Fluid displacement system

• US 6,042,342 A
• Filed: 10/02/1996
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TDI --Thermo Dynamics Israel Limited
• Original Assignee: TDI --Thermo Dynamics Israel Limited
• Inventors: Orian, Itamar
• Primary Examiner(s): Freay, Charles G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TYLER, CHERYL JACKSON
• Application Number:
  US08/725,321
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 417/92, 417/118, 417/207, 417/208, 60/369, 60/643, 60/682, 91/4 R
• US Class Current: 417/207
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 1/04 generated by vaporising and condensing
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 1/06 the fluid medium acting on the surface of the liquid to be pumped F04F1/02 takes precedence

Abstract

In a fluid displacement system having a pressure vessel, an expansion vessel, first and second tubes in fluid communication with the two vessels, and an energy source, fluid contained within the system is transferred from one vessel to the other by activating the energy source, which in turn generates pressure in the pressure vessel. The generated pressure in the pressure vessel, in turn, displaces the fluid in the expansion vessel, and the system advantageously has no moving parts.

Claims

1. A fluid displacement system comprising a pressure vessel, an expansion vessel, first and second tubes being each in flow communication with the two vessels, fluid contained within the system, and an energy source for generating pressure in said pressure vessel;

said first tube having a first opening within said pressure vessel, a second opening within said expansion vessel, and tube sections extending between said first and said second openings connected to one another by a first intermediate section;

said second tube having a third opening at a bottom portion of said pressure vessel and a fourth opening within said expansion vessel;

said first opening being above said third opening;

wherein at a rest stage of the system, prior to activating the energy source, the fluid level within the vessels exceed at least one of the first and second opening and at least one of the third and fourth opening.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the tube sections of the first tube extend downwards from the first and second openings and said first intermediate section is a lowermost section.

3. A combination system according to claim 2, wherein the fluid displacement system is a first fluid displacement system the combination system further comprising second and third fluid displacement systems, with the first fluid displacement system having a second intermediate section extend between said third and said fourth openings and the second intermediate section being below said first intermediate section so that said first fluid displacement system is a cyclic fluid pulse generator and a liquid pump, and the second and third fluid displacement systems have said second opening at a bottom of said expansion vessel and said fourth opening positioned above said second opening, wherein the second tube of the cyclic fluid pulse generator extends from a bottom portion of the pressure vessel and is connected via said second fluid displacement system, which serves as a first liquid flow rectifier, to a cooling device, which cooling device is connected in turn to a bottom portion of the expansion vessel of said cyclic fluid pulse generator and via said third fluid displacement system, which serves as a second liquid flow rectifier, to said pressure vessel of said cyclic fluid pulse generator.

4. A combination system according to claim 2, wherein said fluid displacement system is a first fluid displacement system, the combination system further comprising a second fluid displacement system, with the first fluid displacement system having a second intermediate section extending between said third and said fourth openings and the second intermediate section being below said first intermediate section so that said first displacement system forms a cyclic fluid pulse generator and a liquid pump, and the second fluid displacement system having said second opening at a bottom of said expansion vessel and said fourth opening positioned above said second opening so that said second displacement system forms a liquid flow rectifier.

5. A combination fluid displacement system according to claim 4, wherein the expansion vessel of the cyclic fluid pulse generator is in flow communication with the pressure vessel of the flow rectifier, allowing gas transfer only.

6. A combination fluid displacement system according to claim 4, wherein the second tube of the cyclic fluid pulse generator is in flow communication with a bottom portion of the pressure vessel of the flow rectifier.

7. A combination fluid displacement system according to claim 4, wherein the flow rectifier comprises an expansion chamber that forms an accumulator.

8. A system according to claim 2, wherein a second intermediate section extends between said third and said fourth openings, said second intermediate section being below said first intermediate section so that said system operates as a cyclic fluid pulse generator.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein during a working stage of the system the fluid level in the expansion vessel is higher than fluid level in the pressure vessel;

the difference in height being such that once liquid is cleared from said first tube to an extent to allow gas communication between the two vessels through the first tube, there is a pressure head sufficient to overcome flow losses in said second tube to allow flow of liquid therethrough up to a level equal to or above said first opening.

10. A system according to claim 8, said cyclic fluid pulse generator being a liquid pump, wherein the second tube of the system extends from a bottom portion of the pressure vessel and is connected via a first flow rectifying unit to a cooling device, which cooling device is connected in turn to a bottom portion of the expansion vessel and via a second flow rectifying unit to the pressure vessel.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein the cyclic fluid pulse generator operates as a liquid pump and said system is provided with a flow rectifying arrangement provided between said expansion vessel and said pressure vessel.

