air lift mud pump free sample

An airlift pump is a pump that has low suction and moderate discharge of liquid and entrained solids. The pump injects compressed air at the bottom of the discharge pipe which is immersed in the liquid. The compressed air mixes with the liquid causing the air-water mixture to be less dense than the rest of the liquid around it and therefore is displaced upwards through the discharge pipe by the surrounding liquid of higher density. Solids may be entrained in the flow and if small enough to fit through the pipe, will be discharged with the rest of the flow at a shallower depth or above the surface. Airlift pumps are widely used in aquaculture to pump, circulate and aerate water in closed, recirculating systems and ponds. Other applications include dredging, underwater archaeology, salvage operations and collection of scientific specimens.

The only energy required is provided by compressed air.compressor or a blower. The air is injected in the lower part of a pipe that transports a liquid. By buoyancy the air, which has a lower density than the liquid, rises quickly. By fluid pressure, the liquid is taken in the ascendant air flow and moves in the same direction as the air. The calculation of the volume flow of the liquid is possible thanks to the physics of two-phase flow.

Airlift pumps are often used in deep dirty wells where sand would quickly abrade mechanical parts. (The compressor is on the surface and no mechanical parts are needed in the well). However airlift wells must be much deeper than the water table to allow for submergence. Air is generally pumped at least as deep under the water as the water is to be lifted. (If the water table is 50 ft below, the air should be pumped 100 feet deep). It is also sometimes used in part of the process on a wastewater treatment plant if a small head is required (typically around 1 foot head).

The liquid is not in contact with any mechanical elements. Therefore, neither the pump can be abraded (which is important for sandwater wells), nor the contents in the pipe (which is important for archeological research in the sea).

Cost: while in some specific cases the operational cost can be manageable, most of the time the quantity of compressed air, and thus the energy required, is high compared to the liquid flow produced.

Conventional airlift pumps have a flow rate that is very limited. The pump is either on or off. It is very difficult to get a wide range of proportional flow control by varying the volume of compressed air. This is a dramatic disadvantage in some parts of a small wastewater treatment plant, such as the aerator.

this pumping system is suitable only if the head is relatively low. If one wants to obtain a high head, one has to choose a conventional pumping system.

because of the principle, air (oxygen) dissolves in the liquid. In certain cases, this can be problematic, as, for example, in a waste water treatment plant, before an anaerobic basin.

A recent (2007) variant called the "geyser pump" can pump with greater suction and less air. It also pumps proportionally to the air flow, permitting use in processes that require varying controlled flows. It arranges to store up the air, and release it in large bubbles that seal to the lift pipe, raising slugs of fluid.

"Airlift calculation by Sanitaire (pdf document)" (PDF). sanitaire.com. 2012-01-05. Archived from the original on 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2022-06-25.link)

Using compressed air is one such well development method. Most of today’s water well drill rigs come equipped with rotary screw air compressors. Reciprocating piston air compressors have been going by the wayside dating back to the mid-1980s.

“Once you know these (rotary screw air) compressors, they’re pretty simple,” says Garth Owens, president of Drill Tech Drilling & Pump Inc. in Chino Valley, Arizona. “It’s not rocket science, but it is a precision unit.”

With approximately 15 rotary screw air compressors (two piston booster compressors) on six drill rigs or as auxiliaries on 10 pump hoists, Owens has learned the mechanical intricacies of them. He has rebuilt the compressors, changed their gear sets, and replaced them on rigs while passing along his knowledge to others in the industry.

“A lot of guys who are drilling don’t even have the right air to develop a well and they’ll throw a pump down there and just try to pump out the mud,” says Garth’s son, Nick, the manager at Drill Tech. “It destroys pumps and you’re never getting that mud wall cake off the walls behind the gravel pack to really get what the well’s producing.”

“You can drill too big of a well to where the annulus is too big, and you can’t get through the gravel pack to get the walls clean. That’s a big problem. A lot of guys think the bigger the hole they go, the more gravel the better, which isn’t necessarily good because you can never get enough annular velocity to get through the gravel pack and get that mud cake off. So, you’ve got to step back and look at the big picture of your annulus to your casing size to your gravel pack.

Today’s standard rotary screw air compressor rating is at least 900 cfm or 1000 cfm/350 psi. Thirty years ago, the standard was 450 cfm/250 psi or 600 cfm/250 psi.

For example, a 750 cfm/125 psi compressor is half the compressor of a 750 cfm/250 psi compressor because the contractor is compressing the air twice as tight. Therefore, with a 750 cfm/350 psi compressor, the contractor is compressing the air an additional 50%.

To decrease the uphole velocity of 3000 feet per minute, some contractors use drill foam to clean the well at half the amount, 1500 feet per minute. “If you’re using foam and you’re filling that void, you’re taking half of that void away,” Garth Owens says. “You’re using half the air because you’re filling that void with an artificial substance. It’s going to foam up and blow out and then it’s going to evaporate and go away.”

The company conducts simultaneous swab-and-airlift with its double-swabbed development tool (see right photo) or uses high-velocity horizontal jetting.

The double-swabbed tool has perforations between the two swabs. Airlifting typically occurs through the drill pipe “from which the development swabs are suspended, so as the swabbing action brings suspended solids into the well, they are purged by the simultaneous airlift system,” writes Marvin F. Glotfelty, RG, in his book, The Art of Water Wells.

“The air comes out of the end of the drill pipe, comes up and hits that rubber swab which is the same diameter as the casing,” Garth Owens says, “and therefore all that air has to go out the perforations, blows into the gravel pack, spins that around in there, and cleans the gravel pack and cleans the borehole. Then the water comes up through the gravel pack and comes back to the perforations above your swab and comes out the top of the well.”

“We’ll actually create a vacuum and pull it between sections there,” Nick Owens says. “That’s why there’s a rubber swab above and below the holes. Typically, if you want to do an air swabber, you don’t need the rubbers because you’re just blowing it out through the perforated screen into the formation.”

