| 摘要 |
A fluid pumping system includes a number of stages. Each stage has a fluid chamber having a top end with an air aperture and a bottom end with a fluid apertures. An air line is connected to the air aperture, and a fluid input conduit, with an input check valve, is connected to the fluid aperture. A float valve is disposed in the chamber directly between the fluid aperture and the air aperture. A fluid output conduit is connected to the fluid aperture above the input check valve. The float has a bottom end adapted to seal with the fluid aperture when the chamber is empty. A first set of pumping stages are supplied by a first compressed air line and a second set of pumping stages are supplied by a second compressed air line. Periodically, compressed air is supplied to a first set of pump stages to drive fluid from each of the first set of pump stages to a second set of stages, and vice versa. This cycle is repeated with the fluid alternating between the first and second sets of pumping stages until the fluid is recovered at a collection point. The compressed air can be cycled from one set of stages to the other based on time, a sensed activity in the well, a sensed volume of fluid being stored, a sensed air flow and/or any combination of the above. Additionally, a dual chamber mode of the invention is described. |
