Air Lift Pump.
This weekend I am building an air lift pump prototype. An air lift pump uses and small air compressor to aerate water that is going into a vertical pipe. The aerated water is less dense than the water above it in the pipe and moves upward while pushing the water above it up as well. The constant stream of bubble / water mixture continues to push water up the pipe until it flows from the top of the pipe which can be pretty tall according to the papers I have been reading. The reasons for using the air lift are for energy conservation. While planning my large aquaponic setup, I am planning on everything running on stored solar power. There is a large difference in how much power an air bubbler uses vs. a water pump. Now the question that the prototype will answer is how efficient is it. I want to know how much water can I move for a unit of energy with a pump vs. an air lift. My materials for this prototype are:
3/4 PVC
Some 90 degree elbows.
A couple of 3/4 caps
My dremel
A couple of tiny, and I mean tiny, drill bits
Something that blows air. Not me. That air is too hot.
I saw where a venture was used to incorporate air into a stream of water. Basically, the venture accelerates the water via orifice to a point where the pressure is lower than atmospheric pressure and the atmosphere forces air into the pipe. You could use this to then push the aerated water into the vertical column and then up it. An example see below.
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