The company’s high-velocity horizontal jetting tools allow it to adjust the amount of air it needs to push through them. “That way it’s blowing the air through the perforated screen, through the gravel pack, and then we’re trying to develop all that mud off there if it’s a mud hole,” Nick Owens says.

The company has an additional high-velocity jetting ball tool with approximately 20 holes each drilled to 3/16 inches around it. A high-pressure pump is used to pump freshwater down the well at 2000 psi.

“That will not only churn and turn that gravel, but it places that mud thinner all the way back to the borehole to knock off the wall cake,” Garth Owens says, “and once you’re done pressure jetting it, then you’ll come back and re-swab it and RC it all back out of there.”

Drill Tech, which had a backlog of approximately 100 wells and 30 pumps to install as of late July, stresses it all starts with the design of the well, drilling it correctly, using the right products, and not overusing polymers.

“If we’re RC drilling, we’ll mud up the top and then we’ll case the top off,” Nick Owens says. “There’s some wells out here where we live where the top 300 feet is all alluvium and there’s no water in it. We’ll mud those up, we’ll set a 300-foot surface casing, and we’ll RC drill the bottom out with just pure water because it’s just solid rock. So, we don’t use any product.

To drive home the importance of using the correct amount of product, Nick Owens recalls a large drilling company that installed two large municipal wells 10 years ago in central Arizona. It both drilled with and pumped too much polymer into the wells and was unable to get the polymer out. The wells produced 300 gpm.

“Most guys will just trip their drill pipe straight in, blow it straight up the hole, and they’re done,” he shares. “But you’ll get a lot more water out of your well, you’ll pump a lot less sand, and you’ll have a much better production well with a higher pumping level if you clean that formation out and get every bit of that mud that you put in back out again. The only way to do that is with pressure through the perforations.”

While drilling in July in California, Garth Owens also noticed large amounts of gravel being put into large diameter wells drilled using the mud rotary method. “They think that the bigger the hole is, the more gravel they put in, the better it is, which is not true. What they don’t get is the bigger the hole gets, the worse development job you can do.

“You design with maybe a 10 percent passing of sand,” he says, “and then you want to go down there and develop it until that 10 percent gets down to 0.5 percent or 0.25 percent. You want to airlift develop that until you’ve blown out everything, you’ve agitated it, washed out the gravel, washed off the wall cake, and then the ground itself and those fines come out of there.

“If you don’t do it right, you can spend three or four days pumping sand because the gravel is too coarse. You put in too coarse of a filter and the sand just keeps flowing. It takes forever, if it ever does stop. Too coarse of a sand and it’ll never stop.”

However, unlike with a reciprocating piston air compressor, Garth Owens cautions against closing the downhole valve, build maximum pressure, and jerk the valve open with a rotary screw air compressor.

“Because on a piston compressor, you just have a receiver tank that just holds air,” he says, “and you can pressure it up to 250 to 300 pounds and jerk the valve open and that big surge of air is what blows out silts and rocks when it won’t do it when steady drilling.

For years, automatic transmission fluid (ATF) was the standard for lubrication on compressors. Today, synthetic compressor oil is used because they must run at about 225 degrees to 275 degrees to vaporize the water as it sucks moisture out of the air when drilling. “It sucks all that moisture into it and it rusts up all the bearings and gears,” Garth Owens says, “so by turning the thermostat up so hot, it vaporizes and burns the condensation out of it.

“Typically, there’s three thousandths max tolerant in a screw compressor, so you really have to keep your air filters clean, your oil filters clean, and your oil good. When that tolerance starts to get loose, when you start getting a bearing wearing out or one of your screws starts wearing into the impeller of the compressor, when that tolerance starts to get loose at all, typically your oil temperatures skyrocket tremendously. It’ll run at 200 degrees for 10 years and then all of a sudden, you’re wondering why it’s running at 275 degrees and trying to cook the hoses off your rig.”

The first indication is typically losing a bearing when the oil temperature begins climbing with the tolerances getting loose. “You either have steel on steel friction, or the tolerance is so loose that after you’ve compressed this air and oil, it scoops up the air and oil and pushes it through the screw,” Garth Owens says.

“Because the tolerance is so loose, it squirts right back out of it and now you’ve built more friction, more heat, and it has to scoop it back up again. So as the screw compressor starts to go out, the volume of air starts dropping and the temperature of your oil starts increasing. Those are your first indications that when the oil temperature is coming up, you’ve got screw damage, and when your cfm of air goes down, you have damage.”

Marvin F. Glotfelty, RG, discusses various types of well development (including swab-and-airlift) and physical attributes of the well that will be impacted by the various development methods in an NGWA: Industry Connected video.

An air lift pumps are a device used to lift water from a well or a sump using compressed air. These pumps are also called mammoth pumps. Airlift pumps have been used since the early 20th century. The first airlift pump was invented in 1797 by German engineer Karl Emanuel Loscher. Air lift pumps are commonly found in agricultural land.

They are simple devices in which liquid enters from one end and a mixture of air and liquid discharge from the other end. Air is injected near the inlet. Almost without exceptions, the riser section of the airlift pumps has been a vertical pipe with a vertical cross-section.

Airlift pumps are typically used when maintenance needs to be kept to an absolute minimum. But this pump is not 100% maintenance-free because air is needed to deliver equipment to the pump that needs maintenance.

The air compressor is used to compress the air and supply the compressed air to the pipeline of air. Compressed air is usually produced by engine-driven air compressors, but windmill-driven air compressors are also used.

These pipes are used to lift water from the well. Using this pipe, the mixture of water and air rises. Both ends of the delivery pipes are open. The lower end of this pipe is immersed in water through which water is raised.

Compressed air is sent to the delivery pipes using this air pipeline. The upper end of this pipe is connected to the air compressor, while the bottom nozzle is fitted with an air nozzle.

In air lift pumps, compressed air is mixed with water. We know that the density of water is much higher than the density of air. By buoyancy, the air that has a lower density than liquid rises quickly. By fluid pressure, the liquid is taken into the flow of the ascending air and moves in the same direction as the air.

The air is fed into the bottom of the riser pump, and this air freezes in water and form. As air mixes in water, the density of water decreases because the density of air and the mixture of water is less than the density of water.

