Submarine fluid transmission system and conduit therefor

Claim 1

A SUBMARINE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTING THROUGH A BODY OF WATER A LIQUID HAVING A DENSITY LESS THAN THE DENSITY OF SAID WATER, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF SPACED PUMPING UNITS SUBMERGED TO A GENERALLY UNIFORM DEPTH IN SAID WATER AND EACH INCLUDING A RIGID, PUMP HOUSING HAVING AN UPPER INLET AND A LOWER OUTLET, AND PUMPING MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING FOR PUMPING SAID LIQUID THROUGH SAID HOUSING FROM SAID INLET TO SAID OUTLET, A CONDUIT EXTENDING SUBMERGED THROUGH SAID BODY OF WATER FROM SAID OUTLET OF EACH PUMPING UNIT TO SAID INLET OF THE NEXT PUMPING UNIT, SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE WALL PORTION OF EACH SAID CONDUIT COMPRISING A RELATIVELY THIN, FLEXIBLE MEMBRANE CAPABLE OF REACTING FREELY TO THE INTERNAL LIQUID PRESSURE WITHIN SAID CONDUIT AND THE EXTERNAL WATER PRESSURE ON SAID CONDUIT, SAID OUTLET OF EACH SAID PUMPING UNIT BEING SUBMERGED TO A GIVEN DEPTH IN SAID WATER SUCH THAT THE TOTAL INTERNAL HEAD AT SAID OUTLET OF EACH PUMPING UNIT IS AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE EXTERNAL WATER PRESSURE AT THE RESPECTIVE OUTLET, AND MEANS ANCHORING EACH SAID PUMPING UNIT AND CONDUIT TO THE FLOOR OF SAID BODY OF WATER IN SUCH MANNER THAT EACH CONDUIT SLOPES UPWARDLY FROM THE OUTLET TO SAID INLET OF ITS RESPECTIVE ADJACENT PUMPING UNITS AT A GENERALLY UNIFORM ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL THROUGHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE RESPECTIVE CONDUIT AT A GRADIENT SUCH THAT THE SUM OF THE STATIC AND VELOCITY HEADS OF SAID LIQUID AT EACH ELEVATION ALONG THE RESPECTIVE CONDUIT BEYOND THE LOWER END THEREOF EXCEEDS THE EXTERNAL WATER PRESSURE AT THE CORRESPONDING ELEVATION BY AN AMOUNT AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE TOTAL FRICTION LOSS IN THE RESPECTIVE CONDUIT BETWEEN SAID LOWER END THEREOF AND THE RESPECTIVE ELEVATION.