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High pressure solar powered pumpRelated Patent Categories: Pumps, Motor Driven, Electric Or Magnetic Motor, Including Electric Power Generating Or Storage MeansHigh pressure solar powered pump description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070048152, High pressure solar powered pump. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This invention relates to a solar powered pump that is capable of delivering small quantities of liquid at high pressure. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Solar powered pumps are commonly used in the oil and gas industry to deliver small quantities of chemicals at remote locations where electrical power is unavailable. Although there are many potential applications inside and outside of the oil and gas industry for solar powered pumps, the current common uses are where surfactants are injected through a capillary string into a gas well in an attempt to discharge liquids from the well, corrosion inhibitors are injected into a well or pipeline or methanol is injected into a gas stream to prevent the formation of gas hydrates. Typically the pump delivers into an 800 psig, or less, line so the pump has to generate about 800 psig outlet pressure. [0003] There are situations where greater outlet pressure is needed, as where the well being pumped into operates at a higher pressure, where methanol is injected upstream of a choke, or where chemicals are injected into high pressure flow lines or into high pressure gas condensate wells or the like. The industry has reacted to produce higher pressure pumps simply by making them bigger, i.e. bigger motors using more power thereby requiring larger solar panels, larger batteries and the like. [0004] Disclosures of interest are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,681,515; 4,744,334; 4,802,829; 5,244,362 and 5,293,892. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] In this invention, a solar powered pump includes a solar panel, a direct current or d.c. motor having an output shaft driving a mechanism that, in turn, reciprocates a small conventional reciprocating pump. The mechanism driven by the d.c. motor includes a multilobe cam, a lever that is pivoted by the cam and, in turn, reciprocates the input rod of the pump. A spring returns the lever and retracts the pump input rod so the next movement of the cam again oscillates the lever, drives the pump and delivers a small quantity of high pressure liquid. By driving the d.c. motor intermittently, the amount of electrical power consumed can be reduced significantly. By also controlling the stroke of the pump, the amount of liquid delivered over time can be controlled very closely. The result is a pump having greater capabilities as the high pressure low volume pumps of the prior art using significantly smaller d.c. motors and significantly smaller solar modules while giving equal or better performance at lower costs. [0006] It is an object of this invention to provide an improved solar powered pump that delivers high pressure liquid in small volumes. [0007] Another object of this invention is to provide a solar powered pump assembly that provides a transmission or reduction unit between a d.c. motor and a reciprocating pump. [0008] These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more fully apparent as this description proceeds, reference being made to the accompanying drawings and appended claims. IN THE DRAWINGS [0009] FIG. 1 is a side view of a solar powered pump assembly of this invention; [0010] FIG. 2 is an end view of the solar powered pump assembly of FIG. 1; [0011] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the pump assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2; [0012] FIG. 4 is a view, with one wall removed, of the mechanism used to convert rotation of the motor into reciprocation of the pump; [0013] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a rocker assembly used to connect an end of the lever to a reciprocating rod; and [0014] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of an assembly, analogous to FIG. 5, for connecting the end of the lever to the input of the reciprocating pump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0015] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a pump assembly 10 of this invention comprises, as major components, a frame 12, a reservoir 14 of liquid to be pumped, a solar panel 16, a battery 18, a control module 20, a d.c. motor 22 powered by the solar panel 16, a mechanism 24 converting rotation of the motor 22 into a reciprocating motion, and a small reciprocating pump 26 having its suction 28 connected to the reservoir 14 and having an outlet or discharge 30 delivering low volumes of liquid at high pressure to a well or pipeline being served. [0016] The frame 12 may be of any suitable type and is typically made of a noncorrodible or protected metal, such as a painted or galvanized metal, aluminum, stainless steel or the like, and is of sufficient strength and durability to support and house the various components of the pump assembly 10. [0017] The reservoir 14 is typically a plastic container of sufficient volume to hold a substantial amount of the pumped liquid. A typical application will involve pumping perhaps five gallons of liquid per day, so a one hundred eighty tank will provide substantial operating time before refilling. [0018] The solar panel 16 may be of any suitable size and type. One size pump assembly of this invention uses a fifty five watt solar panel and a fifty ampere battery powering a 1/20th horsepower d.c. motor and has proved suitable during endurance tests. [0019] The control module 20 provides many conventional functions and some unconventional functions as pointed out hereinafter. Conventionally, the control module 20 delivers electricity to the d.c. motor 22 intermittently rather than continuously so the motor 22 is driven, for example, four seconds on and twenty seconds off with the on and off times being adjustable to provide a wide range of volume adjustment of the pump assembly 10 while minimizing the consumption of electricity. Unconventionally, the control module 20 includes a circuit or voltmeter 32 for measuring the voltage output of the solar panel 16 and/or battery 18 and prevents delivery of electricity to the pump 22 when the voltage falls below a preselected value. For example, in a system designed to operate at twelve volts, when the voltage measured by the circuit 32 falls below ten volts, a subcircuit 34 of the control module 20 deactivates the pump assembly 10 by opening a switch 36 until such time as solar energy falling on the panel 16 is sufficient to raise the voltage level to a preselected value, for example, twelve volts. [0020] The d.c. motor 22 is of conventional design and preferably includes a gearmotor end 38 having an output shaft 40 extending into a sealed compartment 42 comprising part of the mechanism 24. Although the size and capacity of the motor 22 may vary significantly, depending on the designed size and capacity of the pump assembly 10, a successful design has incorporated a 1/20 horsepower d.c. motor having a five ampere rated input with a gear reducer end providing a nominal 32 rpm rotating output shaft 40 sealed by an O-ring type seal (not shown) against a wall 44 of the compartment 42. Continue reading about High pressure solar powered pump... Full patent description for High pressure solar powered pump Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this High pressure solar powered pump patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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