free air compressor known as trompe, but multi-stage

[GodofPecking]

yes, the reservoirs have less to do at each stage, however, as there never was a set limit for the first, there is no set limit for one 1/10th that size. Reservoir size will still be governed by convenience as far as I can see.

I think the air connections I've drawn as red lines will need to loop up high, so that their middles are higher than the tropes each side, or simply go to the top of the tower and back. I would think this should help stop water flooding the air lines....

 

[GodofPecking]

GodofPecking,
I'm a hydraulic mechanic for Bosch,......we use oil rather than water, .... Our whole demon in life is keeping the air OUT of the systems...

Perhaps there are a few mechanics there who itch to play with air in their hydraulic systems for once. Perhaps working together they can all get it out of their system(s).

 

[Nardo]

So another question that came up is about what we will call a check valve. You may know this term and, just to be clear, the question is how to stop the air from 'back streaming' without an electrically controlled valve that will shut and open. Let me go further: if the pressure is getting progressively higher, then it will naturally want to flow back into the path of least resistance. Which is where the pressure is lower. If you close it off somehow, then possibly it will build up and then 'burp' into the next stage without returning but we are hazy about exactly how to do this in your application.

 

[GodofPecking]

I dont think check valves are useful in this or a standard trompe. A check valve or one way valve is only useful in a changing system were there are periodic changes to pressures, like systems that have a piston. In a stable system the check-valve will either always be open and flowing or always be closed.

water may indeed flow through the system in an undesirable way. The trick is to find out or figure out if it does and why, and then prove the hypothesis. May need to build it to do so.