US3336732A - Gas and air separator - Google Patents

Description

Aug 22, 1967 v A. P. CARROLL 3,336,732

GAS AND AIR SEPARATOR Filed Jan.

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United States Patent O 3,336,732 GAS AND AIR SEPARATOR Albert P. Carroll, 1630 Paloma Ave., Stockton, Calif. 95207 Filed Jan. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 521,085 1 Claim. (Cl. 55-201) This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 339,301, led Ian. 21, 1964 (now abandoned).

This invention relates to water pumping equipment, a-nd particularly to a gas and air separator adapted to depend from or form an extension of the suction pipe or manifold of a pump, and which pipe depends into a well tor deep sump from which the water is being pumped.

It frequently happens, from one cause or another, that such water contains a substantial amount of gas or air entrapped therein in bubble form and which, if drawn up with the water and into the pump, causes pump-lock or cavitation. This results in an inefficient operation of the pump, including reduced capacity and even at times a loss of the prime.

It is, therefore, the major object of this invention to eliminate the above objectionable feature and result by providing a novel separator, depending from the suction pipe of the pump and freely communicating therewith, which will cause gas or air in the water to be separated therefrom before entry into the suction pipe; and arranged so that such separated gas or air will ascend of itself to the surface of the water in the Well or other body of water outside the suction pipe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gas and air separator which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture, and installation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable gas and air separator and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

The gure on the drawing is a foreshortened sectional elevation of the preferred form of the improved gas and air separator.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the separator of the present invention comprises an elongated cylindrical pipe 1 adapted to depend from the suction pipe or manifold 2 of a turbine or centrifugal pump (not shown) in alinement with such manifold. The manifold 2 and pipe 1 at adjacent ends are detachably connected by anges 3 and 4, respectively, bolted together as shown.

The lower end of the pipe 1 is closed by a plate 5 connected to the pipe by bolts 6 extending through said plate and a flange 7 secured on'the pipe.

Projecting outwardly from and secured on the outside of the pipe 1 in vertically and preferably evenly spaced relation are upwardly facing separating receptacles or cups 8. These cups, of which there are a multiplicity, are of inverted, frusto-conical solid-walled form, and extend Circumferentially about the pipe 1; such cups having watertight connection at their lower ends with the outer face of the pipe.

The pipe 1, a short distance above the lower end of each cup, is provided with a circumferential row of relatively small metering holes 9 which establish communication between the interior of the pipe and the cups adjacent the lower ends thereof, and-in turnwith the well 10 in which the pipe 1 is disposed. The size of the cups 8 is such that the'area of each cup at its open upper end is many times greater than the combined area Iof all the related metering holes 9.

The entire vertical array of cups 8 is enclosed in a chamber 11 formed by a cylindrical shroud 12 concentric with the pipe 1 and spaced some distance outwardly from the cups; said shroud being provided throughout the major portion of its extent with a multiplicity of metering holes 13 and at its ends being closed with the pipe 1 by Circumferentially extending plates 14. The diameter of the separator as a whole is such that the cylindrical shroud 12 has considerable clearance from the well casing 1-5.

An air and gas vent 16 is formed in the upper closure plate 14; a relatively small pipe 17 being secured on the plate and projecting upwardly from about the vent (in clearance relation to the flanges 3 and 4) to a termination preferably above water level. The pipe 17 may be contoured as necessary to pass the normally larger sized pump bowl, without reduction of pipe area.

Circumferentially spaced stitfener bars 18 extend between and are rigidly secured to the flanges 4 and 7 just clear of the shroud 12; the end portions 19 of the Ibars 18 sloping laterally inward to connection with said flanges asshown, and said flanges being somewhat smaller in diameter .than the shroud. These bars 18 add mechanical strength to the separator unit and prevent the shroud 12 from possibly crowding against the side of the well; the sloping end portions 19 of said bars preventing the shroud at its ends from possibly hooking the well casing when fbeing lowered to or raised from working position.

In operation, water containing trapped gas or air (whether flowing downwardly from above or upwardly from below as the suctional action of the pump becomes effective in the pipe 1) surrounds the shroud 12 and passes through the metering holes 13. This assures that the velocity of the water being pulled to the pump is reduced to a -point such that substantially all entrapped gas or air passes upwardly while the water is in the chamber 11, and escapes through the vent 16 and pipe 17. Such control (Le. reduction) of the water velocity is further enhanced by the use of the inverted frustoconical cups Sand the associated metering holes 9; said cup and metering hole arrangement causing any gas and air (which may still be in the chamber 11 and flowing with the water into said cups) to also pass upwardly and escape a-s described.

The separator thus functions effectively to prevent initially entrapped gas or air from entering the pipe 1 and being drawn into the pump with the water.

If it is impractical to run the vent pipe 17 past the pump bowl because of limited space, the separation chamber 11 may be vented directly to the water through the top plate 14 with fairly good results, provided the vent 16 is shielded from directly falling water. Also, if the vent pipe 1,7 terminates below the surface of the water in the Well, the top of said pipe must be Shielded but, of course, not closed. This shielding of the vent pipe from above is necessary to prevent falling water from dropping directly t-hrough the vent as this would cause air or gas to be driven back down and -defeat the purpose of venting.

The volume of water being pumped and the cross sectional area of the well determine whether or not it is necessary to vent the shroud to the surface. In some cases, the vent pipe 17 may be terminated lower as above described. Generally speaking, however, the longer and larger in diameter the vent pipe (or equivalent vent) the more effective it becomes. The ideal venting condition is to have the vent terminate above water level.

It should here be noted that the velocity reducing shroud 12 itself may extend above water level so as to eliminate the need of a vent pipe, but this would =be more difficult and expensive to manufacture and install.

In installations where gas and air contamination of the water is less severe, the holes 13 possibly may be omitted, and the bottom of the velocity reducing shroud left open to admit the water.

In other instances, particularly when the diameter Of the well is small in relation to the amount of water to be pumped, the shroud 12 may ybe perforated as shown, and the bottom of the shroud left open. In this way, falling water would be drawn in through the holes 13, while water from any lower strata would in most part enter the velocity reducing shroud 12 from the bottom thereof. In either case, the gas and air separation would be enhanced by the provision of the cups 8 which form a shield to prevent direct lateral movement of gas or air bubbles between the shroud 12 and the pipe holes 9 and which would allow any stray bubbles to be drawn into the pipe 1 along with the water.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has ben produced such a gas and air separator as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the gas and air separator, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

A gas and air separator for the depending suction manifold of a water pump comprising a pipe adapted to |be connected to and depend from the manifold, said pipe being closed at its lower end and having Water-entry openings in the sidewall thereof, a cylindrical shroud surrounding the `pipe in clearance relation thereto and forming a chamber with which said openings communicate, said shroud having a top closure and water-entry openings below said closure, and a vent opening in said closure; the pipe being elongated, rigid anges Projecting outwardly from said pipe above and below the shroud, said anges being smaller in diameter than the shroud, and rigid circumferentially spaced stiening bars extending between and secured to the flanges and about the shroud; the end portions of the bars sloping laterally inward to the flanges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,604,019 10/1926 Carnes 103-203 2,104,339 1/1938 Arutunoff 10S-203 2,326,051 8/1943 Miller 55-199 2,721,620 10/1955 Geer et al 55-206 2,737,857 3/1956 Lee 55--199 FOREIGN PATENTS 508,475 6/ 1939 Great Britain.

REUBEN FRIEDMAN, Primary Examiner.

I. A. ADEE, Assistant Examiner.

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