Arrangements for the transfer of fresh water from one location on the earth's surface to another at a different latitude, for the purpose of irrigation, with pumping energy derived from the effect of the earth's rotation about the polar axis

摘要

1,047,735. Concrete pipes. A. P. PEDRICK. Jan. 24, 1966, No. 15343/64. Heading F2P. [Also in Divisions B2, B5 and F1] A concrete pipe for a long pipeline is cast in a continuous length by pouring concrete into a funnel 60, Fig. 14(a) (not shown), and pumping it by a pump 62 into an annular mould 64, 65, reinforcing cables 67 being fed in from drums 66. The setting of the concrete may be accelerated by a blast of hot air from a turbojet engine 70. The pipe is drawn continuously from the mould by a cable 69. An outer sheath 15, Figs. 6 and 7 (not shown), of flexible sheet material such as rubber, is formed around the concrete pipe 18 by drawing a strip 72, Figs. 14 (c), (d) and (e) (not shown), of the material from a roll 71 and wrapping it around the pipe, a narrower strip 74 drawn from a roll 73 being fastened to the edges of the strip 72 by means of a riveting or fastening machine 75. The pipeline runs below the sea for most of its length. The interior of the pipe 18 is evacuated to a low pressure by centrifugal vacuum pumps 20 driven by electric motors 21 and arranged at intervals along the pipeline, the electrical power preferably being provided by generators driven by wind-motors mounted on floating platforms anchored to the sea bed. The evacuated air is exhausted into the space between the pipe 18 and the sheath 15 to keep the sheath inflated. The air is discharged from the sheath through valves 26 which maintain the air pressure at the hydrostatic pressure appropriate to the depth at which the pipeline is to run, whereby the depth is automatically maintained. In addition, the pipeline is supported at intervals by anchored floats which also serve to mark its position.