So the mixture of air and water, also called froth, is much lower in density than water. Hence the main principle of air lift pump is the density difference between air and water mixture and water.

The velocity of the fluid through the pump and the velocity through the medium. The greater the difference between the respective velocities of fluid and air, the lower the overall efficiency of the pump.

For these pumps, the air injector system is in the form of an air jacket in which several holes are radially drilled through the pipe, and the air is supplied to them from the surrounding manifold.

First, compressed air is transported from the air compressor to the air nozzle by the air compressor.The air duct is installed as required; it may be one or more. The air tip is located at the very bottom of the delivery pipe. The position of the delivery pipes is fixed in the well, and through this pipe, water is raised from the well.

When air enters the delivery pipes from the air nozzles, the air mixes with the water present in the delivery pipe. The density of the mixture of air and water will be very low if it is compared to the pure water present in the deep well.

The density of pure water is high, & the density of the air-water mixture is low, and due to this density difference, it would be possible that a small column of pure water would be able to balance the large column of air and water mixture and therefore From, the mixture of air & water will be discharged through the delivery pipe.

Another reason for water to rise is that the water in the distribution pipe is lighter than the water outside the distribution pipe. This discharge lasts as long as the supplies of compressed air continue through the air compressor.

An air pump is a device that uses the principles of gravity and inertia to move water by injecting a stream of compressed air into a pipe filled with a column of water.

An airlift pump is a pump that has low suction and moderate discharge of liquid and entrained solids. The pump injects compressed air into a pipe filled with a column of water.

The main advantage of the Husky double diaphragm air pump is that it can run dry for a limited time. A pump configuration in which the fluid source is located below the pump is called a pump stroke configuration. In other words, in a shock pump configuration, the pump draws from a fluid source located below the center line of the pump.

A major benefit of a Husky Air Operated Double Diaphragm pump is that it can run dry for a limited time. A pump layout in which the source of liquid is below the pump is called a suction lift configuration. In other words, in a suction lift configuration, a pump takes suction from a source of liquid located below the pump’s center line.

and then submerging the intake end (foot piece) into the seabed material. The seabed material starts to lift almost as soon as the low-density fluid in the discharge pipe rises. Experimentation is usually required to determine the volume of air necessary for maximum eiilciency. the air pressure supplied is relatively unimportant, but it must be at least greater than the pressure at the depth of water in which the excavation is being performed.

The air lift can be from 10 to 70 feet long, but it is inefficient in lengths of less than 30 feet. Although it can be used in shallow waters, it is better to use the underwater dredge, described in Section 2.6.3, in water depths less than 16 to 18 feet. The discharge end of the air lift should be kept as close to the surface as possible to avoid reducing efficiency.

The air lift has the disadvantage of discharging the lifted material relatively close to the intake point. This may result in some of the material settling back into the excavated area. The discharge should be positioned down current to allow the prevailing currents to carry the material away.

CAUTION Divers operating the air lift should use caution around the inlet to avoid the effect of suction and stay clear of the area under the discharge end where heavy objects are ejected.

Jetting is useful for moving seabed soils for the burial of cables and pipelines and for installing instrument tubes and structural piles. Jetting is done by supplying pressurized water from a pump mounted on a surface-support platform. A variety of jetting mandrels and nozzles can be used, depending on the work to be done and the flow characteristics desired, such as width of jet and jet velocity.

In the simplest form of jetting, vast quantities of mud, sand, or silt can be moved by directing a high-velocity water stream, through a jet nozzle, at the material to be moved. The diver using the jet will have to provide resistance to the back thrust from the jet nozzle. Commercial nozzles are available that have balancing jets that reduce or eliminate the back thrust (Figure 236). A pump with a flow rate of about 100 gpm and a discharge pressure of between 50 and 150 psi over bottom pressure is adequate for this type of jetting operation.

When there is a large mound of material to be moved, the diver should start at the top of the mound and wash it away, rather than starting at the base and digging a hole into it. A good procedure is to play the jet on to the objective in short, sharp bursts, in between raising the jet above the work area and directing it horizontally. In this way the disturbed material will be moved away from the area by water from the nozzle and the visibility will remain quite good in the work area. This type of jetting is efficient if there is a fairly strong current to carry the disturbed material away from the excavation area. The diver should be positioned upstream of the current.

• The first technique involves using large jets to erode and displace the seabed soil to leave an open trench. This method works well in many slightly or moderately consolidated cohesive soils (mud) as well as in some noncohesive (sandy) materials. The cable or pipeline to be buried is laid on the seafloor along the planned route. The jetted trench is then excavated either beneath or beside the cable or pipeline. The cable then either settles into place or is placed in the bottom of the trench.

sive) that have a flat natural slope (angle of repose). These conditions ordinarily would require removing large volumes of material. Many small jets are mounted on the leading edge of a plow-like stinger. The small jets erode and suspend the sand in front of the stinger. The cable to be buried is fed into the jetting area by a guide chute. The reduced density of the sandy soil allows the cable or pipeline to fall and become buried. The pump used for the fluid-ization jetting operation should have a flow rate of at least 500 gpm at a pressure of about 100 to 150 psi. See Sections 5.2 and 5.3 for more discussion of burial by jetting.

2.6.2.3 Structural Pile Installation. Jetting can be used for installing structural piles. Reinforced concrete piles may have a jet pipe built into the center of the pile. The water pump hose is connected to the top of the pile and the opening at the bottom of the pile tip serves as the nozzle. For all types of piles, a jet pipe is placed alongside the pile, with the tip of the pipe slightly below the bottom of the pile. The pile and jet pipe are lowered together as the jet displaces the soil below the pile. Usually the jet is removed before the pile reaches the specified penetration, and a hammer is used to drive the pile the final 5 feet or so to ensure that it has adequate bearing capacity. This method of pile installation is only effective in noncohesive (sandy) soils.

