The theory of the gas-lift pump: A rejoinder

Jeelani, Shaik; Rao, Kosuru Venkateswara; Balasubramanian, Ganapathi

doi:10.1016/0301-9322(79)90020-x

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Moreover, the definition of this efficiency differed from that used in the early energy balances, being inversely proportional to the gas fraction present. Jeelani et al (1979) have demonstrated that the "constants" derived in the Husain and Spedding analysis may vary when applied to narrow bore lifts, so that the analysis would not appear to be suited to general air lift design. Although this analysis supplies the correct shape for most of the air lift operating curve, the constants for the equation must be found by regression.…”

Section: Literature Surveymentioning

confidence: 97%

A general design equation for air lift pumps operating in slug flow

Clark

Dabolt

1986

AIChE Journal

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Air lift pumps are finding increasing use where pump reliability and low maintenance are required, and where corrosive, abrasive, or radioactive fluids must be handled. Although air lifts are used in nuclear fuel reprocessing plants, no general, theoretically sound equation has been proposed in the literature for tall air lift design. Such an equation is developed from two-phase flow theory to predict the height to which an air lift pump operating in the slug flow regime can lift a given volumetric flow rate of liquid, given the air flow rate and pressure at the point of gas intduction. The widely used drift-flux model for the prediction of holdup is combined with an appmximate relationship to predict pmsure loss, and is substituted into the total pressure differential. ing a momentum balance. However, this analysis was accurate only in the design of short pumps, since there was no provision for variation in gas volumetric flow rate over the tube length. For taller pumps, the method has to be applied incrementally. In the analysis below, a differential momentum balance is integrated over the whole pump length to provide a closed-form equation that is valid for air lifts of any height operating in bubble or slug two-phase flow. This new equation compares favorably with data in the literature, and with experimental data from a 38 mm dia. testinstallation. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCEResults from a 38 mm air lift test installation support a new design equation, based on a two-phase flow momentum balance.The test apparatus was constructed to provide for the operation of the air lift in either vacuum or overpressure conditions, and four different liquids were used in the tests. Operating curves plotted from the results over a range of air flow rates agree with curves given by the new design equation. In addition, the new designCorrespondence concerning this paper should be addressed to N. N. Clark. R. J. Dabolt is presently with Chem Nuclear Systems, Columbia, SC.equation is able to predict the performance of very tall air lifts used by Shaw (1920) in mine dewatering, and so appears valid over a wide range of operating conditions and configurations. In using this equation, one need know only the air flow rate, essential measurements of the pump, and friction factor for the flow in order to predict the liquid flow rate. Since all of these terms are readily available to the design engineer, this new equation will prove easier to use than energy balances, which require a knowledge of the pump efficiency, or empirical correlations, which are often cumbersome and not universally applicable.

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Section: Literature Surveymentioning

confidence: 97%

A general design equation for air lift pumps operating in slug flow

Clark

Dabolt

1986

AIChE Journal

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“…Zenz [1993, p. 54] noted that this equation is "useful in estimating the yield from air-lift only under conditions of peak theoretical efficiency, but not over the entire range of possible operating conditions." Husain and Spedding [1976] developed a different energy balance theory, which was shown to be valid for smalldiameter air-lift systems (less than 0.14 inches (3.5 mm)) and only at high flow rates [Jeelani et al, 1979].…”

Section: Literature Review On Air-lift Pumpingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Physically Based Model for Air‐Lift Pumping

Francois¹,

Gilmore²,

Pinto³

et al. 1996

Water Resources Research

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A predictive, physically based model for pumping water from a well using air injection (air‐lift pumping) was developed for the range of flow rates that we explored in a series of laboratory experiments. The goal was to determine the air flow rate required to pump a specific flow rate of water in a given well, designed for in‐well air stripping of volatile organic compounds from an aquifer. The model was validated against original laboratory data as well as data from the literature. A laboratory air‐lift system was constructed that consisted of a 70‐foot‐long (21‐m‐long) pipe, 5.5 inches (14 cm) inside diameter, in which an air line of 1.3 inches (3.3 cm) outside diameter was placed with its bottom at different elevations above the base of the long pipe. Experiments were conducted for different levels of submergence, with water‐pumping rates ranging from 5 to 70 gallons/min (0.32–4.4 L/s), and air flow ranging from 7 to 38 standard cubic feet/min (0.2–1.1 m3 STP/min). The theoretical approach adopted in the model was based on an analysis of the system as a one‐dimensional two‐phase flow problem. The expression for the pressure gradient includes inertial energy terms, friction, and gas expansion versus elevation. Data analysis revealed that application of the usual drift‐flux model to estimate the air void fraction is not adequate for the observed flow patterns: either slug or churn flow. We propose a modified drift‐flux model that accurately predicts air‐lift pumping requirements for a range of conditions representative of in‐well air‐stripping operations.

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“…Unfortunately, the formulae have not yet achieved significant success in predicting the performance of this device under different conditions. As an example, Jeelani et al ( 1979 ) showed that the theoretical equations presented by Hussain and Spedding ( 1976 ) are not applicable to riser pipes with diameters larger than 8 mm.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Evaluation of Airlift Performance for Vertical Pumping of Water in Underground Mines

2021

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This paper presents experimental studies on the optimization of air–water flow in an airlift pump. Airlift pumps use compressed gas to verticall transport liquids and slurries. Due to the lack of theoretical equations for designing and predicting flow regimes, experimental investigations must be carried out to find the best condition to operate an airlift pump at high efficiency. We used a new air injection system and different submergence ratios to evaluate the output of a simple pump for vertical displacement of water in an underground mine. The tests were carried out in a new device with 5.64 m height and 10.2 cm circular riser pipe. Three air-jacket pipes, at different gas flows in the range of 0.002–0.09 m3/s were investigated with eight submergence ratios. It was found that with the same air flow rate, the most efficient flow of water was achieved when an air jacket with 3 mm diameter holes was used with a submergence ratio between 0.6 and 0.75. In addition, a comparison of practical results with two theoretical models proposed by other investigators showed that neither was able to accurately predict airlift performance in air–water flow mode.

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The theory of the gas-lift pump: A rejoinder

Cited by 11 publications

References 1 publication

A general design equation for air lift pumps operating in slug flow

A general design equation for air lift pumps operating in slug flow

A Physically Based Model for Air‐Lift Pumping

Experimental Evaluation of Airlift Performance for Vertical Pumping of Water in Underground Mines

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