Airlift pump: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 17:42, 27 July 2009

An airlift pump is a simple pump which is powered by compressed air.

Principle

The only energy required is air. This air is usually compresed thanks to a compressor or a blower. The air is injected in the lower part of a pipe that transports a liquid. It usually bubbles into another larger diameter pipe. By gravitation, the air which has a lower density than the liquid, rises quickly. By inertie, the liquids is taken in the ascendant air flow and moves in the same direction of the air. The calculation of the speed of the liquid is made thanks to two-phase physics.

Utilization

Airlift pumps are often used in deep dirty wells where sand would quickly abrade mechanical parts. (The compressor is on the surface and no mechanical parts are needed in the well). However airlift wells must be much deeper than the water table to allow for submergence. Air is generally pumped at least as deep under the water as the water is to be lifted. (If the water table is 50 ft below, your air should be pumped 100 feet deep).

It is also sometimes used in part of the process on a wastewater treatment plant if a small head is required (typically around 1 foot head).

They can also be used in ponds and aquaculture to aerate and mix the water.

Inventor

The first airlift pump is considered to be invented by the german engineer Carl E. Loescher, who lived in the second part of the eighteenth century. He discovered the airlift pump in1797^[1].

Advantages and disadvantages

The following pargraph exposes the advantages and disadvantages of the airlift pump compared to other pumping techniques.

advantages

the very simple principle is a clear advantage. Only air with a higher pressure than the liquid is required.
the liquid is not in contact with any mechanical elements. Therefore, neither the pump can be abraded (which is important for sandwater wells), neither the contents in the pipe can be abraded (which is important for archeological research in the see)

disadvantages

cost: while in some specific case the operational cost can be interesting, most of the time, the quantity of air to compress is relatively high compared to the liquid flow required.^[2] · ^[3] · ^[4].
This pumping system is suitable only if the head is relatively low. If you want to obtain a high head, you have to chose a conventional pumping system.
Because of the principle, a lot of air reminds in the liquid. In certain case, this can be problematic, as, for example, in a waste water treatment plant, before an anaerobic basin.

Notes and references

External links

This fluid dynamics–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] rlift pump presentation by Geyser pump

[2] r quantity calculation Template:Pdf

[3] rlift basic calculation Template:Xls

[4] ts on the different approaches to calculate the air required

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{refimprove|date=March 2009}}
 An '''airlift pump''' is a simple [[pump]] which is powered by compressed [[air]].
+==Principle==
+The only energy required is air.
+This air is usually compresed thanks to a [[compressor]] or a [[blower]].
+The air is injected in the lower part of a pipe that transports a liquid. It usually bubbles into another larger diameter pipe. By [[gravitation]], the air which has a lower [[density]] than the liquid, rises quickly.
+By [[inertie]], the liquids is taken in the ascendant air flow and moves in the same direction of the air. The calculation of the speed of the liquid is made thanks to [[two-phase physics]].
 ==Utilization==
@@ Line 10: / Line 16: @@
 They can also be used in ponds and aquaculture to aerate and mix the water.
+==Inventor==
-==Method of Operation==
+The first airlift pump is considered to be invented by the german engineer Carl E. Loescher, who lived in the second part of the eighteenth century. He discovered the airlift pump in[[1797]]<ref>[http://www.geyserpump2.com/prod02.htm airlift pump presentation by Geyser pump]</ref>.
-Typically, the compressed air is pumped down a pipe into a well and bubbles into another larger diameter pipe.  The air bubbles return to the surface in the larger pipe. Since the resulting air-water mixture is less dense than the surrounding water, it rises and a fizzy spurting flow of air and water results.
+==Advantages and disadvantages==
-== See also ==
+The following pargraph exposes the advantages and disadvantages of the airlift pump compared to other pumping techniques.
+===advantages===
+* the very simple principle is a clear advantage. Only air with a higher pressure than the liquid is required.
+* the liquid is not in contact with any mechanical elements. Therefore, neither the pump can be [[abrasion|abraded]] (which is important for sandwater [[water well|well]]s), neither the contents in the pipe can be abraded (which is important for [[archeology|archeological]] research in the see)
+===disadvantages===
+* cost: while in some specific case the operational cost can be interesting, most of the time, the quantity of air to compress is relatively high compared to the liquid flow required.<ref>[http://www.sanitaire.com/pdf/Drawings/AirliftPumpDwg.pdf air quantity calculation] {{pdf}}</ref>{{,}}<ref>[http://www.airliftpump.com/airlift_basic_calculation.xls airlift basic calculation ]{{xls}}</ref>{{,}}<ref>[http://www.geyserpump.com/airlift.htm comments on the different approaches to calculate the air required]</ref>.
+* This pumping system is suitable only if the [[hydraulic head|head]] is relatively low. If you want to obtain a high head, you have to chose a conventional pumping system.
+* Because of the principle, a lot of air reminds in the liquid. In certain case, this can be problematic, as, for example, in a waste water treatment plant, before an anaerobic basin.
+==See also==
 * [[Airlift (dredging device)]]
 * [[Pipe network analysis]]
+==Notes and references==
+{{reflist}}
 ==External links==