Hydraulic ram pumps and Sling Pumps

Hydraulic Ram Pump System Design and Applicationpower and the internal combustion engine become widely available. As technology advanced andbecome increasingly reliant on sources of power derived from fossil fuels, the ram pump wasneglected. It was felt to have no relevance in an age of national electricity grids and large - scale watersupplies. Big had become beautiful and small-scale ram pump technology was unfashionable. Inrecent years an increased interest in renewable energy devices and an awareness of the technologicalneeds of a particular market in developing countries have prompted a reappraisal of ram pumps. Inhilly areas with springs and streams, the potential for a simple and reliable pumping device is large.Although there are some examples of successful ram pump installation in developing countries, theiruse to date has merely scratched at the surface of their potential.The main reason for this being, lack of wide spread local knowledge in the design and manufacture ofram pumps. Hence, the wide spread use of ram pumps will only occur if there is a local manufacturerto deliver quickly; give assistance in system design, installation, and provide an after-sales service.HYDRAULIC RAM PUMP SYSTEMHydraulic Ram Pumps are water pumping devices that are powered by falling water. The pump worksby using the energy of a large amount of water falling a small height to lift a small amount of thatwater to a much greater height. In this way, water from a spring or stream in a valley can be pumpedto a village or irrigation scheme on the hillside. Wherever a fall of water can be obtained, the rampump can be used as a comparatively cheap, simple and reliable means of raising water toconsiderable heights.The diagram in Fig. 1 shows all the main components of a hydraulic ram pump system. Water isdiverted from a flowing river or taken from intake structure of a spring. A drive tank is usually builtbetween the ram pump and the intake to insure constant flow of water to the ram pump. The ram pumplifts part of the water coming through the drive pipe to a higher level at the delivery tank. A pumphouse is built to protect the ram pump and fittings from theft or accidental damage.http://home.att.net/~africantech/ESME/hydram2/HydRam2.htm (2 of 12) [1/13/2005 12:43:03 PM]