IMROVEMENT OF HYDRAULIC RAM PUMP

A Thesis Proposal

Presented to the Faculty of the

Department of Agricultural Engineering

College of Engineering

Cagayan State University-Carig Campus

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in Methods of Research

Marissa P. Gumabay

August 2016

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The hydraulic Ram pump or hydram is a complete automatic device that uses the

energy in the flowing water such as spring, stream or river to pump part of the water to a

height above that of the source. With a continuous flow of water a hydram operates

continuously with no external energy source.

A hydram is a structurally simple unit consisting of two moving parts. These are

the impulse valve (or waste valve) and the delivery (check) valve. The unit also consists

of an air chamber and an air valve. The operation of a hydram is intermittent due to the

cyclic opening and cloning of the waste and delivery values. The closure of the waste

valve creates a high pressure rise in the drive pipe. An air chamber is required to

transform the high intermittent pumped flows into a continuous stream of flow. The air

valves allow air into the hydram to replace the air absorbed by the water due to the high

pressure and mixing in the air chamber.

Pumps are among the oldest of the machines. They were used in ancient Egypt,

China, India, Greece and Rome. Today, pumps are the second most commonly used kind

of industrial equipment after the electric motors (Working, 1996).

The first pumps were force pumps and it is interesting that the earliest known

example, a pump used by the Greeks in 300 B.C incorporated an air vessel. The use of

this device was suspended in the middle-ages and revived in the 16th century when a

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German translation of the Greek work describing the pump was published. The earliest

pump to be used was the hand pump. More advanced pumps were, however, known to

the Romans, as shown by the double cylinder force pump now preserved in the British

museum, but their use was apparently lost in this century at the end of the Roman

Empire.

In Roman times, the first reciprocating pump appeared (250-0 BC) and this

remained the main pump type in use for several centuries, operated by hand, animal,

water or wind power, mechanical skill developed, and metals came more into use, but the

limiting factor with all these older pumps was the relatively low power output which is

delivered by them. The highest power developed by wind miles or water wheel were of

the order of 10 horsepower (hp). The reciprocating pumps, which relied on suction, could

only lift water slightly above 10 metres.

The performance of known types of pumps continued to be improved upon and

their range of applications extended. One of such is the peristaltic pump which was

developed into a pump for handling slurries of high specific gravity on a cost effective

basis. Similarly, the Archimedean screw pump was developed into giant sizes for lifting

water to high elevations.

It is reported that the first hydraulic ram pump was built by Whitehurst (1775),

which operated manually by the opening and closing of the stopcock. This hydram was

able to raise water to a height of 4.9m. The first automatic hydram was invented by

Montgolfier in 1796 for raising water in his paper mill. His work was improved upon by

pierce (1816), who designed the air or sniffer valve to introduce air into the air chamber

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and this hydram, which is 300 mm in diameter is reported to have pumped 1700l/min to a

height of 48m. Easton and James (1820) were the first to produce hydrams in large scale

for commercial purpose. Their rams were used for supplying water to large country

houses, farms and village communities.

Calvert (1957) evaluated the performance characteristics of hydraulic ram. The

possible independent variables of hydraulic ram installations were considered and with

certain assumptions their number reduced using dimensionless parameters such as the

Reynolds number, the Froude number, the Mach number, the head ratio and the

coefficient of fluid friction. The Reynolds numbers was known to be in effective in

machines of practical size and that a range exists over which the Mach number has little

influence. The Froude number was found to be the criteria for defining the possibility of

operation of the ram and the ram output and efficiency are dependent upon the head ratio.

In 1951, Krol established that it was possible to forecast the behaviour of any

automatic hydraulic ram, provided the following properties at a given installation have

been determined separately.

• Loss of head due to impulse valve

• Drag coefficient of the impulse valve

• Loss of head in the pipe

• Head lost during the period of retardation.

According to Calvert (1960) the dimension of the drive pipe has a limiting value.

This, he established by applying dimensional analysis technique. The relevant parameters

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were the head ratio, friction coefficient and the dimensionless numbers corresponding to

those of Froude, Reynolds and Mach. Hydraulic Ram for village use was developed by

V.I.T.A in USA. The Ram was only used for small water supply with the impulse valve

being designed to act on a spring mechanism, while the delivery valve is a simple clack

valve. A general description of the hydraulic ram which solved most of the design

problems was undertaken by Molyneux

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Conveying water from low to high areas needs more energy. Supporting irrigation

which makes use of pumps and engines need additional energy to keep it functioning. It

needs fuel to sustain its functionality to pump out water applied for irrigation. Therefore,

introducing this hydraulic ram pump to fields would obliterate fuel costs, lessen

maintenance, and other operational costs as an alternative for pumps and engines.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

There is a vast need of engineering techniques to help conserve work and energy.