Underwater dredging is a useful technique for moving large quantities of soft seabed material where the water is too shallow for an air lift to be effective and where the material does not have to be lifted too far above the intake point. Figure 2-37 illustrates two underwater dredge arrangements. One system uses an eductor tube or pipe with a 30-degree bend near the intake end. At the center of the bend a water jet is connected. The water jet is aimed toward the discharge along the centerline of the main pipe. The jet moves the water in the pipe and creates a suction at the intake. The nozzle suction is created by the venturi principle and the height of the lift attained depends on the size of the pipe and the output of the pump. A 200-gpm pump with a 6-inch pipe will lift as high as 60 feet above the seabed. When operating only a few feet above die seabed this same system can move as much as 10 yd3 of loose gravel, mud, and sand per hour. Table 2-17 lists typical suction pipe, jet pipe, and pump sizes. Commercial eductor nozzles such as the gold dredge are listed in Appendix A.

Dredging is a process of excavation that uses specialized equipment—generally large suction pipes or dredges—to remove silt and other materials from the bottom of bodies of water. The material is usually deposited onto shorelines or near-shore areas to create new land or widen existing channels. The technology allows for the creation of new ports, harbors, and other waterways, as well as deepening or widening existing water channels. There are several different types of dredging vessels, each used for different purposes. Generally, the dredge will move along the bottom of the lake, river, or sea, using a combination of suction pumps, buckets, and conveyor belts to move sediment and other materials from the waterbed to a waiting barge or other transport. Different types of dredging vessels are used for different purposes, such as for mining, construction, reclamation, or even scientific research.

In some cases, the dredging process can involve pumping out the sediment from a body of water and then storing it elsewhere. This is often done to protect ecosystems or reduce the amount of sediment in the water. In other cases, the sediment is put back into the waterway, either in order to widen it or to create new land. In still other cases, the sediment is used to create artificial beaches or other forms of shoreline protection.

An airlift dredge is created by attaching a suction line to a dredge pipe and running it to a dredge pump. The dredge pump pulls water and sediment through the suction line, while air is injected into the suction line through air injectors. The air lifts the sediment and water up through the dredge pipe to the outlet of the dredge pump, where the sediment and water are discharged.

A scuba nozzle works by harnessing the power of the diver"s breath to create a powerful stream of water. When the diver exhales, the exhaled air is pushed out through a nozzle that is either mounted on the regulator or on the end of a diver"s mouthpiece. The pressure created by the exhaled air is then used to create a powerful stream of water that can be used to help the diver navigate the underwater environment.

Use a submersible pump: A submersible pump is designed to pump water, sludge, and sand under the surface of the water. It operates on the same principle as a standard garden pump and can be used to transfer sand from one area to another.

An underwater gold dredge works by sucking up sediment from the bottom of a river or other body of water and then running it through a system which separates the gold from the other materials. The dredge consists of a power-driven pump connected to a long suction hose. The suction hose is then placed at the bottom of the body of water and held in place by an anchor. The pump then draws sediment and water through the hose and into the dredge. The sediment-water mix then passes through a series of tubes and sluices which are designed to allow the heavier gold particles to be captured while the lighter materials are discarded. The gold particles are then separated from the other materials and collected while the remaining waste is discarded.

Airlift dredging is a non-mechanical method of dredging that uses compressed air to create a down-ward suction. The air is injected into a pipe, which is submerged in the water and the air pressure pushes the sediment up the pipe and onto a conveyor belt, where it can be collected and disposed of. This method is used to clean up ponds, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water.First, set up a submersible pump with a connecting pipe, and run it to the bottom of the waterway.

Attach the air pipe to a diaphragm pump. This will be used to pump air into the water below the platform, creating a bubble of air that will lift the platform up.

Start the air compressor and diaphragm pump to create an airlift. The bubble of air will cause the lifting force that is needed to raise the platform with the digging vessel attached.

Next, lower the suction head of the pump. This is the depth of water needed to lift the material through the suction hose or pipe. You"ll want to lower the suction head to the same depth as your forebay.

Suction pile installation typically involves a four-step process. First, a hole is bored into the seabed, usually with a jetting system, which uses a high-pressure jet of seawater to break up the seabed material. Then the suction piles are inserted into the hole to a predetermined depth. The piles are secured in place by the suction created by the installation pump, which pumps out water from the hole until the suction anchors the piles in place. Finally, the hole is backfilled with a grout material such as a concrete mix or a mix of sand and gravel.

To move underwater sand, you will need to use a device known as a sediment dredge. This device typically consists of a large suction pipe that is connected to a pump or tank. The pump or tank will then draw in the sediment and sand from the bottom of the water and will pump it into the desired location. This process is typically done by professional dredging services and can be done safely and efficiently to move undersea sand.

Air suction in a water line can be created by installing an air-injection system. This system uses a pump to inject air into the water line to create a vacuum, which pulls water through the line, causing the water to move faster and create suction. Additionally, you can increase suction by making sure that all the pipes in the system are clear of any obstructions or blockages, which can cause the water to be restricted and pressure to be lost.

A pump suction pipe works by using atmospheric pressure to draw liquid or gaseous substances into the suction pipe. The pressure within the suction pipe is lower than the atmospheric pressure, so a vacuum is created which draws the substance into the pipe. This vacuum is maintained by a check valve located at the bottom of the suction pipe, which prevents fluid from back flowing out of the pipe. The pump suction pipe also contains an inlet strainer to prevent any foreign objects from clogging the pump.

Gather the materials and supplies needed to build the underwater air lift. This includes PVC pipe, a long hose, several elbows, a siphon pump, a flexible pipe, several valves and water tanks.

Plan the route of the underwater air lift by plotting out the different locations of the pipes, valves and pumps on a map. Make sure to factor in any obstacles and curves in the air lift"s route.

Place water tanks at the air lift’s highest points and connect them to the air lift’s outlet using flexible pipe. This will help to increase the air lift’s efficiency and allow for a steady stream of water.

Test the air lift to make sure it is working properly. If necessary, make any final adjustments and then the underwater air lift will be ready for use.

