Downhole water pump and method of use

Claim 1

A system for pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a column pipe, comprising: pump means located in the borehole and having lower inlet means and upper outlet means, a column pipe coupled to said outlet means of said pump means and extending to the surface through the cased borehole for providing a flow path to the surface, a drive shaft coupled to said pump means for operating said pump means, said drive shaft extending to the surface through said column pipe, power means located at the surface for rotating said drive shaft, aperture means formed through the wall of said column pipe in the borehole relatively near said pump means for providing a flow path from said column pipe to the annulus between said column pipe and the cased wall of the borehole, an annular inflatable packer adapted to engage the cased wall of the borehole when inflated, located in the borehole between said inlet means of said pump means and said aperture means formed through said column pipe, means for use for inflating said packer, means for deflating said packer discharge means at the surface in fluid communication with said annulus and with said column pipe for discharging water from said annulus and from said column pipe.

Claim 2

A system for pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a column pipe, comprising: pump means located in the borehole and having lower inlet means and upper outlet means, a column pipe coupled to said outlet means of said pump means and extending to the surface through the cased borehole for providing a flow path to the surface, a drive shaft coupled to said pump means for operating said pump means, said drive shaft extending to the surface through said column pipe, power means located at the surface for rotating said drive shaft, aperture means formed through the wall of said column pipe in the borehole relatively near said pump means for providing a flow path from said column pipe to the annulus between said column pipe and the cased wall of the borehole, an annular inflatable packer adapted to engage the cased wall of the borehole when inflated, located in the borehole between said inlet means of said pump means and said aperture means formed through said column pipe, means for use for inflating said packer, means for deflating said packer discharge means at the surface in fluid communication with said annulus and with said column pipe for discharging water from said annulus and from said column pipe.

Claim 7

A method of increasing the efficiency of a borehole water pump system comprising a pump having an inlet and an outlet, a column pipe coupled to the outlet of said pump and extendable to the surface, and a drive shaft coupled to the pump and extendable to the surface through said column pipe, comprising the steps of: forming an opening through the wall of said column pipe near said pump, installing an inflatable packer around said borehole pump system between said inlet of said pump and said opening of said column pipe, locating said pump, inflatable packer, column pipe, and drive shaft in a cased borehole with said column pipe and drive shaft extending to the surface, inflating said packer to form a seal between said pump system and the wall of the borehole, with power means located at the surface, rotating said drive shaft to operate said pump to flow water up to the surface through said column pipe and through said opening formed through the wall of said column pipe into the annulus formed between said column pipe and the wall of said borehole, flowing water in said annulus upward to the surface, and at the surface discharging water from said column pipe and from said annulus.

Claim 8

A method of increasing the efficiency of a borehole water pump system comprising a pump having an inlet and an outlet, a column pipe coupled to the outlet of said pump and extendable to the surface, and a drive shaft coupled to the pump and extendable to the surface through said column pipe, comprising the steps of: forming an opening through the wall of said column pipe near said pump, installing an inflatable packer around said borehole pump system between said inlet of said pump and said opening of said column pipe, locating said pump, inflatable packer, column pipe, and drive shaft in a cased borehole with said column pipe and drive shaft extending to the surface, inflating said packer to form a seal between said pump system and the wall of the borehole, with power means located at the surface, rotating said drive shaft to operate said pump to flow water up to the surface through said column pipe and through said opening formed through the wall of said column pipe into the annulus formed between said column pipe and the wall of said borehole, flowing water in said annulus upward to the surface, and at the surface discharging water from said column pipe and from said annulus.

Claim 9

A method of increasing the efficiency of a water pump system located in a cased borehole, said water pump system comprising a pump located in said borehole and having a lower inlet and upper outlet, a column pipe coupled to said outlet and extending to the surface, and drive shaft coupled to said pump and extending to the surface through said column pipe, said method comprising the steps of: removing said column pipe, said drive shaft, and said pump from the borehole, forming an opening through the wall of said column pipe near said pump, installing an inflatable packer around said pump system between said inlet of said pump and said opening of said column pipe, locating said pump, inflatable packer, column pipe, and drive shaft in a cased borehole with said column pipe and drive shaft extending to the surface, inflating said packer to form a seal between said pump system and the wall of the borehole, with power means located at the surface, rotating said drive shaft to operate said pump to flow water upward to the surface through said column pipe and through said opening formed through the wall of said column pipe into the annulus formed between said column pipe and the wall of said borehole, flowing water in said annulus upward to the surface, and at the surface discharging water from said column pipe and from said annulus.

Claim 10

A method of increasing the efficiency of a water pump system located in a cased borehole, said water pump system comprising a pump located in said borehole and having a lower inlet and upper outlet, a column pipe coupled to said outlet and extending to the surface, and drive shaft coupled to said pump and extending to the surface through said column pipe, said method comprising the steps of: removing said column pipe, said drive shaft, and said pump from the borehole, forming an opening through the wall of said column pipe near said pump, installing an inflatable packer around said pump system between said inlet of said pump and said opening of said column pipe, locating said pump, inflatable packer, column pipe, and drive shaft in a cased borehole with said column pipe and drive shaft extending to the surface, inflating said packer to form a seal between said pump system and the wall of the borehole, with power means located at the surface, rotating said drive shaft to operate said pump to flow water upward to the surface through said column pipe and through said opening formed through the wall of said column pipe into the annulus formed between said column pipe and the wall of said borehole, flowing water in said annulus upward to the surface, and at the surface discharging water from said column pipe and from said annulus.