The conservation of ground water used is encouraging. It is suitable to supply water to

remote areas especially where there is neither electricity nor ease of transportation for

maintenance in higher areas. The further improvement of this technology is an advantage

to those living in mountainous regions of the country. The development of Hydrams

obviously would conserve groundwater for its source comes from surface water. In

addition, it does not need fuel nor added energy to keep it working. It also provides

effortless work to supply water for the purpose of irrigation for crop production.

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 Old hydraulic ram pumps are expensive because they require precise machining

processes and casting of some of its parts. Some resort to importing to ensure the

efficiency of the parts. Changing its parts into localised materials would make the study

easier to conduct and lessen material costs for the stakeholders.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The main frame of this study is to evaluate its performance. Included in its

performance are its portability and adaptability to different water source flowrates and

elevation of lifts. This Hydraulic Ram Pump is portable. Therefore, this pump can be

used in different locations with different combination of flowrates and lifts. The

performance evaluation was done through (a) Laboratory testing and (b) Field testing.

The aim of the laboratory testing is to determine the discharge of the pump when

variation of the fall and lift is simulated and is limited to a maximum of 6m lift and a

maximum of 3m fall. After the laboratory testing is to test the pump in an actual location

or the field testing.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective is to develop a Hydraulic Ram Pump.

1. To design a Hydraulic Ram Pump

2. To assemble the design using locally available materials

3. To evaluate the performance efficiency of the developed Hydraulic Ram Pump

4. To estimate the cost of producing 1 unit Hydraulic Ram Pump

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 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

WORKING PRINCIPLE OF HYDRAULIC RAM PUMP

Although hydraulic ram pumps come in a variety of shapes and sizes, they all

have the same basic components as shown in Fig. 2. The main parts of a ram pump are

Hydram body, Waste value snifter valve, delivery valve, air chamber and relief valve.

Ram Pumps have a cyclic pumping action that produces their characteristic beat during

operation. The cycle can be divided into three phases; acceleration, delivery and recoil.

Acceleration - When the waste valve is open, water accelerates down the drive pipe and

discharges through the open valve. As the flow increases it reaches a speed where the

drag force is sufficient to start closing the valve. Once it has begun to move, the valve

closes very quickly.

Delivery - As the waste valve slams shut, it stops the flow of water through it. The water

that has been flowing in the drive pipe has considerable momentum which has to be

dissipated. For a fraction of a second, the water in the body of the pump is compressed

causing a large~ surge in pressure. This type of pressure rise is known as water hammer.

As the pressure rises higher than that in the air chamber, it forces water through the

delivery valve (a non-return valve). The delivery valve stays open until the water in the

drive pipe has almost completely slowed and the pressure in the pump body drops below

the delivery pressure. The delivery valve then closes, stopping any back flow from the air

vessel into the pump and drive pipe.

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Recoil - The remaining flow in the drive pipe recoils against the closed delivery valve -

rather like a ball bouncing back. This causes the pressure in the body of the pump to drop

low enough for the waste vale to reopen. The recoil also sucks a small amount of air in

through the snifter valve. The air sits under the delivery valve until the next cycle when it

is pumped with the delivery water into the air vessel. This ensures that the air vessel stays

full of air. When the recoil energy is finished, water begins to accelerate down the drive

pipe and out through the open waste valve, starting the cycle again. Throughout the cycle

the pressure in the air vessel steadily forces water up the delivery pipe. The air vessel

smoothes the pulsing in flow through the delivery valve into an even outflow up the

delivery pipe. The pumping cycle happens very quickly, typically 40 to 120 times per

minute.

During each pumping cycle only a very small amount of water is pumped.

However, with cycle after cycle continuing over 24 hours, a significant amount of water

can be lifted. While the ram pump is operating, the water flowing out the waste valve

splashes onto the floor or the pump house and is considered' waste' water. The term'

waste' water needs to be understood. Although waste' water is not delivered by the ram

pump, it is the energy of this water that pumps the water which is delivered.

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APPLICATION AND LIMITATION OF HYDRAM PUMP

For any particular site, there are usually a number of potential water lifting

options. Choosing between them involves consideration of many different factors. Ram

pumps in certain conditions have many advantages over other forms of water-lifting, but

in others, it can be completely inappropriate. The main advantages of ram pumps are:

• Use of a renewable energy source ensuring low running cost

• Pumping only a small proportion of the available flow has little environmental impact

• Simplicity and reliability give a low maintenance requirement

• There is good potential for local manufacture in the rural villages

• Automatic, continuous operation requires no supervision or human input.

The main limitations are:

• They are limited in hilly areas with a year-round water sources

• They pump only a small fraction of the available flow and therefore require source

flows larger than actual water delivered

• Can have a high capital cost in relation to other technologies

• Are limited to small-scale applications, usually up to 1kW, but this requires economical

and other considerations.