A suction pile is a type of foundation used to support offshore structures, such as oil platforms. It works by creating a vacuum within the pile, causing the soil around it to become buoyant and lift up the structure. The vacuum is created by pumping air or water out of the bottom of the pile until the pressure within it is lower than the outside water pressure. This causes the soil to be forced up the sides of the pile and creates a suction force that holds the structure in place.

Air lift underwater is commonly used to remove material from a river bed in a dredging operation. The process involves using compressed air to create a stream of bubbles in a tube which lifts material from the river bed and brings it up to the surface.

To make an air lift underwater, you will need a length of pipe, a compressor or air pump, and a valve.Connect the pipe to the compressor or air pump, and place the pipe into the water at the desired location.

A high-pressure water jetting system with an engine-driven vacuum is the most effective suction for water jetting. This system uses powerful pumps to generate suction and pressure, allowing the user to quickly and safely remove debris from narrow pipes and hard-to-reach areas. By combining the pressure of the water jet with the suction of the vacuum, the system can effectively clear clogs and remove a variety of material, including grease, silt, roots, and other materials.

A suction pipe works by using the pressure differential between the intake side and the discharge side of the pipe. The pressure differential causes a vacuum effect, allowing liquid or gas to be pulled through the pipe by suction. This is enabled by creating a situation where there is a higher pressure on the intake side of the pipe than on the discharge side. This can be achieved through varying configurations of pumps, valves, and other components to control the pressure differential.

Underwater suction pipes work by using a vacuum pump or an eductor to create a suction, which pulls water and suspended particles into a pipe. The pipe is then connected to a vacuum tank, which holds the collected material until it is ready to be removed. The vacuum tank is typically connected to a truck or boat, which transports the material for disposal, recycling, or further processing.

By Clifford E. Jones – There is no reason to pay a lot of money for a water pump when this DIY airlift pump design will do all you want. The cost is very low. The materials list is for a 100-foot well; adjust this to meet your well depth.

To start, you will need to remove the well cap. If damaged, build or buy a new one. Keep the well clean. Put four holes in the well cap. (Illustration 1.) Two holes for vents, one for the 1 ¼” discharge pipe, and one for the ½ air pipe. Screen the vents.

The discharge pipe is 1 1/4” diameter, the air pipe is 1/2“ diameter. Use adhesive and two small stainless steel screws at each connection. Make the 1-1/4” pipe the same length as the well depth. Put the end furthest from the well through the hole you made in the well cap and have it protrude out past the well cap enough to reach over your barrel top. (See illustration 2).

Now put the 1-1/4” clamp on top of the well cap. This will eventually keep the pump from dropping down the well, so make it tight and be sure it won’t slip down the hole in the well cap. Next, make the ½” line. Starting at the bottom, put on two 90 degree elbows and a 30” piece of pipe and insert it up into the 1-1-4” pipe and clamp both pipes together (Illustration 3).

Now hook up the two elbows on the 1-1/4” pipe, putting a piece of pipe over to your barrel and a short piece to point down into the barrel. Don’t poke the end of the discharge pipe into the barrel. The air needs to escape.

What is happening here is air is pumped down the small pipe and released into the larger pipe forming bubbles which rise and capture the water and bring it to the top.

You may not have a large well and can get by with a ¾” discharge pipe and a 1/4” air line. Just don’t block the bottom of the large pipe with the small one. Leave room for the water to enter.

This article wouldn’t be complete without something on the air compressor. The main effort is to put some air down the small line that is only blocked by water. Any compressor capable of pumping up an auto tire will do. Air volume is more important than great pressure. I used an automobile air conditioner pump with great success but it did pump oil, and that isn’t good. Get yourself a good air compressor.

This airlift pump design may seem like a poor man’s pump, but there are some advantages over other pumps. It won’t freeze; you can do it yourself; any servicing is done at the compressor and not down the well; and if you just happen to live past the power company, you can still have the water and not cost you an arm and a leg.

Reverse circulation drilling was developed to allow for larger borehole drilling without limiting the factors of drilling fluid pump capacities. Rotary rigs designed for reverse circulation have larger-capacity mud pumps and air compressors to allow for increased pressures that are needed to ensure the removal of cuttings from large boreholes. These drill rigs are far larger than those used for domestic purposes.

Centrifugal mud pumps often are used instead of displacement because the cuttings will more easily circulate through a centrifugal-type pump than through a positive displacement pump.

Reverse circulation rotary drilling is a variant of the mud rotary method, in which drilling fluid flows from the mud pit down the borehole outside the drill rods and passes upward through the bit. Cuttings are carried into the drill rods and discharged back into the mud pit.

For reverse circulation rotary drilling, the drilling fluid can best be described as muddy water rather than drilling fluid; drilling fluid additives seldom are mixed with the water to make a viscous fluid. Suspended clay and silt that re-circulates with the fluid mostly are fine materials picked up from the formations as drilling proceeds. Occasionally, low concentrations of a polymeric drilling fluid additive are used to reduce friction, swelling of water-sensitive clays, and water loss. Because fewer drilling muds are used, no wall cake is created, and the stabilization by the borehole fluid is needed.

Often, to aid the upward movement of water through the drill string, air is injected, lifting the contents to the surface. Another reason to use air is the fact that the suction pump lift is limited in its capacity to create enough vacuum to start up the water movement after a rod change. When air lifting is used to assist in reverse mud drilling, this method becomes similar to the reverse air rotary method.

Advantages of Reverse Circulation Mud RotaryThe near-well area of the borehole is relatively undisturbed and uncontaminated with drilling additives, and the porosity and permeability of the formation remains close to its original hydrogeologic condition.

and then submerging the intake end (foot piece) into the seabed material. The seabed material starts to lift almost as soon as the low-density fluid in the discharge pipe rises. Experimentation is usually required to determine the volume of air necessary for maximum eiilciency. the air pressure supplied is relatively unimportant, but it must be at least greater than the pressure at the depth of water in which the excavation is being performed.

The air lift can be from 10 to 70 feet long, but it is inefficient in lengths of less than 30 feet. Although it can be used in shallow waters, it is better to use the underwater dredge, described in Section 2.6.3, in water depths less than 16 to 18 feet. The discharge end of the air lift should be kept as close to the surface as possible to avoid reducing efficiency.