Claim 11

A system for pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a column pipe, comprising: pump means located in the borehole and having lower inlet means and upper outlet means, a column pipe coupled to said outlet means of said pump means and extending to the surface through the cased borehole for providing a flow path to the surface, said column pipe being spaced inward from the wall of said cased borehole defining an annulus between said column pipe and the wall of said cased borehole, means for operating said pump means, aperture means formed through the wall of said column pipe in the borehole relatively near said pump means for providing a flow path from said column pipe to the annulus between said column pipe and the wall of the cased borehole, annular packer means located in the borehole between said inlet means of said pump means and said aperture means formed through said column pipe for engaging the wall of the cased borehole, and discharge means at the surface in fluid communication with said annulus and with said column pipe for discharging water from said annulus and from said column pipe.

Claim 12

A system for pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a column pipe, comprising: pump means located in the borehole and having lower inlet means and upper outlet means, a column pipe coupled to said outlet means of said pump means and extending to the surface through the cased borehole for providing a flow path to the surface, said column pipe being spaced inward from the wall of said cased borehole defining an annulus between said column pipe and the wall of said cased borehole, means for operating said pump means, aperture means formed through the wall of said column pipe in the borehole relatively near said pump means for providing a flow path from said column pipe to the annulus between said column pipe and the wall of the cased borehole, annular packer means located in the borehole between said inlet means of said pump means and said aperture means formed through said column pipe for engaging the wall of the cased borehole, and discharge means at the surface in fluid communication with said annulus and with said column pipe for discharging water from said annulus and from said column pipe.

Claim 14

A method of pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a column pipe wherein said column pipe extends from the surface through the borehole to a lower level and has a pump coupled to its lower end with apertures formed through said column pipe near said pump, said pump having a lower inlet and an upper outlet, said method comprising the steps of: forming a seal between said column pipe and the wall of the cased borehole at a level between said apertures formed through said column pipe and said inlet of said pump, operating said pump to pump water, in the borehole, from said inlet to said outlet of said pump, flowing water to the surface through said column pipe, flowing water through said apertures into the annulus between said column pipe and the wall of the cased borehole and to the surface by way of said annulus, and at the surface discharging water from said column pipe and from said annulus.

Claim 15

A method of pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a column pipe wherein said column pipe extends from the surface through the borehole to a lower level and has a pump coupled to its lower end with apertures formed through said column pipe near said pump, said pump having a lower inlet and an upper outlet, said method comprising the steps of: forming a seal between said column pipe and the wall of the cased borehole at a level between said apertures formed through said column pipe and said inlet of said pump, operating said pump to pump water, in the borehole, from said inlet to said outlet of said pump, flowing water to the surface through said column pipe, flowing water through said apertures into the annulus between said column pipe and the wall of the cased borehole and to the surface by way of said annulus, and at the surface discharging water from said column pipe and from said annulus.

Claim 16

A system for pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a pipe means located within the cased borehole, comprising: pump means located in the borehole and having lower inlet means and upper outlet means, a pipe means coupled to said outlet means of said pump means and extending to the surface through the cased borehole for providing a flow path to the surface, said pipe means being spaced inward from the wall of said cased borehole defining an annulus between said pipe means and the wall of said cased borehole, means for operating said pump means, aperture means formed through said pipe means in the borehole relatively near said pump means for providing a flow path from said pipe means to the annulus between said pipe means and the wall of the cased borehole, annular packer means located in the borehole between said inlet means of said pump means and said aperture means formed through said pipe means for engaging the wall of the cased borehole, and discharge means at the surface in fluid communication with said annulus and with said pipe means for discharging water from said annulus and from said pipe means.

Claim 17

A system for pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a pipe means located within the cased borehole, comprising: pump means located in the borehole and having lower inlet means and upper outlet means, a pipe means coupled to said outlet means of said pump means and extending to the surface through the cased borehole for providing a flow path to the surface, said pipe means being spaced inward from the wall of said cased borehole defining an annulus between said pipe means and the wall of said cased borehole, means for operating said pump means, aperture means formed through said pipe means in the borehole relatively near said pump means for providing a flow path from said pipe means to the annulus between said pipe means and the wall of the cased borehole, annular packer means located in the borehole between said inlet means of said pump means and said aperture means formed through said pipe means for engaging the wall of the cased borehole, and discharge means at the surface in fluid communication with said annulus and with said pipe means for discharging water from said annulus and from said pipe means.

Claim 19

A method of pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a pipe means wherein said pipe means extends from the surface through the borehole to a lower level and has a pump means coupled to its lower end with aperture means formed through said pipe means near said pump means, said pump means having a lower inlet means and an upper outlet means, said method comprising the steps of: forming a seal between said pipe means and the wall of the cased borehole at a level between said aperture means formed through said pipe means and said inlet means of said pump means, operating said pump means to pump water, in the borehole, from said inlet means to said outlet means of said pump means, flowing water to the surface through said pipe means, flowing water through said aperture means into the annulus between said pipe means and the wall of the cased borehole and to the surface by way of said annulus, and at the surface discharging water from said pipe means and from said annulus.

Claim 20

A method of pumping water from sub-surface formations to the surface through a cased borehole and a pipe means wherein said pipe means extends from the surface through the borehole to a lower level and has a pump means coupled to its lower end with aperture means formed through said pipe means near said pump means, said pump means having a lower inlet means and an upper outlet means, said method comprising the steps of: forming a seal between said pipe means and the wall of the cased borehole at a level between said aperture means formed through said pipe means and said inlet means of said pump means, operating said pump means to pump water, in the borehole, from said inlet means to said outlet means of said pump means, flowing water to the surface through said pipe means, flowing water through said aperture means into the annulus between said pipe means and the wall of the cased borehole and to the surface by way of said annulus, and at the surface discharging water from said pipe means and from said annulus.