hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinders are powered by a shared hydraulic pump through a valve set. A valve set controller is configured to operate the valve set. A liquid pumping process comprises distributing an initial flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid between the hydraulic cylinders. The hydraulic cylinders move through a cycle in a phased relationship to provide a constant sum of flow rates from the liquid pumps. A membrane filtration system combines the liquid pumping system with a membrane unit. In a water treating process, feed water is pumped through the membrane unit. Brine from the membrane unit is returned to each liquid pump while that liquid pump is feeding water to the membrane unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid pumping system comprising, a) a plurality of liquid pumps; b) a plurality of hydraulic cylinders, wherein each liquid pump is connected to a different hydraulic cylinder; c) a valve set connected to the hydraulic cylinders; d) a hydraulic pump connected to the valve set; and, e) a valve set controller configured to operate the valve set to distribute a flow of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic pump between the hydraulic cylinders. ### Claim 2 The liquid pumping system wherein the valve set controller is configured such that the liquid pumps operate in a phased relationship to each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The liquid pumping system of claim 2 wherein the valve set controller is configured such that the total liquid flow produced from the liquid pumps is generally constant over a period of time in which the hydraulic pump produces a generally constant output. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid pumping system of claim 1 wherein each liquid pump comprises one or more pistons. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The liquid pumping system of claim 4 wherein the one or more pistons are adapted to pump liquid on both a forward and a return stroke. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The liquid pumping system of claim 5 wherein the one or more pistons are connected to a connecting rod, the connecting rod is connected to a piston rod and piston of one of the hydraulic cylinders, and the hydraulic cylinder further comprises a rod extending in an opposite direction from the piston rod, the rod having a larger cross sectional area than the piston rod. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid pumping system of claim 1 wherein the valve set comprises a proportional direction control valve associated with each hydraulic cylinder, the control valves being connected in parallel to the hydraulic pump. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The liquid pumping system of claim 1 wherein the valve set controller contains a memory containing a desired assembly sequence comprising a velocity profile for each water cylinder in a phased relationship. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The liquid pumping system of claim 1 further comprising sensors that are configured to provide information to the valve set controller regarding the position or velocity of the hydraulic cylinders. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A membrane filtration system comprising, a) a liquid pumping system according to claim 1; and, b) a membrane unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The membrane filtration system of claim 1 comprising a water circuit configured such that each liquid pump receives pressurized brine from the membrane unit while pumping water. ### Claim 12 A liquid pumping process comprising the steps of, a) providing an initial flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid; and, b) distributing the initial flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid between a plurality of hydraulic cylinders such that, over a period of time in which the initial flow is essentially constant, the sum of the distributed flows is also essentially constant but the hydraulic cylinders move in a phased relationship to each other, wherein each hydraulic cylinder drives a liquid pump. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 wherein step b) comprises operating one or more valves in a valve set in communication between the initial flow and the hydraulic cylinders. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein the one or more valves are connected in parallel to the initial flow. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A method of treating water comprising using the liquid pumping process of claim 12 to pump water to a membrane unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising a step of providing brine from the membrane unit to each liquid pump while that liquid pump is feeding water to the membrane unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the liquid pumps produce a generally constant flow of feed water to the membrane unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein the membrane unit is a reverse osmosis unit.