Liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system and method

Abstract

The application discloses a liquid-gas-liquid non-electric water lifting system and a water lifting method, and belongs to the technical field of non-pump water lifting. The system is sequentially connected with a three-stage annular gas-liquid entraining head, a gas-liquid two-phase vertical descending pipe, a pressure-bearing gas-liquid separator and a water-sealed tail water pipe along the water flow direction, and is also connected with a gas storage pressure stabilizing tank and a double-tank differential pressure water lifting mechanism. Air is entrained by the entraining head to form a gas-liquid two-phase flow by using the natural water flow difference, air is compressed in a near-isothermal manner in the vertical descending pipe by using the water column static pressure, after gas-liquid separation and water-sealed pressure maintaining, compressed air drives the double-tank to work alternately to press the low-position water body to a high position. The system does not need a motor and lubricating oil, the three-stage entraining head realizes efficient air suction and bubble breaking, and has strong adaptability to the sediment-laden water flow. Under the condition that the system drives water at 100 m3 / h and the water drop is 10 m, the system can realize a water lifting flow of 9-15 m3 / h under a 14 m lifting height, and is suitable for irrigation and drinking water lifting in non-electricity grid mountainous areas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pump-free hydraulic water lifting technology, and more specifically, to a liquid-gas-liquid non-electric water lifting system that utilizes natural water energy to achieve air compression and drive water lifting. Background Technology

[0002] In mountainous and hilly areas without power grid coverage, the need for water lifting for farmland irrigation and drinking water for people and livestock has been a long-standing issue. Traditional electric water pumping stations rely on the power grid for power supply, resulting in high construction costs and complex maintenance. While traditional water hammer pumps and other non-electric water lifting devices do not require electricity, they suffer from drawbacks such as limited head, small flow rate, strict requirements on water source drop, and easy damage to moving parts.

[0003] Existing hydraulic air compression technologies mostly employ single-stage Venturi tubes for air intake, which suffers from problems such as small intake volume, uneven bubble size, and bubbles easily rising and escaping, resulting in low air compression efficiency and making it difficult to achieve stable and efficient water lifting operations. Meanwhile, existing non-electric water lifting devices generally require lubrication maintenance, have complex structures, and poor adaptability to sandy water flows, making it difficult to operate maintenance-free for extended periods in natural streams and other outdoor environments.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new type of non-electric water lifting system that is simple in structure, requires no electricity or oil, is highly adaptable to sandy water flow, and has high water lifting efficiency, in order to meet the water lifting needs of areas without power grids. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a liquid-gas-liquid non-electric water lifting system. This system does not require a motor or lubricating oil, and can achieve continuous water lifting by relying solely on the energy of the drop of natural water flow. It also has the advantages of large air intake, uniform bubbles, high compression efficiency, and strong adaptability to sandy water flow.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A liquid-gas-liquid electroless water lifting system includes a three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head, a gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer, a pressurized gas-liquid separator, and a water-sealed tailpipe, connected sequentially along the water flow direction, as well as a gas storage and pressure stabilizing tank and a dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism. The three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head is connected to a driving water flow with a natural drop, entraining external air through the Venturi effect to form a gas-liquid two-phase flow. The upper end of the gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer is connected to the outlet of the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head, and the lower end is connected to the pressurized gas-liquid separator. During the vertical descent, the gas-liquid two-phase flow utilizes the hydrostatic pressure of the water column to continuously and nearly equalize the air flow. The system employs a temperature-controlled compression mechanism. The pressurized gas-liquid separator separates compressed air from water. The separated compressed air enters the top gas storage and stabilizing tank, while the separated water is discharged through a water-sealed tailpipe. The outlet height of the water-sealed tailpipe is lower than the liquid level inside the pressurized gas-liquid separator to maintain a constant working back pressure within the separator. The gas storage and stabilizing tank buffers pressure fluctuations and outputs compressed air at a stable pressure. The dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism is connected to the gas storage and stabilizing tank, using stabilizing compressed air to alternately pump low-level water to higher levels. The system operates continuously using only natural water power, without a motor or lubricating oil.

[0008] Furthermore, the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head is sequentially configured with a primary annular slit acceleration section, a secondary entrainment section, and a shearing and bubble equalization section along the axial direction. The primary annular slit acceleration section is equipped with annular narrow slits to accelerate the water flow into a high-speed continuous annular water curtain and form a stable low-pressure air intake zone. The secondary entrainment section is equipped with circumferentially distributed air replenishment holes to supplement and entrain air on the basis of preliminary gas-liquid mixing and increase the gas-liquid contact area. The shearing and bubble equalization section is equipped with a multi-layered staggered flow-blocking structure to shear and break larger air masses into small bubbles of uniform size, so that the bubbles move stably downward with the water flow and do not escape upward.

