Claims
- 1. A method of pumping liquids comprising:
- establishing a bundle of at least two lift tubes of about the same length extending side by side and containing liquid to be raised, each tube having a diameter of less than about one inch;
- providing a pressure head to the bottom of said tubes by incorporating a submergence depth of liquid having a height less than 50% the height of said tube; and
- injecting a lifting gas through an orifice having a diameter of less than about one inch located at a position below said tubes at a distance of at least X as set forth in the equation: ##EQU6## wherein A=cross-sectional area of said tube bundle; and
- n=number of orifices uniformly distributed below said bundle
- to form gas bubbles over a uniform distribution of said tubes and to lift said liquid to the top of said tubes.
- 2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising recovering said lifting gas from raised liquid by collecting entrained liquid droplets on a demister and by condensing vapors of said liquid in a condenser.
- 3. A method as set forth in claim 2 further comprising recycling recovered gas to said injecting means.
- 4. A method as set forth in claim 3 further comprising adjusting gas flow rate through said orifice.
- 5. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said lift tubes have an inside diameter in the range of about 1.3 cm to about 1.7 cm.
- 6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said gas flow rate falls in the range of about 2.5 liters/minute-cm.sup.2 to about 12.0 liters/minute-cm.sup.2.
- 7. A method according to claim 4 wherein said gas flow rate falls in a range of from about 4 liters/minute-cm.sup.2 to about 8 liters/minute-cm.sup.2.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 492,211, filed May 6, 1983 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 208,708, filed Nov. 20, 1980.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
295906 |
Oct 1971 |
SUX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
492211 |
May 1983 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
208708 |
Nov 1980 |
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