The air lift has the disadvantage of discharging the lifted material relatively close to the intake point. This may result in some of the material settling back into the excavated area. The discharge should be positioned down current to allow the prevailing currents to carry the material away.

CAUTION Divers operating the air lift should use caution around the inlet to avoid the effect of suction and stay clear of the area under the discharge end where heavy objects are ejected.

Jetting is useful for moving seabed soils for the burial of cables and pipelines and for installing instrument tubes and structural piles. Jetting is done by supplying pressurized water from a pump mounted on a surface-support platform. A variety of jetting mandrels and nozzles can be used, depending on the work to be done and the flow characteristics desired, such as width of jet and jet velocity.

In the simplest form of jetting, vast quantities of mud, sand, or silt can be moved by directing a high-velocity water stream, through a jet nozzle, at the material to be moved. The diver using the jet will have to provide resistance to the back thrust from the jet nozzle. Commercial nozzles are available that have balancing jets that reduce or eliminate the back thrust (Figure 236). A pump with a flow rate of about 100 gpm and a discharge pressure of between 50 and 150 psi over bottom pressure is adequate for this type of jetting operation.

When there is a large mound of material to be moved, the diver should start at the top of the mound and wash it away, rather than starting at the base and digging a hole into it. A good procedure is to play the jet on to the objective in short, sharp bursts, in between raising the jet above the work area and directing it horizontally. In this way the disturbed material will be moved away from the area by water from the nozzle and the visibility will remain quite good in the work area. This type of jetting is efficient if there is a fairly strong current to carry the disturbed material away from the excavation area. The diver should be positioned upstream of the current.

• The first technique involves using large jets to erode and displace the seabed soil to leave an open trench. This method works well in many slightly or moderately consolidated cohesive soils (mud) as well as in some noncohesive (sandy) materials. The cable or pipeline to be buried is laid on the seafloor along the planned route. The jetted trench is then excavated either beneath or beside the cable or pipeline. The cable then either settles into place or is placed in the bottom of the trench.

sive) that have a flat natural slope (angle of repose). These conditions ordinarily would require removing large volumes of material. Many small jets are mounted on the leading edge of a plow-like stinger. The small jets erode and suspend the sand in front of the stinger. The cable to be buried is fed into the jetting area by a guide chute. The reduced density of the sandy soil allows the cable or pipeline to fall and become buried. The pump used for the fluid-ization jetting operation should have a flow rate of at least 500 gpm at a pressure of about 100 to 150 psi. See Sections 5.2 and 5.3 for more discussion of burial by jetting.

2.6.2.3 Structural Pile Installation. Jetting can be used for installing structural piles. Reinforced concrete piles may have a jet pipe built into the center of the pile. The water pump hose is connected to the top of the pile and the opening at the bottom of the pile tip serves as the nozzle. For all types of piles, a jet pipe is placed alongside the pile, with the tip of the pipe slightly below the bottom of the pile. The pile and jet pipe are lowered together as the jet displaces the soil below the pile. Usually the jet is removed before the pile reaches the specified penetration, and a hammer is used to drive the pile the final 5 feet or so to ensure that it has adequate bearing capacity. This method of pile installation is only effective in noncohesive (sandy) soils.

Underwater dredging is a useful technique for moving large quantities of soft seabed material where the water is too shallow for an air lift to be effective and where the material does not have to be lifted too far above the intake point. Figure 2-37 illustrates two underwater dredge arrangements. One system uses an eductor tube or pipe with a 30-degree bend near the intake end. At the center of the bend a water jet is connected. The water jet is aimed toward the discharge along the centerline of the main pipe. The jet moves the water in the pipe and creates a suction at the intake. The nozzle suction is created by the venturi principle and the height of the lift attained depends on the size of the pipe and the output of the pump. A 200-gpm pump with a 6-inch pipe will lift as high as 60 feet above the seabed. When operating only a few feet above die seabed this same system can move as much as 10 yd3 of loose gravel, mud, and sand per hour. Table 2-17 lists typical suction pipe, jet pipe, and pump sizes. Commercial eductor nozzles such as the gold dredge are listed in Appendix A.

Dredging is a process of excavation that uses specialized equipment—generally large suction pipes or dredges—to remove silt and other materials from the bottom of bodies of water. The material is usually deposited onto shorelines or near-shore areas to create new land or widen existing channels. The technology allows for the creation of new ports, harbors, and other waterways, as well as deepening or widening existing water channels. There are several different types of dredging vessels, each used for different purposes. Generally, the dredge will move along the bottom of the lake, river, or sea, using a combination of suction pumps, buckets, and conveyor belts to move sediment and other materials from the waterbed to a waiting barge or other transport. Different types of dredging vessels are used for different purposes, such as for mining, construction, reclamation, or even scientific research.

In some cases, the dredging process can involve pumping out the sediment from a body of water and then storing it elsewhere. This is often done to protect ecosystems or reduce the amount of sediment in the water. In other cases, the sediment is put back into the waterway, either in order to widen it or to create new land. In still other cases, the sediment is used to create artificial beaches or other forms of shoreline protection.

An airlift dredge is created by attaching a suction line to a dredge pipe and running it to a dredge pump. The dredge pump pulls water and sediment through the suction line, while air is injected into the suction line through air injectors. The air lifts the sediment and water up through the dredge pipe to the outlet of the dredge pump, where the sediment and water are discharged.

A scuba nozzle works by harnessing the power of the diver"s breath to create a powerful stream of water. When the diver exhales, the exhaled air is pushed out through a nozzle that is either mounted on the regulator or on the end of a diver"s mouthpiece. The pressure created by the exhaled air is then used to create a powerful stream of water that can be used to help the diver navigate the underwater environment.

Use a submersible pump: A submersible pump is designed to pump water, sludge, and sand under the surface of the water. It operates on the same principle as a standard garden pump and can be used to transfer sand from one area to another.

