Modular pump assembly

Abstract

A modular pump assembly for pumping a viscous liquid, such as liquid manure. The viscous liquid is conveyed under pressure from an admission line to an evacuation line. The assembly has a base between the admission and evacuation lines. The base receives and conveys the liquid manure. The base can also be partitioned into separate sections 14 or chambers, thereby increasing pumping capacity and efficiency. At least one pump is vertically mounted to the base, and operates in a receiving configuration for receiving the liquid manure, and a pumping configuration for pumping the liquid manure. The inlet and out of the base are adjacent or coterminous with either another pump's inlet and outlet, or with another assembly, thereby allowing a pressurized flow of liquid manure through multiples pumps and/or assemblies arranged in series.

1 . A modular pump assembly for pumping a viscous liquid, the viscous liquid being conveyed under pressure from at least one admission line to at least one evacuation line, the pump assembly comprising:
 a base disposed between the admission and evacuation lines, the base being configured for receiving the viscous liquid and for conveying the viscous liquid;   at least one pump mountable about the base and comprising a pump chamber, an inlet, and an outlet, the at least one pump being operable between a receiving configuration wherein the viscous liquid is received via the inlet into the pump chamber, and a pumping configuration wherein the viscous liquid is pumped from the pump chamber and out the outlet; and   wherein the outlet of the at least one pump is configurable for being coterminous with the inlet of an adjacent pump, the viscous liquid being thereby pumpable from the at least one pump to at least one other pump being configurable in series.   
     
     
         2 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a bidirectional modular chamber pardonable by at least one internal partition, each internal partition creating at least two sections. 
     
     
         3 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein each section ( 14 ) is functionally connectable to a corresponding pump. 
     
     
         4 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 3 , wherein the base comprises first and second section groups, the first section group supplying the viscous liquid to be pumped by the corresponding pump operating in the receiving configuration, and the second section group receiving the viscous liquid pumped by another corresponding pump operating in the pumping configuration. 
     
     
         5 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 2 ,  wherein the outlet of the at least one pump is configurable for being coterminous with the inlet of an adjacent pump at the internal partition. 
     
     
         6 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pump comprises a plurality of pumps, each pump being configurable in series and mountable about the base. 
     
     
         7 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of pumps comprises two pumps. 
     
     
         8 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pump is substantially vertically mountable about the base, the at least one pump comprising a top portion and a bottom portion. 
     
     
         9 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one pump comprises at least one piston for pumping and receiving the viscous liquid, the at least one piston being operable between the receiving configuration wherein the at least one piston is positioned adjacent to the top portion upon receiving the viscous liquid in the pump chamber, and the pumping configuration wherein the at least one piston is positioned adjacent the bottom portion upon pumping the viscous liquid from the pump chamber. 
     
     
         10 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the at least one pump comprises at least one check valve being positionable adjacent to the bottom portion so as to facilitate a removal from the pump chamber of gasses in the viscous liquid. 
     
     
         11 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 1  comprising at least two pumps configured in series, each pump mountable about a separate base, a first of said at least two pumps operable in synchronization with a sequential second of said at least two pumps, wherein the first pump operates in the pumping configuration for pumping the viscous liquid from the pump chamber to the second pump, and the second pump simultaneously operates in the receiving configuration for receiving the viscous fluid from the first pump into the pump chamber of the second pump, thereby ensuring a continuous flow of viscous liquid from the first pump to the second pump. 
     
     
         12 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a rounded pipe. 
     
     
         13 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pump comprises:
 a pumping tube;   a canalization chamber functionally connectable to the pumping tube, the pumping tube and canalization chamber defining the pump chamber; and   a flap gate module operatively connectable to the canalization chamber.   
     
     
         14 . A modular pump assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet or outlet of the at least one pump comprises an adapter for adapting a flow of the viscous liquid. 
     
     
         15 . A fluid circuit for pumping a liquid substance under pressure, the fluid circuit comprising:
 an admission line for receiving the liquid substance;   an evacuation line for conveying the liquid substance; and   a plurality of modular pump assemblies according to  claim 14 , each pump assembly being configurable to operate in series with at least one adjacent pump assembly, the plurality of pump assemblies disposed between the admission and the evacuation lines and providing a pressure to the liquid substance, thereby pumping the liquid substance under pressure through the fluid circuit.