Controlled displacement sewage air lift station

Claim 2

An air lift station for receiving sewage from an inlet at a first level and for delivering said received sewage to an outlet at a second level at a higher elevation than said first level, by intermittently ejecting said received sewage toward said outlet in discrete ejection cycles with controlled blasts of pressurized air, said station comprising: a sewage receiver having means for communicating sewage to said receiver from said inlet, and means for communicating sewage from said receiver to said outlet; means for supplying pressurized air to said receiver at each ejection cycle, said air supplying means including: an air accumulator for storing air under pressure, a fluid path connecting said accumulator with said receiver, valve means in said fluid path for selectively opening said path during said ejection cycles and closing said path between said ejection cycles; an air compressor for supplying pressurized air to said accumulator, said compressor having an outlet connecting with said air accumulator; means for intermittently driving said compressor in discrete compression cycles, said driving means including an electric motor and selectively operable circuit means for connecting said motor to a source of electrical power; and means for controlling the injection of air to said receiver in a plurality of ejection cycles between each of said compression cycles so as to maximize the number of ejection cycles per each compression cycle, said control means including means for maintaining the quantity of air injected into said receiver approximately constant from cycle to cycle comprising: a. regulator means connected in said fluid line between said accumulator and said receiver, and b. timing means operable tO open said valve means for an interval that is approximately constant from cycle to cycle.

Claim 3

An air lift station according to claim 1 wherein: said regulator means is a pressure regulator effective to control the pressure of the air injected into said receiver in the same manner during each of said ejection cycles.

Claim 4

An air lift station according to claim 2 wherein: said pressure regulator means is effective to maintain a constant pressure of the injected air throughout each ejection cycle.

Claim 5

An air lift station according to claim 1 wherein: said regulator is a flow regulator effective to control the flow rate of the air into said receiver in the same manner during each of said ejection cycles.

Claim 6

An air lift station for receiving sewage from an inlet at a first level and for delivering said received sewage to an outlet at a second level at a higher elevation than said first level, by intermittently ejecting said received sewage toward said outlet in discrete ejection cycles with controlled blasts of pressurized air, said station comprising: a sewage receiver having means for communicating sewage to said receiver from said inlet, and means for communicating sewage from said receiver to said outlet; means for supplying pressurized air to said receiver at each ejection cycle, said air supplying means including: an air accumulator for storing air under pressure, a fluid path connecting said accumulator with said receiver, valve means in said fluid path for selectively opening said path during said ejection cycles and closing said path between said ejection cycles; an air compressor for supplying pressurized air to said accumulator, said compressor having an outlet connecting with said air accumulator; means for intermittently driving said compressor, said driving means including an electric motor and selectively operable circuit means for connecting said motor to a source of electrical power; means for controlling the injection of air to said receiver during each of said ejection cycles to maintain the quantity of the air injected into said receiver tank constant from cycle to cycle; a first pressure sensor in said accumulator for generating a first signal when the pressure in said accumulator falls below a predetermined minimum value; a second pressure sensor in said accumulator for generating a second signal when the pressure in said accumulator rises above a predetermined maximum value; said circuit means being operative to connect said motor in response to said first signal and to disconnect said motor in response to said second signal; and said control means including a pressure regulator for maintaining the air injected into said receiver at a pressure which is less than said predetermined minimum pressure of said accumulator but greater than the hydrostatic pressure at said receiver of sewage moving toward said outlet.

Claim 7

An air lift station for receiving sewage from an inlet at a first level and for delivering said received sewage to an outlet at a second level at a higher elevation than said first level, by intermittently ejecting said received sewage toward said outlet in discrete ejection cycles with controlled blasts of pressurized air, said station comprising: a sewage receiver having means for communicating sewage to said receiver from said inlet, and means for communicating sewage from said receiver to said outlet; means for supplying pressurized air to said receiver at each ejection cycle, said air supplying means including: an air accumulator for storing air under pressure, a fluid path connecting said accumulator with said receiver, valve means in said fluid path for selectively opening said path during said ejection cycles and closing said path between said ejection cycles; an air compressor for supplying pressurized air to said accumulator, said compressor having an outlet connecting with said air accumulator; means for intermittently driving said compressor, said driving means including an electric motor and selectively operable circuit means for connecting said motor to a source of electrical power; means for controlling the injection of air to said receiver during each of said ejection cycles to maintain the quantity of the air injected into said receiver tank constant from cycle to cycle; a first pressure sensor in said accumulator for generating a first signal when the pressure in said accumulator falls below a predetermined minimum value; a second pressure sensor in said accumulator for generating a second signal when the pressure in said accumulator rises above a predetermined maximum value; said circuit means being operative to connect said motor in response to said first signal and to disconnect said motor in response to said second signal; and said control means including a pressure regulator for maintaining the air injected into said receiver at a pressure which is less than said predetermined minimum pressure of said accumulator but greater than the hydrostatic pressure at said receiver of sewage moving toward said outlet.