An underwater gold dredge works by sucking up sediment from the bottom of a river or other body of water and then running it through a system which separates the gold from the other materials. The dredge consists of a power-driven pump connected to a long suction hose. The suction hose is then placed at the bottom of the body of water and held in place by an anchor. The pump then draws sediment and water through the hose and into the dredge. The sediment-water mix then passes through a series of tubes and sluices which are designed to allow the heavier gold particles to be captured while the lighter materials are discarded. The gold particles are then separated from the other materials and collected while the remaining waste is discarded.

Airlift dredging is a non-mechanical method of dredging that uses compressed air to create a down-ward suction. The air is injected into a pipe, which is submerged in the water and the air pressure pushes the sediment up the pipe and onto a conveyor belt, where it can be collected and disposed of. This method is used to clean up ponds, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water.First, set up a submersible pump with a connecting pipe, and run it to the bottom of the waterway.

Attach the air pipe to a diaphragm pump. This will be used to pump air into the water below the platform, creating a bubble of air that will lift the platform up.

Start the air compressor and diaphragm pump to create an airlift. The bubble of air will cause the lifting force that is needed to raise the platform with the digging vessel attached.

Next, lower the suction head of the pump. This is the depth of water needed to lift the material through the suction hose or pipe. You"ll want to lower the suction head to the same depth as your forebay.

Suction pile installation typically involves a four-step process. First, a hole is bored into the seabed, usually with a jetting system, which uses a high-pressure jet of seawater to break up the seabed material. Then the suction piles are inserted into the hole to a predetermined depth. The piles are secured in place by the suction created by the installation pump, which pumps out water from the hole until the suction anchors the piles in place. Finally, the hole is backfilled with a grout material such as a concrete mix or a mix of sand and gravel.

To move underwater sand, you will need to use a device known as a sediment dredge. This device typically consists of a large suction pipe that is connected to a pump or tank. The pump or tank will then draw in the sediment and sand from the bottom of the water and will pump it into the desired location. This process is typically done by professional dredging services and can be done safely and efficiently to move undersea sand.

Air suction in a water line can be created by installing an air-injection system. This system uses a pump to inject air into the water line to create a vacuum, which pulls water through the line, causing the water to move faster and create suction. Additionally, you can increase suction by making sure that all the pipes in the system are clear of any obstructions or blockages, which can cause the water to be restricted and pressure to be lost.

A pump suction pipe works by using atmospheric pressure to draw liquid or gaseous substances into the suction pipe. The pressure within the suction pipe is lower than the atmospheric pressure, so a vacuum is created which draws the substance into the pipe. This vacuum is maintained by a check valve located at the bottom of the suction pipe, which prevents fluid from back flowing out of the pipe. The pump suction pipe also contains an inlet strainer to prevent any foreign objects from clogging the pump.

Gather the materials and supplies needed to build the underwater air lift. This includes PVC pipe, a long hose, several elbows, a siphon pump, a flexible pipe, several valves and water tanks.

Plan the route of the underwater air lift by plotting out the different locations of the pipes, valves and pumps on a map. Make sure to factor in any obstacles and curves in the air lift"s route.

Place water tanks at the air lift’s highest points and connect them to the air lift’s outlet using flexible pipe. This will help to increase the air lift’s efficiency and allow for a steady stream of water.

Test the air lift to make sure it is working properly. If necessary, make any final adjustments and then the underwater air lift will be ready for use.

A suction pile is a type of foundation used to support offshore structures, such as oil platforms. It works by creating a vacuum within the pile, causing the soil around it to become buoyant and lift up the structure. The vacuum is created by pumping air or water out of the bottom of the pile until the pressure within it is lower than the outside water pressure. This causes the soil to be forced up the sides of the pile and creates a suction force that holds the structure in place.

Air lift underwater is commonly used to remove material from a river bed in a dredging operation. The process involves using compressed air to create a stream of bubbles in a tube which lifts material from the river bed and brings it up to the surface.

To make an air lift underwater, you will need a length of pipe, a compressor or air pump, and a valve.Connect the pipe to the compressor or air pump, and place the pipe into the water at the desired location.

A high-pressure water jetting system with an engine-driven vacuum is the most effective suction for water jetting. This system uses powerful pumps to generate suction and pressure, allowing the user to quickly and safely remove debris from narrow pipes and hard-to-reach areas. By combining the pressure of the water jet with the suction of the vacuum, the system can effectively clear clogs and remove a variety of material, including grease, silt, roots, and other materials.

A suction pipe works by using the pressure differential between the intake side and the discharge side of the pipe. The pressure differential causes a vacuum effect, allowing liquid or gas to be pulled through the pipe by suction. This is enabled by creating a situation where there is a higher pressure on the intake side of the pipe than on the discharge side. This can be achieved through varying configurations of pumps, valves, and other components to control the pressure differential.

Underwater suction pipes work by using a vacuum pump or an eductor to create a suction, which pulls water and suspended particles into a pipe. The pipe is then connected to a vacuum tank, which holds the collected material until it is ready to be removed. The vacuum tank is typically connected to a truck or boat, which transports the material for disposal, recycling, or further processing.

Step 5. Raise the string of pipe gradually and continue rotating to backwash the entire surface of the screen. If possible, use a pump pressure of 100 psi.

