Anyone Familiar with this Air Lift Pump Website?

[k0xxx]

Some years back I came across a web site about an air powered (air lift) water pump. Basically, water from a stream fell into a chamber, resulting in bubbles in the pool at the bottom of the chamber, that then traveled up a pipe and pushed water along as it went. At the other end of the pipe, the water would exit in spurts as the bubbles exited. It was very low flow and only had about 12 to 15 ft worth of lift, but you could repeat the process for additional lift. It had no moving parts, and nothing to break or wear out.

It was an elegantly simple designed that used no energy other than that of the bubbles created.

Below is a very simple diagram based on what I can remember. If anyone has come across the website and can tell me how to navigate back to it (or a similar one), I sure would appreciate it.

 

[SKR8PN]

It is called a water ram.

http://www.theramcompany.com/hydroram.html

Main page
http://www.theramcompany.com/

 

[k0xxx]

Thanks for the reply, but no, it's not a Ram Pump. A Ram pump uses the kinetic energy of flowing as the source of power. The page that I mentioned shows hot to use the bubbles to lift water slowly to a higher elevation. The bubbles flowing up the pipe push water as they rise.

The same general type of air lift (using the venturi effect)is used to move sand and silt in underwater archeological excavations.

 

[SKR8PN]

I have done a couple of google searches, and I see what your describing. I was amazed that the theory actually WORKS!!
No sign of any web sites though that have a lift pump that works WITHOUT an air pump of some sort.....

 

[patandchickens]

It seems to me you would have to be 'wasting' a significant amount of water (letting it drain out of the pool it's spilling into, to keep that level down), and if so then why not just use a ram pump in the first place?

Skeptical of the physics (for 12-15' lift height anyhow), but like you unable to find any definitive info online and I am sometimes surprised by physics so I dunno,

Pat

 

[k0xxx]

Thanks P&C, you made me remember one of the parts of the setup. The water drop drained off just above the part where the bubbles entered the pipe. that kept a constant level within the chamber (well ok, it was a plastic bucket lol). What the gentleman did, if I remember correctly, was divert a small portion of a small stream into the pump.

The reason to use a setup such as this instead of a ram pump, is that it worked with a much lower flow rate in the stream. It also pumped a lot less water, though. I have a small stream that I believe would be perfect for this, and I am going to have to try to get a test model working and report back.

The physics work and a variation, where the bubbles are pumped by a compressor, is used quite often for underwater archeology. In that application, sand and silt are removed with the water is pumped .