US 4,741,673 A · Apparatus for and a method of transferring liquid

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring liquid between regions of a first and a second pressure comprising: a vessel, a dividing member in the vessel, the vessel and the dividing member being relatively movable to divide the vessel into separate variable volume chambers, a first pair of valves, one of which controls passage of liquid between a first of said chambers and said region of a first pressure, the other of which controls passage of liquid between a second of said chambers and said region of a first pressure, a second pair of valves, one of which controls passage of liquid between said first chamber and said region of a second pressure, the other of which controls passage of liquid between said second chamber and said region of a second pressure, operating means repeatedly to perform the following cycle of operations; close the valves of one of said pairs and open the valves of the other of said pairs, then move the dividing member to cause the volume of said first chamber to increase and the volume of said second chamber to decrease, then close the valves of the other of said pairs and open the valves of said one pair, and then move the dividing member to cause the volume of said first chamber to decrease and the volume of said second chamber to increase.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of transferring liquid between regions of first and second pressure comprising the steps of:

operating a first valve operating means to isolate first and second variable volume chambers from one of said regions and then place said chambers in communication with the other of said regions;
operating a first driving means to move a dividing member to cause liquid from said other region to enter into the first variable volume chamber and displacing, from the second variable volume chamber into said other region, liquid which has previously entered the second chamber from said one region;
operating a second valve operating means to isolate the chambers from said other region and then placing the chambers in communication with said one region and then operating a second driving means to move said dividing member to displace, from said first chamber into said one region, liquid which has previously entered said first chamber from said other region and cause liquid from said one region to enter into the second chamber.

An apparatus for transferring liquid between regions of a first and a second pressure comprising:

a region of said first pressure and a region of said second pressure;
a vessel;
a dividing member in the vessel, the vessel and the dividing member being relatively movable to divide the vessel into separate variable volume chambers;
a first pair of valves;
one of which controls passage of liquid along a conduit between the valve and a first of said chambers and along a conduit between the valve and said region of a first pressure;
the other of which controls passage of liquid along a conduit between the valve and a second of said chambers and along a conduit between the valve and said region of a first pressure;
a second pair of valves;
one of which controls passage of liquid along a conduit between the valve and said first chamber and along a conduit between the valve and said region of a second pressure;
the other of which controls passage of liquid along a conduit between the valve and said second chamber and along a conduit between the valve and said region of a second pressure;
operating means repeatedly to perform the following cycle of operations, and said means comprising;
a first valve operating means to close the valves of one of said pairs and open the valves of the other of said pairs;
a first driving means to then move the dividing member to cause the volume of said first chamber to increase and the volume of said second chamber to decrease;
a second valve operating means to then close the valves of the other of said pairs and open the valves of said one pair;
and
a second driving means to then move the dividing member to cause the volume of said first chamber to decrease and the volume of said second chamber to increase.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus for and a method of transferring liquid

Life of this patent

Apparatus for and a method of transferring liquid

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14