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A BRIEF HISTORY

In 1772 John Whitehurst discovered the principles of the ram and produced a

machine to raise water to the upper floors of a building. It was not, however, entirely

satisfactory as a small boy had to be employed to open and close a tap. Pierre

Montgolfier, one of two brothers to invent the ‘hot air’ balloon, developed the first

automatic pulse valve in 1798, making the ram a commercial reality. Manufacture in

Britain began in the early 1800s with the purchase of the original Montgolfier patterns by

the firm Easton & Company. The firm was purchased in the 1920s by Green & Carter

(who had been making rams themselves from the 1870s). The hydraulic ram became

extremely common as a means of pumping drinking water supplies and most were

installed to serve isolated rural homes and farms, though occasionally whole villages

depended on them. The arrival of mains water supplies, or cheap conventional pumps and

cheap power to run them, led to the near demise of the hydraulic ram in the UK. But now,

encouraged by the escalating costs of mains water and the unreliability of many private

supply systems, hydraulic rams are becoming an increasingly popular choice of water

supply.

HOW IT WORKS

Water is taken from a point upstream that is slightly higher than the ram, travels

down the drive pipe, through the pulse valve and into the waste drain.

As the water flows, its speed increases until the pulse valve is no longer able to

pass the volume of water flowing, and the pulse valve snaps shut. With the outlet closed

the flow of water suddenly stops, producing an increase of pressure in the body of the

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ram – the extent of which depends on the height and distance from which the water is

flowing. The result of this increase in pressure is that a portion of the water in The

hydraulic ram, or hydram, is a device which uses the power of flowing water (usually

from a spring or a stream) to pump a proportion of that water to a considerable height

above the water source. In short, it is a water powered water pump. As a method of

pumping water used since the 1800s, the hydraulic ram is undergoing something of a

revival for those seeking a reliable, inexpensive and environmentally friendly water

supply, or a solution to specific water related problems in less developed countries.

A brief history In 1772 John Whitehurst discovered the principles of the ram and

produced a machine to raise water to the upper floors of a building. It was not, however,

entirely satisfactory as a small boy had to be employed to open and close a tap. Pierre

Montgolfier, one of two brothers to invent the ‘hot air’ balloon, developed the first

automatic pulse valve in 1798, making the ram a commercial reality. Manufacture in

Britain began in the early 1800s with the purchase of the original Montgolfier patterns by

the firm Easton & Company. The firm was purchased in the 1920s by Green & Carter

(who had been making rams themselves from the 1870s). The hydraulic ram became

extremely common as a means of pumping drinking water supplies and most were

installed to serve isolated rural homes and farms, though occasionally whole villages

depended on them. The arrival of mains water supplies, or cheap conventional pumps and

cheap power to run them, led to the near demise of the hydraulic ram in the UK. But now,

encouraged by the escalating costs of mains water and the unreliability of many private

supply systems, hydraulic rams are becoming an increasingly popular choice of water

supply.

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 How it works (See reverse for diagram.) Water is taken from a point upstream

that is slightly higher than the ram, travels down the drive pipe, through the pulse valve

and into the waste drain.

As the water flows, its speed increases until the pulse valve is no longer able to

pass the volume of water flowing, and the pulse valve snaps shut. With the outlet closed

the flow of water suddenly stops, producing an increase of pressure in the body of the

ram – the extent of which depends on the height and distance from which the water is

flowing. The result of this increase in pressure is that a portion of the water in the body of

the ram is forced upwards through the delivery valve into the air chamber. The water,

which is forced into the air chamber, finds its way through a pipe known as the rising

main to the place where it is required for use, with a continuous flow being maintained so

long as the ram remains working. When the pressure passes, the delivery valve shuts,

preventing the water from running back, allowing the pulse valve to open and the cycle to

start again. This series of events occurs from between 40 to 90 times per minute,

depending on factors such as the size of the hydraulic ram and the fall of water driving

the ram.

The fall of water necessary to work a ram may be as low as 500mm and, with

such a fall, water may be raised to 18m. With higher falls water can be raised to upwards

of 100m or more in height and 5km in distance.

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DESIGN OF COMPONENTS OF HYDRAULIC RAM

A hydraulic ram installation consists of a supply, a drive pipe, the ram, a supply

line and usually a storage tank. Each of these component parts is discussed below:

Supply. The intake must be designed to keep trash and sand out of the supply since these

can plug up the ram. If the water is not naturally free of these materials, the intake should

be screened or a settling basin provided. When the source is remote from the ram site, a

supply line can be provided to conduct the water to the drive pipe. The supply line, if

needed, should be at least one pipe diameter larger than the drive pipe.

Drive pipe. The drive pipe must be made of a non- flexible material for maximum

efficiency. This is usually galvanized iron pipe, although other materials cased in

concrete will work. In order to reduce head loss due to friction, the length of the pipe

divided by the diameter of the pipe should be within the range of 150-1,000. The drive

pipe diameter is usually chosen based on the size of the ram and the manufacturer's

recommendations.

Delivery Pipe. The delivery pipe can be of any material that can withstand the water

pressure.

Storage TanK. This is located at a level to provide water to the point of use. The size is

based on the maximum demand per day.

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REFERENCES

http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_information_service/solar_pv_waterpumps.pdf

http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_information_service/hydraulic_ram_pumps.pdf

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