The Sullivan Air Lift Pumping System

With the use of a booster, the air does not follow the water but is held in the tank, building up pressure to force the solid body of water through the horizontal and vertical lines. The booster is usually set in a pit below the ground level and enclosed in a brick or concrete dry well, but may be located at any convenient point, as provision is made for automatic drainage back into the well when pumping is stopped. It will readily be seen, therefore, that with this arrangement, any number of wells may discharge into a common delivery pipe. This constitutes a great advantage when the elevation to be reached is at some distance from a well or group of wells. A check valve should be installed in the discharge line immediately outside of the booster. The engineer operates the complete plant from the compressor, no change being required after the adjustment has once been made. Varying the speed of the compressor secures a greater or less amount of water. There are three ways in which the air escaping from the booster may be employed. i. It may be allowed to escape through the vent valve to the atmosphere. 2. It may be returned to the intake of the compressor. The One of ten Sullivan Air Lift Boosters installed on a string of ten wells to furnish water for the United Furnace Company, Canton, Ohio. The wells are 350 feet apart, all on a common system. Capacity 600 to 1800 gallons per minute from each well, or a total of 13,200,000 gallons per 24 hours. 21