[0009] Furthermore, the air inlet of the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainer is equipped with an air filter and an air inlet check valve, and a replaceable wear-resistant bushing is provided at the annular seam. The lower part of the entrainer is equipped with a backwashing interface and a large particle bypass channel for anti-clogging and wear resistance under sandy water flow conditions.

[0010] Furthermore, within the vertical descending pipe of the gas-liquid two-phase system, the water pressure on the bubbles gradually increases with depth, and their volume gradually decreases. The heat generated during the compression process directly exchanges heat with the surrounding water, making the compression process close to isothermal compression, and the compression efficiency is higher than that of adiabatic compression.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0012] (1) Completely without electricity or oil: The system does not require motor drive or lubrication. It can work continuously by relying solely on the natural water flow drop. It is suitable for mountainous environments without power grid coverage and has extremely low operation and maintenance costs.

[0013] (2) High-efficiency near-isothermal compression: It utilizes the direct contact compression of gas and liquid phases, and the heat of compression is carried away by the water in time. The compression process is close to isothermal, and it has a higher energy conversion efficiency compared with traditional adiabatic compression.

[0014] (3) The three-stage entrainer has excellent performance: the three-stage annular structure realizes the functions of accelerating air intake, secondary entrainment, and shearing and breaking bubbles respectively. Compared with the single-stage Venturi tube, it has a larger air intake and more uniform bubbles, effectively preventing bubbles from floating and escaping, and significantly improving air compression efficiency.

[0015] (4) Strong adaptability: The clamping head is equipped with replaceable wear-resistant bushings, backwashing interfaces and large particle bypass, which has good adaptability to sandy water flow and can operate for a long time in natural streams and other sandy water conditions.

[0016] (5) Continuous and stable water output: The dual-tank alternating working mode, combined with the gas storage and pressure stabilizing tank, ensures stable water output pressure and flow rate, enabling near-continuous high-level water lifting. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the axial cross-sectional structure of the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainer of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the vertical downcomer for gas-liquid two-phase flow and the pressurized gas-liquid separator of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the water seal tailpipe and the gas storage and pressure stabilizing tank of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the dual-tank differential pressure water lifting mechanism of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the first working state of the dual-tank differential pressure water lifting mechanism of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the second working state of the dual-tank differential pressure water lifting mechanism of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] like Figure 1As shown, the liquid-gas-liquid non-electric water lifting system disclosed in this invention has an overall energy conversion process of "water energy → compressed air energy → high-level water flow", mainly including a three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head 1, a gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer 2, a pressurized gas-liquid separator 3, a water-sealed tailwater pipe 4, a gas storage and pressure stabilizing tank 5, and a dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism 6.

[0026] The driving water flow with natural drop enters from the upper part of the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head 1. As it passes through the annular narrow slit inside the entrainment head, the flow velocity increases, the local static pressure decreases, and outside air is drawn into the water flow through the filter and check valve. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head 1 is divided into three stages along the axial direction: the first stage is the annular slit acceleration section, which accelerates the water flow into a high-speed annular water curtain of 6~8m / s, with a total effective flow area of ​​3.5×10⁻³~4.6×10⁻³m², establishing a stable low-pressure air intake zone; the second stage is the secondary entrainment section, which supplements the entrained air through circumferential air replenishment holes, increasing the gas-liquid contact area; the third stage is the shearing and bubble equalization section, which shears the large air mass into small bubbles of uniform diameter through a multi-layered staggered flow-blocking structure, preventing the bubbles from floating and escaping, and making the bubbles evenly dispersed in the water flow.

[0027] A uniformly mixed gas-liquid two-phase flow enters the gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer 2 and moves vertically downwards along the pipe. As the depth increases, the water pressure on the bubbles gradually increases, and their volume is gradually compressed. Part of the potential energy lost by the descending water flow is converted into the pressure energy of the compressed air. Because the bubbles are always in direct contact with a large amount of water, the heat generated by compression is promptly transferred to the water. The entire compression process is close to isothermal compression, and the compression efficiency is significantly higher than conventional adiabatic compression. In this embodiment, the diameter of the gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer 2 is DN150, and the apparent flow velocity of the gas-liquid two-phase flow at the top of the pipe is approximately 2.2 m / s.

