Assembly and system for pumping a volume of fluid through a body of water

A system for pumping a volume of water from a source of water to a reservoir wherein the system comprises:

• a pipeline (30) in fluid connection with the source of water and the reservoir and wherein a portion of the pipeline (30) passes through a body of water;
• at least one vessel (10) disposed along and in fluid connection with the portion of the pipeline (30) passing through the body of water wherein the vessel (10) is floatable in the body of water and wherein air and water is extractible from and introducible into the vessel (10) and wherein the vessel (10) comprises:
• a shell (12) defining a volumetric space within the vessel (10) in which air is extractible from and introducible into;
• an opening (18) to allow air to be extracted from the vessel (10) to cause pressure in the vessel (10) to be lower than air pressure external to the vessel (10) to allow water to be drawn into the vessel (10) and air to be supplied into the vessel (10) to cause pressure in the vessel (10) to be higher than air pressure external to the vessel (10) to allow water to be expelled out of the vessel (10);
• a first valve (16a) to permit water to enter the vessel (10) when air is extracted from the vessel (10) and to restrict water from exiting the vessel (10) when air is introduced into the vessel (10);
• a second valve (16b) to restrict water from entering the vessel (10) when air is extracted from the vessel (10) and to permit water to exit the vessel (10) when air is introduced into the vessel (10);
• and
• a pump (20) to extract and introduce air from and into the vessel (10);
• wherein:
• the pump (20) pumps air into the vessel (10) to create high air pressure in the vessel (10) to cause water to be expelled out of the vessel (10) and pumps air out of the vessel (10) to cause water to be drawn into the vessel (10);
• and
• the vessel (10) sinks into the body of water as water enters the vessel (10) and rises within the body of water as water exits the vessel (10) to allow pressure differences caused by air being removed from the vessel (10) to draw water into the vessel (10) and air supplied into the vessel (10) to expel water from the vessel (10).

A system for pumping a volume of water from a source of water to a reservoir, comprising:

• a flexible pipeline (30) in fluid connection with the source of water and the reservoir and wherein a portion of the pipeline (30) passes through a body of water;
• a first vessel (80) disposed along and is in fluid connection with the portion of the pipeline (30) passing through the body of water and wherein the first vessel (80) is floatable in the body of water and further comprises a first entry valve (82) which permits entry of water into the first vessel (80) and a first exit valve (84) which permits exit of water out of the first vessel (80);
• a second vessel (90) disposed along and is in fluid connection with the portion of the pipeline (30) passing through the body of water and wherein the second vessel (90) is floatable in the body of water and further comprises a second entry valve (92) which permits entry of water into the second vessel (90) and a second exit valve (94) which permits exit of water out of the second vessel (90);
• and
• a pump (20) to transfer air from the first vessel (80) to the second vessel (90) or from the second vessel (90) to the first vessel (80);
• wherein:
• the pump (20) transfers air from the first vessel (80) into the second vessel (90) to cause pressure in the first vessel (80) to be lower than air pressure external to the first vessel (80) and cause pressure in the second vessel (90) to be higher than air pressure external to the second vessel (90) to cause water to be drawn into the first vessel (80) through the first entry valve (82) and water to be expelled from the second vessel (90) through the second exit valve (94);
• the pump (20) transfers air from the second vessel (90) into the first vessel (80) to cause pressure in the second vessel (90) to be lower than air pressure external to the second vessel (90) and cause pressure in the first vessel (80) to be higher than air pressure external to the first vessel (80) to cause water to be drawn into the second vessel (90) through the second entry valve (92) and water to be expelled from the first vessel (80) through the first exit valve (84);
• and
• the first vessel (80) sinks deeper into the body of water while the second vessel (90) rises within the body of water as water enters the first vessel (80) while exiting the second vessel (90) and the first vessel (80) rises within the body of water while the second vessel (90) sinks deeper into the body of water as water exits the first vessel (80) while entering the second vessel (90).