Patent Application
20130272905
This complete specification claims priority from the Indian patent application Nos. 2704/MUM/2010, 2799/MUM/2010, 404/MUM/2011, and 1377/MUM/2011.
This patent application is a further improvement of the inventions disclosed in the above mentioned patent applications.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein constitutes a single invention concept based on all above patent applications and included in this complete specification.
The disclosures of all these patent applications are incorporated as reference, for defining the scope of the present invention.
The present invention relates to a device for transferring energy between a driving fluid and a driven fluid with high efficiency and without contacting or mixing.
The device utilizes the energy of driving fluid to increase the pressure of the driven fluid in order to pump it. The driving fluid and driven fluid may be similar or dissimilar fluids.
The available prior art devices for increasing the pressure of fluids, such as—pumps or intensifies, are mostly powered by electric motors or fuel engines. The devices for pumping fluids which work without any fuel or electricity, such as—a hydraulic ram, use the energy of working fluid to pump the same fluid (generally water). However, these types of devices are unable to pump another fluid.
The prior art devices cannot pump large quantity of fluid available at lower heights by using the energy of small quantity high pressure fluid, e.g. by using small quantity water stored at heights in lakes/dams, large quantity water cannot be pumped, e.g. from river to the river bank with a high efficiency.
In the prior art devices, the pistons of different diameters housed in chambers/cylinders are connected by connecting rods to transfer energy from one fluid to the other, in order to increase the pressure.
Similarly, in diaphragm pumps, the diaphragms are interconnected by connecting rods passing through both the pumping chambers and a sealing is provided to avoid leakage of fluid from one of the chamber to the other. Such sealing arrangements or the like, need frequent maintenance and special lubrication system, because of which, these devices are less efficient and unsuitable for low, very low pressures and are thus expensive. Moreover, in operation of prior art devices, components like, piston, reciprocating assembly housing, pumping chambers, linking rod for connecting pistons or diaphragms, always come in contact with the working fluids, which causes contamination or mixing of fluids, which is unacceptable, particularly in pharmaceutical/chemical industry.
In the prior art devices, working fluids are not acting along the piston axis, causing loss of pressure or energy. Further, inlet and outlet pipes for fluid flow connected to these devices have abrupt openings and contractions, which also cause a loss of pressure or energy. Fluid driven hydraulic/pneumatic pumps transfer the energy of one of the fluid (e.g. air) to another fluid. However, none of the prior art devices teach or suggest a friction-free movement of reciprocating means for transferring energy of one working fluid to another with high efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,506, issued to John M. Simmons on Sep. 24, 1996 shows a pneumatically shifted reciprocating pump, actuated by air pressure, including reciprocating left and right bellows attached to fluid pumping pistons located in pumping chambers connected together by a connecting rod passing through both pumping chambers which needs special lubrication arrangement. [0009] This invention suggests use of Teflon or other soft material. Sealing or precise arrangement is needed for rod and its housing to avoid leakage, since connecting rod passes through pumping chambers at different pressure, this special arrangement increases cost of device and needs frequent maintenance. No means are provided for preventing ballooning, tilt and wobbling of bellows at high pressure. Bellows are connected to piston of same surface area, so intensification is impossible. The piston and connecting rods slidably move in the housing, causing friction and wear and tear.
Therefore, there was a long-felt need for a device to overcome these problems. As such, there is a need of a highly energy efficient and inexpensive device for transferring energy between the same or different fluids, without contacting or mixing with each other. The above problems and limitation of the prior art devices are successfully overcome by the present invention.
The invention is based on utilizing the potential (pressure) energy of one of the fluid to enable the pumping of another fluid with high pressure, i.e. the novel device utilizes the energy of the primary or driving fluid to increase the pressure of the secondary or driven fluid for pumping it with high efficiency, without contacting or mixing. However, these fluids may also be the same fluids.