[0028] The compressed gas-liquid two-phase flow enters the lower pressurized gas-liquid separator 3. Because the separator diameter is expanded to 1.5 to 2 times that of the downcomer, the flow velocity decreases, and the less dense bubbles rise and converge at the top of the separator as compressed air, while the water remains in the lower part of the separator. Figure 4 As shown, the lower part of the pressurized gas-liquid separator 3 is connected to a water-sealed tailwater pipe 4, which extends to the tailwater outlet. The height difference between the tailwater outlet and the liquid level inside the separator is 22m, establishing and maintaining a stable working back pressure of approximately 0.20MPa(g) to prevent compressed air from escaping from the tailwater end. In this embodiment, the diameter of the water-sealed tailwater pipe 4 is DN200 to reduce water flow friction loss.

[0029] Compressed air from the top of the pressurized gas-liquid separator 3 enters the gas storage and stabilizing tank 5, which has a volume of 1.5~2.0m³. It is used to buffer pressure and flow fluctuations during the gas-liquid separation process and outputs compressed air with a stable pressure of about 0.20MPa(g) to the dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism 6.

[0030] like Figure 5 As shown, the dual-tank differential pressure water lifting mechanism 6 includes pressure tank A 61, pressure tank B 62, pneumatic reversing valve 63, inlet check valve assembly 64, and outlet check valve assembly 65. Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, during operation, compressed air alternately enters the two water tanks via reversing valve 63: when tank A 61 receives air, the pressure inside the tank increases, the inlet check valve closes, and the outlet check valve opens, pressurizing the water inside the tank to the high-level outlet pipe; simultaneously, tank B 62 is connected to exhaust air, the pressure inside the tank decreases, the outlet check valve closes, and the inlet check valve opens, allowing low-level water to enter tank B. When tank A is nearly empty and tank B is nearly full, the reversing valve automatically switches the air path, and the two tanks exchange operating states, thus achieving near-continuous high-level water lifting. In this embodiment, the total volume of a single pressure water tank is approximately 1.2 m³, and the effective drainage volume is approximately 1.0 m³. Under a total flow rate of 12 m³ / h, the system switches approximately every 5 minutes, and a single tank completes one working cycle in approximately 10 minutes.

[0031] Under the baseline conditions of a driving water flow rate of 100 m³ / h, a net head of 10 m, and a water seal height difference of 22 m, this system can generate approximately 0.20 MPa(g) of compressed air, with a free air production of approximately 40 m³ / h. At a total head of 14 m, the average water lifting flow rate is approximately 12 m³ / h, the daily water lifting capacity is approximately 287 m³, and the total liquid-gas-liquid energy conversion efficiency is approximately 16.7%. Considering fluctuations in the liquid-gas conversion efficiency, the actual water lifting flow rate ranges from 9 to 15 m³ / h, and the daily water lifting capacity is 220 to 350 m³.

[0032] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system and method, characterized in that, The system includes a three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainer, a gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer, a pressurized gas-liquid separator, and a water-sealed tailpipe, connected sequentially along the water flow direction, as well as a gas storage and pressure stabilizing tank and a dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism. The three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainer is connected to a driving water flow with a natural drop, entraining external air through the Venturi effect to form a gas-liquid two-phase flow. The upper end of the gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer is connected to the outlet of the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainer, and the lower end is connected to the pressurized gas-liquid separator. During the vertical descent, the gas-liquid two-phase flow utilizes the hydrostatic pressure of the water column to continuously compress the air in a near-isothermal manner. The compressed air-liquid separator is used to separate compressed air and water. The separated compressed air enters the top air storage and stabilizing tank, and the separated water is discharged through the water seal tailpipe. The outlet height of the water seal tailpipe is lower than the liquid level inside the pressurized air-liquid separator to maintain a constant working back pressure inside the pressurized air-liquid separator. The air storage and stabilizing tank is used to buffer pressure fluctuations and output compressed air with a stable pressure. The dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism is connected to the air storage and stabilizing tank and uses stabilizing compressed air to alternately pressurize and pump water from a low position to a high position. The system has no motor or lubricating oil and works continuously only by relying on natural water energy.

