Multi-pump system with system check

Abstract

Design solutions to mitigate the following four fatal flaws in the conventional pump system design; namely, (1) surprised pump-failure in single pump design that can result in costly water damage; (2) the threat of fatal high voltage electrocution accident in flooding situation; (3) grid power outage and no energy supply to support the needed pumping power that result in water damage; (4) stinky smell from the sitting foil water in the well after a period of low seeping rate with or without activated pumping. The principles described in the content disclosure, the proposed designs can completely mitigate the above four fatal design issues.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]Millions of houses in the United States of America are built with a basement. Many of these houses use a pump system that operates from a sunk well below the basement floor. Such a pump system is referred to as a “sunk” pump system. A sunk pump system operates to pump water that has leaked from outside (e.g., due to a high water table, flooding, or other forms of leakage) and that has thus gathered into the sunk well in the basement. The pumped water is channeled out back out of the house, thereby allowing the basement to stay dry.[0002]The typical existing sunk pump system is powered by a high voltage electrical grid to which the houses are connected. Such existing pumps often comprise a single pump that operates at a fixed pumping rate, and which has a capacity that meets the anticipated worst-case flooding conditions. The pump is typically activated by a “high” water level sensor to pump water in the sunk well to the outside. After activation, the pump is stopped ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a pump system that uses multiple smaller pumps to better match the natural seeping rate of water. This system reduces the risk of pump failure and the possibility of electrocution or power outage. It also stores solar energy to provide emergency power during grid power outage for a limited time period. Compared to conventional pump systems, the proposed design concept provides better matching of pumping rates to the seeping rate, reduces motor actions, and allows for higher pumping capacity.

Problems solved by technology

Statistically, when using the conventional pump system, the most frequent cause of the serious water damages is due to unexpected pump failures that lead to basement flooding.

Unexpected pump failure is the Akeley's heel of the conventional pump system which operates using a single pump.

The second most frequent cause of major water damage when using the conventional pump system is due to grid power outages.

But use of the conventional pump system also has other potential concerns, in addition to water damage.

For instance, there is a threat of high voltage electrocution when there is flooding.

This system reduces the severe consequences of pump failure, since redundant pumps now exist in case of failure of any given pump.

These events might include pump failure during normal operation, grid power outage and recovery, water influx rate exceeding the pump system's capacity, and so forth.

As a result, during the normal seeping rate, there is a periodic short pulsed start-then-stop pumping action that can shorten the motor's life and also waste a lot of electric energy.

Secondly, a single big pump is designed with no spare pumping capacity to handle a larger than designed maximum seeping rate.

Even if the seeping rate exceeds the pumping rate by just 10% for a short time; there may still be water damage.

Images