A further object of the invention is to enable vertical and/or horizontal delivery of a driven fluid by optimally transferring the energy available in a driving fluid to the driven fluid.
A still further object of the present invention is to use the available line pressures as energy of a driving fluid by transferring at least a portion of the energy available in this driving fluid, to pump the same or a different fluid, which would have otherwise remained unutilized.
The device for transferring energy between a driving fluid and a driven fluid without contacting or mixing with each other, the device comprising: an elongate central body with a profiled cavity on either side having a respective fluid passage; a pair of composite outer bodies having a respective fluid IN/OUT passage for fluid communication with IN line and OUT line of one of the fluids via a flow diverter valve assembly; a pair of assembly of moveable chambers, each fixed on either side of said central body and disposed inside respective composite body; a plurality of guiding and connecting means passing through a respective inner annular end plate of said composite outer body for connecting and reciprocating said pair of assembly of moveable chambers in a friction minimizing manner and disposed on either side of said central body; in which said flow diverter valve assembly alternatively diverts the direction of reciprocating motion of said pair of assembly of moveable chambers by diverting the flow direction of one of said fluids by means of actuation or pulses received on reaching the respective end positions on either side of said central body; and flow directing valves for alternatively switching the flow direction of the other fluid from its IN line to respective moveable chamber and from respective moveable chamber to an OUT line via said fluid passages of said central body.
Typically, the composite outer body comprises: a cylindrical outer body with flanges extending outwardly at each end and having fasteners, and at least partially conical outer end plate connected via said respective fluid passage at either outer end to said IN line or OUT line and having a flange at respective inner end, which is fastened on a respective flange of said cylindrical outer body for fixing a partition to form a respective moveable chamber on either side of said central body; an inner annular end plate closing the operative inner end of the respective composite body and fixed with its inner circumference on the outer surface of said elongate central body, said inner annular plate having a plurality of apertures for fixing a plurality of bearing means for the passage of said guiding and connecting means through the same.
Typically, the respective composite outer body surrounds a cylindrical inner body having flanges extending outwardly at either end, and an outer pot-like rigid body having a flat closed outer end and an annular flange extending outwardly at inner end; a respective inner annular diaphragm being fixed at its outer circumference between an outer flange of said cylindrical shell and inner annular flange of said pot-like body by fasteners, said inner annular diaphragm being fixed at its inner circumference under a respective annular plate on said central elongate body by fasteners to form a respective inner moveable chamber; a circular diaphragm being fixed at its outer circumference as said partition between an outer flange of respective cylindrical body and said flange of respective partially conical outer end plate; said circular diaphragm being centrally supported and fixed under fixing plates by fasteners outside the base of said outer pot-like body to form a respective outer moveable chamber.
Typically, the moveable chambers being a pair of assembly of outer bellows and inner bellows, each of said bellows having a flat closed end and an open end, said flat closed ends abutting on either side of a flat circular partition; said pair of assembly of bellows enclosed within said composite outer body disposed on either sides and moveable in a friction minimizing manner; said open ends of outer bellows having an annular portion extending outwardly and fixed as said partition between said flange of respective conical outer end plate and outer flange of respective cylindrical outer body, to form a respective outer chamber; said inner bellows having a respective cylindrical open end extending parallel to the axis of said assembly and fastened on the external circumference of said central body by fasteners to form a respective inner chamber; said bellows being provided with disc-like reinforcing means at regular intervals, having anti friction means on outer circumference abutting the inner circumference of respective cylindrical inner body at one end and supporting said bellows at inner circumference; said guiding and connecting means being supported on said flat circular partition and passing through a plurality of apertures provided in said disc-like reinforcing means of inner bellows.
Typically, a rigid inner cylindrical shell being disposed and moveable inside respective outer composite body, by abutting its extended base having anti friction sealing means on its outer circumference at one end and forming a respective outer moveable chamber with said conical outer end plate; the other annular end of said cylindrical shell being supported and moveable on said central body in a friction minimizing and sealing manner and forming a respective inner moveable chamber.