2. The liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head is sequentially configured along the axial direction with a primary annular slit acceleration section, a secondary entrainment section, and a shearing and bubble equalization section. The primary annular slit acceleration section is equipped with annular narrow slits to accelerate the water flow into a high-speed continuous annular water curtain and form a stable low-pressure air intake zone. The secondary entrainment section is equipped with circumferentially distributed air replenishment holes to supplement the entrained air and increase the gas-liquid contact area on the basis of preliminary gas-liquid mixing. The shearing and bubble equalization section is equipped with a multi-layered staggered flow-blocking structure to shear and break larger air masses into small bubbles of uniform size, so that the bubbles move stably downward with the water flow and do not escape upward.

3. The liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air inlet of the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainer is equipped with an air filter and an air inlet check valve. A replaceable wear-resistant bushing is provided at the annular seam. The lower part of the entrainer is equipped with a backwashing interface and a large particle bypass channel for anti-clogging and wear resistance under sandy water flow conditions.

4. The liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Inside the vertical descending pipe for gas and liquid phases, the water pressure on the bubbles gradually increases with depth, and their volume gradually decreases. The heat generated during the compression process is directly exchanged with the surrounding water. The compression process is close to isothermal compression, and the compression efficiency is higher than that of adiabatic compression.

5. The liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-sectional area of ​​the pressurized gas-liquid separator is larger than that of the vertical downcomer for both gas and liquid phases, which is used to reduce the flow rate and achieve natural gas-liquid separation. The height difference of the water seal tailpipe is designed to be 20~25m according to the target pressure, to maintain a stable working pressure of 0.18~0.22MPa(g) in the pressurized gas-liquid separator and prevent compressed air from leaking from the tailpipe end.

6. The liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas storage and pressure stabilizing tank has a volume of 1.5~2.0m³ and is connected in series between the pressurized gas-liquid separator and the dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism. It is used to buffer the pressure and flow fluctuations during the gas-liquid separation process and to provide a stable compressed air source for the dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism.

7. The liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dual-tank differential pressure lifting mechanism includes two symmetrically arranged sealed pressure water tanks, a mechanical or pneumatic reversing valve, an inlet check valve group, and an outlet check valve group. The reversing valve is automatically controlled by the liquid level signal inside the tank, alternately introducing compressed air into the two pressure water tanks or connecting to exhaust air. Each pressure water tank has an inlet and an outlet at its bottom, and an inlet check valve and an outlet check valve are installed accordingly.

8. The liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the dual-tank differential pressure water lifting mechanism is working, compressed air is introduced into the first pressure tank, increasing the pressure inside the tank. The inlet check valve closes, and the outlet check valve opens, allowing the water inside the tank to be pumped to the high-level outlet pipe by the compressed air. At the same time, the second pressure tank is connected to the exhaust system, reducing the pressure inside the tank. The outlet check valve closes, and the inlet check valve opens, allowing the low-level water source to enter the tank under atmospheric pressure. When the water level in the first tank drops to the lower limit and the water level in the second tank rises to the upper limit, the reversing valve automatically switches the air path, and the two tanks exchange their working states, achieving near-continuous water lifting.

9. The liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target jet velocity of the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainer is 6~8 m / s, and the total effective flow area of ​​the multiple rings is 3.5×10⁻³~4.6×10⁻³ m²; the diameter of the gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer is DN150, and the apparent flow velocity of the gas-liquid two-phase flow at the top of the pipe is about 2.2 m / s; the diameter of the water seal tailpipe is DN200; the total volume of a single pressure tank is about 1.2 m³, and the effective drainage volume is about 1.0 m³.

10. A liquid-gas-liquid electroless water extraction method, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: (1) The driving water flow with natural drop enters the three-stage annular gas-liquid entrainment head, and entrains the outside air through the Venturi effect. After acceleration through the annular gap, secondary entrainment and shearing, a uniform gas-liquid two-phase flow is formed; (2) The gas-liquid two-phase flow moves vertically downward along the gas-liquid two-phase vertical downcomer. As the depth increases, the static pressure of the water column is used to continuously compress the bubbles in a near-isothermal manner; (3) The compressed gas-liquid two-phase flow enters the pressurized gas-liquid separator. The flow velocity decreases to achieve natural gas-liquid separation. The separated compressed air enters the top gas storage and stabilizing tank. The separated water is discharged through the water seal tailpipe. The water seal tailpipe maintains a constant working back pressure in the pressurized gas-liquid separator; (4) The gas storage and stabilizing tank outputs compressed air with stable pressure to the dual-tank pressure differential water lifting mechanism. The reversing valve alternately introduces compressed air into the two pressure water tanks or connects to exhaust. The pressure difference in the tanks alternately pressurizes the low-level water to the high level.

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