This backwashing method is effective in removing caked drilling mud from the borehole wall. A disadvantage in military field operations is that this method requires a large supply of water. After covering the entire screen with the jetting tool, remove the tool. Remove the sand that has collected in the sand trap with a bailer. Repeat this process until the well stops producing sand. If a significant volume of material is removed during development, you should add more filter material around the screen to keep the top of the grovel pack above the top of the screen.

b. Pump-Surge Method. This backwashing technique involves alternately pumping water to the surface and letting the water run back into the well through the pump-column pipe. Use an airlift pump or a deep-well turbine pump without a foot valve. See Chapter 4 for discussions on pumps. Do not use the permanent well pump for development. Pumping sand could damage the pump. Use the following procedure for this method:

Step 1. Start the pump. As water comes to the surface, stop the pump to release the water. The power unit and starting equipment determine the starting and stopping action of the pump. The effect is to lower and raise the water level in the well intermittently through the screen openings. Periodically, pump the well to remove the sand brought in by surging.

c. Gravity-Outflow Method. Backwashing by gravity outflow involves pouring water into the well rapidly to produce outflow through the screen openings. Inflow through the screen is then produced by bailing water from the well rapidly. This is a slow surging technique requiring several minutes to complete a cycle. If the static water level is high enough to permit pumping by suction lift, you can use a small centrifugal pump instead of the bailer to speed up the work. If there is room in the well casing, connect the discharge side of the pump to a string of small diameter pipe that is lowered into the well. The water added is pumped down inside the screen, creating a turbulence that will help to develop the formation.

d. Pressure-Pumping Method. Occasionally, wells are backwashes by capping the casing and pumping water into the well under pressure. Water is forced outward through screen openings similar to the closed-well method of using compressed air for development (paragraph 7-1f(2)). Pressure pumping is an inefficient method because the desirable surging effect is difficult to produce. You must make sure to seal the casing tightly in the borehole and prevent water from being forced up around the outside of the casing.

Step 2. Start surging slowly and gradually increase the speed until the surge plunger rises and falls without slack. With a rotary rig, lift the plunger 3 or 4 feet before dropping it. When using the sand line, control movement by using the hoist brake and clutch.

Step 3. Continue surging for several minutes. Pull the plunger out of the well and lower the bailer or sand pump into the screen. When the bailer rests on the sand that has been pulled into the screen, check the depth of the sand by measuring on the sand line. Bail all the sand out of the screen.

f. Compressed-Air Methods. Compressed air provides rapid and effective development of wells, using an open- or closed-well method. You can use the standard 350-cfm compressor for developing most wells at a pressure of at least 100 psi. However, a higher pressure is preferable. The 250-cfm compressor will pump water by air lift from 100 to 150 GPM, depending on the submergence and size of the pipes you use. Table 7-2 shows the recommended sizes of pipe and air lines and the pumping rates you should use for various sizes of wells.

Figure 7-3 shows the proper method of placing the drop pipe and airline in the well. Use a hoist line to easily handle the drop pipe. Suspend the air pipe on the sand line. Fit a T at the top of the drop pipe with a short discharge pipe at the side outlet. Wrap a sack around the air line where it enters the drop pipe to keep water from spraying around the top of the well. Discharge from the compressed air tank to the well should be the same size as or one size larger than the airline in the well. Connect a quick-opening valve in the line near the tank. You need a pressure hose, 15 feet long (minimum), for moving the drop pipe and air line up and down.

Step 1. Lower the drop pipe to within 2 feet of the bottom of the screen. Place the air line inside the drop pipe with its lower end 1 foot or more above the bottom of the drop line.

Step 2. Let air enter into the airline and pump the well until the water appears to be free of sand. Start slowly. If all the water is suddenly removed, the casing may collapse in deeper wells, especially when using PVC pipe.

Step 4. Lower the air line until it is about 1 foot below the drop pipe. Open the quick-opening valve so the air in the tank can rush with great force into the well. A brief, forceful head of water will emerge or shoot from the casing and from the drop pipe.

Step 5. Pull the airline back into the drop pipe immediately after the first heavy load of air shoots into the well. Doing so will cause a revered of flow in the drop pipe that will effectively agitate the aquifer.

Step 8. Lift the drop pipe to a position 2 or 3 feet higher in the screen and follow the same procedure. This develops the entire length of the screen a few feet at a time.

Step 10. To complete the development process and thoroughly clean out any loose sand, pull the air line up into the drop pipe and use it as an air lift to pump the well.

(2) Closed-Well Method. With this method, you use compressed air to close the top of the well with a cap and arrange the equipment so air pressure can build up inside the casing to force water out through the screen openings (Figure 7-4).

Step 1. Arrange the equipment as in Figure 7-4, and turn the three-way valve to deliver air down the air line, preferably with the air cock open. This will pump water out of the well through the discharge pipe.

Step 3. Listen to the air escaping through the air cock as the water rises in the casing to determine stability. Close the air cock and turn the three-way valve to direct the air supply down the bypass to the top of the well, forcing the water out of the casing and back through the screen. This technique will agitate the sand and break down any bridging of the sand grains. When the water has been pushed to the bottom of the drop pipe, air escapes through the drop line. You can prevent air logging of the formation by keeping the drop pipe above the well screen.

Step 4. Cut off the air supply and reopen the air cock so the water can reach the correct static level when you hear the air escaping from the discharge pipe or when the pressure stops increasing.

7-2. Dispersion Treatment. Dispersing agents, mainly polyphosphates, when added to drilling fluid, backwashing, jetting water, or water standing in the well, counteract the tendency of mud to stick to sand grains. These agents are procured locally on an as-need basis. Baroid Industries produces Barafos, a white, granular, sodium tetraphosphate thinner and dispersant.

7-3. Rock Development. Use this method to develop wells in rock formations. You can obtain good results by combining jetting with air-lift pumping from a limited zone isolated by inflatable packers. The objective is always to wash out fine cuttings, silt, and clay that have worked into the fissures, crevices, or pores of the rock during the drilling operations. Openings that remain plugged reduce water flow into the well. Develop the well thoroughly to remove all obstructing material. When drilling through limestone formations, use acid to dissolve lime-like cementing material and to open up connections with joints or fissures beyond the borehole wall. However, such operations are rare in military well drilling.

Disinfecting the water used for drilling if you use a mud-based drilling fluid. If you use a synthetic drilling fluid, chlorinate the fluid. However, doing so will break down the fluid and reduce its life.

NOTE: Well casings should extend no more than 12 inches above the pump-house floor on a final-grade elevation and not less than 12 inches above the normal anticipated flood level.

The upper surface of this slab and its immediate surroundings should be gently sloping so water will drain away from the well. You should also place a drain around the outer edge of the slab and extend it to a discharge point that is far away from the well. A well with pipe casing should have a sanitary seal at the top that fills the space between the pump pipe and the well casing. This device consists of a bushing or packing gland that makes a watertight connection.