Typically, the device comprising: a central body with profiled inner cavities on either side, being connected by a respective fluid passage to an IN line 2 via driving fluid IN line and an OUT line; a respective cylindrical outer body disposed on either side of said central body, said cylindrical outer body having flanges at both ends and closed at outer end by a respective outer annular plate fitted with cylindrical bodies having a profiled conical cavity, closed at inner ends by a respective inner annular plate, said inner annular plate being also fixed at its inner circumference on said central body; a pair of composite inner bodies disposed on either side of said central body, each composite inner body respectively having an inner pot-like rigid body and an outer cylindrical shell, said pot-like body having a flanged end open towards said cylindrical shell and its base towards said central body; said outer cylindrical shell having flanges on either side, the inner flange abutting the flange of said pot-like body for fixing an outer annular diaphragm by fasteners to form a respective outer moveable chamber with a profiled conical cavity of respective cylindrical bodies, and having an outwardly extending outer flange; a pair of bracket like bellow supporting cylinders, each fixed on respective inner annular end plate by plurality of fasteners for fixing and supporting an inner circular diaphragm at its circumference, the middle portion of said diaphragm being supported and fixed by fasteners under fixing plates outside the base of said pot-like rigid body to form a respective inner moveable chamber; guiding and connecting means passing through said inner annular end plates and supported on bearing means for imparting friction-minimized reciprocating movement to said pair of assembly of moveable chambers; wherein, the driving fluid is directly supplied via a flow diverter valve assembly into one of the inner moveable chambers, in order to reciprocate the moveable assembly in one of the longitudinal direction of said assembly, said flow diverter valve assembly diverting said flow to the other inner moveable chamber on receiving actuation or pulses from the said pair of assembly of movable chambers on reaching a respective end position of said reciprocating movement of said assembly; a directing valve alternatively directing the flow direction of the other fluid from its IN line via driven fluid IN line to respective chamber and chamber to an OUT line from said profiled outer conical cavity, in order to facilitate said reciprocating movement of said pair of assembly of chambers in a reversed direction.
Typically, the flow diverter valve assembly comprises: a pilot operated ball-type 4-way large orifice valve, and a pulse operated flow diverter assembly, wherein, the pilot pressure is controlled by said pulse operated flow diverter assembly by means of actuation or pulses received on reaching the respective end position of said reciprocating movement of said pair of assembly of moveable chambers.
Typically, the pilot operated ball type 4-way valve comprises: an IN port D; an exhaust port; an IN-OUT port A, B disposed on either side; pilot ports; said ball type 4-way large orifice having IN chambers; Exhaust chambers; a pair of ball assemblies, each ball assembly having a pair of balls, each pair of balls fixed on respective freely movable and centrally guided rods which are centrally supported by a respective spring, and passing through either end of a lever and fixed on a respective diaphragm at one of the ends which is fixed at the other end of said rods, sandwiching between two rigid fixing plates; ball seats; and said lever being pivoted about a pivot.
Typically, the pulse operated diverter assembly comprises: a pair of 3-way valves; a 4-port floating piston valve; and a pair of non-return valves, said 3-way valves being disposed on either of said 4-port floating piston valve, wherein each of said 3-way valves having an intermediate chamber connected to an IN port of said 4-way floating piston valve via an OUT port, a respective outer chamber axially disposed on either side of said intermediate chamber and connected via an exhaust port to a common exhaust port, a respective inner chamber axially connected to each other and to a common IN line via an IN port; and an axially moveable plunger with a profiled portion having a plunger tail, a middle body supported at one end by a spring fixed on it by a fixing disc and having a flange at its other end, and sealing means surrounding said profiled portion, further wherein said 4-port floating piston valve comprises a flat floating piston having axial cylindrical projections with sealing means, said piston reciprocating within a 4-port cylindrical chamber having two axial IN ports and two radial OUT ports; said IN ports alternatively connecting a common IN line via said respective 3-way valve to a pilot port of said pilot operated ball type 4-way valve via one of said OUT ports by positioning of said floating piston on either side of said 4-port cylindrical chamber at respective ends thereof.
