Air lift techniques have been employed by drillers for years. Air is injected into the pump causing the specific gravity of the water and sediment (if needed) to be the same as the air being introduced. The resulting three phase mixture is then forced up through the discharge pipe as a result of the surrounding hydrostatic pressure in the formation. The performance of these pumps cannot be described using the traditional head explanation for pumping depths. These pumps work on a submergence principle, which the total depth of the well (where the pump intake is set) versus the water column in the well itself. The greater the depth the pump is set into the water column, submergence, the higher the discharge rate.
Contact an FEI