12. A liquid pump according to claim 11, wherein the flow rectifying arrangement consists of two check valves positioned in series with one another along a tube connected to the bottom portion of said pressure vessel.

13. A liquid pump according to claim 11, said liquid pump circulating a liquid between a liquid heating device and a liquid container.

14. A liquid pump according to claim 11, said liquid pump circulating a liquid in a heating system wherein the energy source is heat applied to the pressure vessel.

15. A liquid pump according to claim 11, said liquid pump circulating a cooling liquid agent of an engine, wherein heat emitted from the engine is used as the energy source.

16. A system according to claim 8, said system being operable as a self priming boiler wherein steam is provided to a steam operated system from the pressure vessel of the fluid pulse generator, there being provided a cold liquid source connected to the expansion vessel via a check valve allowing flow into the expansion vessel only.

17. A self priming boiler according to claim 16, wherein steam flows from the steam operated system, via a condenser into the cold liquid source.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein said energy source is a heat source arranged so as to heat the fluid within said pressure vessel.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein said energy source is a pressure source.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein said fluid is a liquid.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein the expansion vessel is sealed and comprises a fluid outlet connected to a cylinder with a piston reciprocally retained therein.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the piston is linked to a crank shaft for converting linear reciprocating motion of the piston into circular motion.

23. A system according to claim 21, wherein said expansion vessel further comprises a pressure reducing system for improving condensation of a vapor retained therein.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the expansion vessel further comprises a non-condensable gas.

25. A system according to claim 23, wherein the cooling system is a condenser.

26. A system according to claim 21, wherein the system operates as a compressor or a pump, wherein the piston sealingly divides the cylinder into a first and a second portion, said first portion being in flow communication with the expansion vessel and said second portion comprises a first check valve for fluid inlet and a second check valve for pressurized fluid outlet.

27. A system according to claims 2, wherein the energy source is a heat source extending through the pressure vessel, and the system further includes a cold source extending through the expansion vessel and a counting unit activated by an activator displaceable upon change in fluid level within the vessels, whereby the system acts as an energy meter to measure the heat exchange between the heat source and the cold source.

28. An energy meter according to claim 27, wherein the counting unit is associated with the expansion vessel and the activator is displaceable within the expansion vessel.

29. A system according to claim 27, wherein the actuator is a float member having a conductive portion for closing an electric circuit of the counting unit.

30. A system according to claim 27, wherein the actuator is a float member having an inductive portion for magnetically activating the counting unit.

31. A system according to claim 27, wherein the actuator is a float member adapted for mechanically activating said counting unit.

32. A system according to claim 1, wherein the vessels and the tubes are inverted whereby the first and second tubes each comprise tube sections extending upwardly from the first, second, third and fourth openings respectively, the respective tube sections being connected by uppermost intermediate sections;

wherein at the rest stage of the system, the fluid level within the vessels exceeds the second and the third opening.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein the system forms a gas flow rectifier.

34. A liquid displacing system according to claim 1, comprising a cyclic fluid pulse generator operable with a first liquid having a low boiling temperature;

and a flow rectifier operable with a second liquid having a high boiling temperature;

the fluid pulse generator being in flow communication with the flow rectifier via a first pipe connecting the expansion vessel of the fluid pulse generator with the pressure vessel of the flow rectifier; and

a second tube extending from a bottom portion at the pressure vessel of the flow rectifier into a heating unit, via a first heat exchanger within the pressure vessel of the fluid pulse generator, than via a second heat exchanger within the expansion vessel of the fluid pulse generator and returning into the expansion vessel of the flow rectifier, at a top portion thereof.

35. A liquid displacing system according to claim 34, wherein an accumulator is provided on the second tube.

36. A system according to claim 2, being a liquid flow rectifier, wherein said second opening is at the bottom of the expansion vessel and said fourth opening is positioned above said second opening.

37. A system according to claim 36, wherein the fourth opening is essentially at the same level as the first opening.

38. A fluid displacement system for displacing a fluid contained in the system, comprising:

a pressure vessel;

an expansion vessel;

a first tube connecting the pressure vessel and the expansion vessel, and having a first opening within the pressure vessel, a second opening within the expansion vessel and tube sections extending between the first and second openings connected to one another by a first intermediate section;

a second tube connecting the pressure vessel and the expansion vessel, and having a third opening at a bottom portion of the pressure vessel and a fourth opening within the expansion vessel, the first opening; and

an energy source for generating pressure vessel,

wherein at a rest stage of the system, prior to activating the energy source, the fluid level within the pressure vessel and the expansion vessel exceeds at least one of the first and second openings and at least one of the third and fourth openings, and if the expansion vessel is sealed, the energy source is a heat source.