Typically, the non-return valves comprises: three chambers formed by two partitions, a pilot port, an IN port and an OUT port, a poppet valve having a stem with a poppet fixed at one end and a diaphragm attached in the middle and fixed at the other end, both fixed by fasteners, said diaphragm biased by means of a spring for directing fluid flow in one direction to connect said pilot port to said IN port.
Typically, the flow diverter valve assembly comprises: a pilot operated ball-type 4-way valve, and a pulse operated flow diverter assembly having a pair of 3-way valves and a 5-port floating piston valve; said 3-way valves being disposed on two opposite sides of said 5-port floating piston valve, which comprises a floating piston with a circumferential groove in the middle, reciprocating within a 5-port cylindrical chamber having two axial IN ports and two radial OUT ports and an exhaust port and said exhaust port alternatively in fluid communication with one of the OUT port.
a shows an assembly of respective pair of bellows fixed on either side of disc 63a, 63b as shown in
b shows a detailed view of the reinforcing discs provided on the pair of bellows and disc 63a, 63b shown in
c shows a further detailed view of the anti-friction means 58 shown in
a shows schematic detailed view of fluid diverter valve assembly 15, in which the floating piston valve is a 5-port valve, which includes a circumferentially centrally grooved piston and an additional exhaust port connected to the groove on it.
a shows schematic view of the ball type 4-way large orifice valve for diverting fluid flow by pulse operated diverter valve assembly shown in
Another pair of composite inner bodies disposed on either side of said central body 44 each includes a respective pot-like rigid body 41, 42 having a closed end and a flange on one side and one cylindrical inner body 41a, 42a having outwardly extending flanges on both ends. A respective inner annular diaphragm 10a, 10b is fastened with its peripheral end by fasteners 22a, 22b between the respective outer pot-like body 41, 42 and inner cylindrical body 41a, 42a. The other inner circumferential end of the respective diaphragm is fixed on the annular face of said central body 44 by fasteners 23a, 23b pressed under the annular plate 24a, 24b. Therefore, a respective inner chamber is formed in conjunction with each conical cavity 37, 38 of central body 44 for containing a secondary or driven fluid volume. The respective combined volume of the moveable outer chambers and the moveable inner chambers is always constant. However, individual volumes of outer chambers can vary amongst themselves as per the reciprocating movement of the pair of assembly of moveable chambers. Similarly, the individual volumes of inner chambers can vary amongst themselves as per the reciprocating movement of the pair of assembly of moveable chambers.
a shows an enlarged view of an assembly of respective pair of bellows 52a, 54a; 52b, 54b fixed on either side of flat circular partition 63a, 63b shown in
b shows a detailed view of the reinforcing discs 56 with apertures provided on the pair of outer bellows 52a, 52b shown in
c shows a further detailed view of the roller bearings 58 shown in
a shows a typical fluid diverter valve assembly 15, which is similar in construction to the valve shown in
a shows schematic view of the ball type 4-way large orifice valve 27b for diverting driving fluid flow from one direction to the other by means of a pulse operated diverter valve assembly shown in
Following tables illustrate different numerals used in this invention and names of respective part for convenience.
The working of the invention will now be described with reference to the constructional features shown in the drawings as described above.
