US 4,373,867 AGranted

Pressure charged airlift pump

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy

InventorGene K. Campbell

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Abstract

A pumping system is described for pumping fluids, such as water with entrained mud and small rocks, out of underground cavities such as drilled wells, which can effectively remove fluids down to a level very close to the bottom of the cavity and which can operate solely by compressed air pumped down through the cavity. The system utilizes a subassembly having a pair of parallel conduit sections (44, 46) adapted to be connected onto the bottom of a drill string utilized for drilling the cavity, the drill string also having a pair of coaxially extending conduits. The subassembly includes an upper portion which has means for connection onto the drill string and terminates the first conduit of the drill string in a plenum (55). A compressed air-driven pump (62) is suspended from the upper portion. The pump sucks fluids from the bottom of the cavity and discharges them into the second conduit. Compressed air pumped down through the first conduit (46) to the plenum powers the compressed air-driven pump and aerates the fluid in the second conduit to lift it to the earth's surface.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A compressed gas operated pumping subassembly for attachment onto the end of a dual string drill pipe string having first and second parallel extending concentric conduits, said subassembly capable of removing water, mud and rock bits of moderate size from an underground cavity, said subassembly comprising:

(a) An upper portion having means for connecting the subassembly directly onto the end of the pipe string and extending said first and second conduits, terminating the end of said first conduit in a plenum;
(b) A compressed gas operated diaphragm pump suspended from said upper portion;
(c) A third conduit connecting the discharge of said pump with said second parallel extending conduit for fluid flow thereinto, said second and third conduits presenting essentially no obstruction to the flow of mud and rock bits of moderate size therethrough;
(d) A fourth conduit connecting said plenum to the pump operator for delivering pressurized gas thereto;
and
(e) Fifth conduit means connecting said plenum with said second parallel extending conduit whereby compressed gas delivered to said plenum through said first parallel extending conduit operates said pump and aerates the discharge from said pump in said second conduit thereby facilitating the flow of said discharge to the earth's surface.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.