In
When, the primary or driving fluid enters through fluid IN/OUT passage 35 into the first outer moveable chamber, it initiates a rightward movement of this moveable chamber since, the conical outer end plate 60a and the central body 44 are fixed. The only way, by which this driving fluid entering the outer moveable chamber can be accommodated, is by increasing its volume, i.e. by the displacement of circular diaphragm 9a by moving the inner composite cylinder assembly towards right. By this rightward movement of the first outer moveable chamber, the volume of driven fluid (required to be continuously pumped with high efficiency by utilizing the energy of said driving fluid present in the outer moveable chamber) is continuously reduced in the first inner moveable chamber. This drives out the driven fluid from said first inner chamber through pipe 12, which is connected to a flow directing valve assembly comprising of four flow directing valves 80, 81, 82, 83 herein described and arrangement is such that when the four way valve 15 attains a second position, the fluid communications through passages 35, 36, 45, 46 changes input to output and output to input of fluids respectively. In fact, when the driving fluid is moving the first moveable chamber from left to right, said flow directing valve assembly causes the entry of the driven fluid into the second inner moveable chamber through the other IN/OUT passage 46, which further aids the movement of the pair of assembly of moveable chambers towards right, as shown in
The operation is similar for all the embodiments shown in
Now,
Accordingly, driving fluid entering via IN line 23 is forwarded via OUT port 19b of 3-way valve 25b and via IN port 33b of 4-port floating piston valve 27a and further via OUT port 9f to the ball type 4-way ball type large orifice valve 27b and also to one of the non-return valve 43c. This driving fluid reaching the pilot port 56b of said ball assembly disposed on the right side of said 4-way ball type large orifice valve 27b pushes the diaphragm 57b down, thereby closing the fluid communication of the IN line port D with IN-OUT port A and opens its fluid communication with the IN-OUT port B. Simultaneously, removal of pressure at pilot port 56a causes closing of the fluid communication of the IN line port D with the port A and opens the fluid communication of said port A with the exhaust port C, upward movement of one of the ball assembly due to IN line pressure also assists the downward movement of the other ball assembly by means of lever 61. Here, it is pertinent to mention that ports A and B are respectively connected to one of the fluid IN/OUT passages 35 and 36 on the conical outer end plates 60a, 60b are disposed either side of said central body 44.
IN line fluid pressure is also acting on non-return valves 43c, 43d. However, as shown in
Further, a 5-port floating piston valve 27ai is shown in
The flow diverter valve assembly operates in a reversed manner and the plunger of the other 3-way valve 25b is actuated, when said assembly of moveable chambers reaches the other end position of movement. In this manner, the driving fluid energy is continuously transferred for pumping the driven fluid.
The present invention device is having resemblance between it and electric transformer. In step up transformer high current, low voltage is converted into low current, high voltage and in step down transformer low current, high voltage is converted into high current, low voltage. While the present invention transfers energy of less quantity (volume), high pressure secondary fluid to large quantity (volume) primary fluid for increasing its pressure which is less than applied pressure, also transfers energy of large quantity, low pressure primary fluid to less quantity secondary fluid for increasing its pressure which is greater than applied pressure. In pumping, pressure of fluid pumped depends on volume and density ratios of respective fluids in outer and inner respective chamber.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the product, it will be appreciated that further alterations can be done and that many modifications can be done in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the present invention.
These and other changes in the preferred product in accordance with the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the present invention and not as a limitation thereof.
The potential (pressure) energy of one of the fluid can be utilized for pumping the same or different fluid with high pressure by increasing the pressure of the secondary or driven fluid with high efficiency, without contacting or mixing of the two fluids. A vertical and horizontal delivery of a driven fluid by means of the energy available in a driving fluid can be achieved with optimum energy utilization. The available line pressures energy of one fluid can be used to pump the same or a different fluid, which energy would have otherwise remained unutilized.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2704/MUM/2010 | Sep 2010 | IN | national |
| 2799/MUM/2010 | Oct 2010 | IN | national |
| 404/MUM/2011 | Feb 2011 | IN | national |
| 1377/MUM/2011 | May 2011 | IN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IN11/00598 | 9/2/2011 | WO | 00 | 7/9/2013 |
