Multistage Automatic Hydraulic Ram Pu

mp for Fuel-free Water Lifting

 INTRODUCTION

The hydraulic ram pump may be defined a

s a self-acting device that uses the energy of
a large volume of water falling from a high
er location (relative to the ram) and passing
through it, to lift a small volume to a location
significantly higher than the ram and the sour
ce of water.
 Characteristics of a Hydraulic Ram Wat
er-Lifting System
(1) there is no other external energy input (e.g. human,
animal, fossil fuel, etc.) that makes the ram work oth
er than the energy of water passing through the pum
p;
(2) its operation will continue 24 hours a day, seven
days a week so long as the required volume of
water continues to flow through it,

(3) water has to come from a location higher than th

e ram;
 Characteristics of a Hydraulic Ram Wat
er-Lifting System
(4) only a small portion of this water (around 25 % or
less) is pumped up, the remainder passing out of the r
am and must be drained to a lower location;

(5) the vertical distance to which water can be

pumped up from the ram is significantly higher tha
n the vertical distance from its source to the ram – up to
30 meters delivery height per 1 meter of supply fall, alt
hough typically the most efficient is within a ratio of 10
:1 or less, and;
 Characteristics of a Hydraulic Ram Wat
er-Lifting System

(6) due to the ram’s small output per minute, there is a n

eed for a storage device at the point of delivery t acc
umulate this output on a 24-hour basis, e.g. an earthen
pond for irrigation or ferrocement, metal, or plastic t
ank for drinking water.
 History

The hydraulic ram is a very old, and well-

proven, technology for lifting water.

In 1772, Englishman John Whitehurst

invented a manually-operated precursor
of the hydraulic ram called the "pulsation
engine." The first one he installed in 1775
raised water to a height of 16 ft. (4.9 m).
 History

The first self-acting ram pump was invented by the Fr

enchman Joseph Michel Montgolfier in 1796 for raisi
ng water in his paper mill (Montgolfier is more popul
arly known for his work in hot-air balloons).

The sons of Montgolfier obtained an English patent fo

r an improved version in 1816 but this was acquired, t
ogether with Whitehurst's design, in 1820 by Josiah E
aston, a Somerset-born engineer who had just moved
to London.
 Ram Pumps in the 21st century

In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest

in hydraulic rams, particularly in developing countrie
s, due to the continuing rise in fossil-fuel prices.
In India, Vietnam, and China their governments are v
ery active in constructing hydraulic ram systems and i
n disseminating the technology to the countryside for
irrigation and drinking water (a German group is lead
ing the effort in Vietnam and China). In Africa (Zim
babwe), a British group has been active in this field si
nce 1994.
 Ram Pumps in the 21st century

Even in the country’s premier agricultural engineerin

g school the hydraulic ram is taught mainly in theory
and in passing, and one agricultural engineering profe
ssor has dismissed it for water-lifting work as ineffici
ent because it can pump only a small portion of the to
tal volume of water that passes through it (even thoug
h the fuel expense is totally zero).
 Parts of a Hydraulic Ram

The ram pump is a very old technology, and for

over two centuries many designs have been trie
d. Today, rams come in a variety of shapes and
sizes, yet many of the incorporated modificatio
ns are mere variations of the same theme, and t
he basic design consist almost always of the fol
lowing: ram body, impulse valve, delivery valv
e, air snifter, and air chamber.
 Parts of a Hydraulic Ram
Shown is Chinook
MP-2 2-inch ram
designed by the
author
Air chamber

Delivery pi
Impulse valv
pe stub
e

Delivery val
ve
Air snifter

Body
Drive pipe
Feet stub
 Parts of a Hydraulic Ram
Shown is a large-bor
e Chinese-made hydr
aulic ram pump
Air chamber

Delivery pi
Impulse valv
pe stub
e

Delivery val
ve
Air snifter

Body
Drive pipe
Feet stub
Parts of a Hydraulic Ram
Different forms, same substance

Delivery pipe stub

Drive pipe stub

Air chamber

Delivery valve

Impulse valve

Air snifter

Body

Feet
 TYPICAL COMPONENTS OF A HYDRAULIC R
AM WATER-LIFTING SYSTEM

Service area/Storage f
Source (river, stream, spring) acility (not shown)

Supply pipe
Delivery pipe
Drive tank

Lift
(Delivery head)

Drive pipe

Fall (Driv Hydraulic

e head) Ram pum
p
Working of hydraulic ram pump
 Stepwise Procedure
Here's a simplified version of how the hydraulic ram pump
actually works, step-by-step:

1. Water starts flowing through the drive pipe and out of the "
waste" valve, which is open initially. Water flows faster a
nd faster through the pipe and out of the valve.
Stepwise Procedure

At some point, water is moving so quickly through the brass swing check "was
te" valve that it grabs the swing check's flapper, pulling it up and slamming it s
hut. The water in the pipe is moving quickly and doesn't want to stop. All that
water weight and momentum is stopped, though, by the valve slamming shut.
That makes a high pressure spike at the closed valve. The high pressure spike
forces some water through the spring check valve and into the pressure chamb
er. This increases the pressure in that chamber slightly. The pressure "spike" t
he pipe has nowhere else to go, so it begins moving away from the waste valve
and back up the pipe It actually generates a very small velocity backward in th
e pipe.
Stepwise Procedure

As the pressure wave or spike (red arrows) moves back up

the pipe, it creates a lower pressure situation (green arrows
) at the waste valve. The spring-loaded check valve closes
as the pressure drops, retaining the pressure in the pressure
chamber.
Stepwise Procedure

At some point this pressure (green arrows) becomes low en

ough that the flapper in the waste valve falls back down, o
pening the waste valve again.
Stepwise Procedure

Most of the water hammer high pressure shock wave (red arrows) will
release at the drive pipe inlet, which is open to the source water body
. Some small portion may travel back down the drive pipe, but in any
case after the shock wave has released, pressure begins to build again a
t the waste valve (#4) simply due to the elevation of the source water a
bove the ram, and water begins to flow toward the hydraulic ram again
.
Stepwise Procedure
STEP 6 :
Water begins to flow out of the waste valve (#4), and th
e process starts over once again.
Steps 1 through 6 describe in layman's terms a complete
cycle of a hydraulic ram pump. Pressure wave theory will
explain the technical details of why a hydraulic ram pump
works, but we only need to know it works. The ram pump
will usually go through this cycle about once a second, per
haps somewhat more quickly or more slowly depending on
the installation.
 Advantages
The main Advantages of ram pumps are:
1. Use of a renewable energy source ensuring low running co
st
2. Pumping only a small proportion of the available flow has
little environmental impact.
3. Simplicity and reliability give a low maintenance requirem
ent
4. There is good potential for local manufacture in the rural vi
llages
5. Automatic, continuous operation requires no supervision o
r human input .
 Limitations
The main Limitations are:
1. They are limited in hilly areas with a year-round water sou
rces
2. They pump only a small fraction of the available flow and t
herefore requires source flows larger than actual water deli
vered
3. Can have a high capital cost in relation to other technologi
es
4. Are limited to small-scale applications, usually up to 1kW,
but this requires economical and other considerations.
Conclusion
Thus I have completed the seminar with my top effort to m
ake the “hydraulic ram water pump” an adequately and inn
ovatively designed water pump which pumps the water wit
hout using electricity or fuel. It simply works on water ha
mmer and gravity.
This pump conserves the energy and is very economical. It
is very simple in construction, does not requires high capit
al investment. Once it is set up it does not requires any hu
man interference.
 Reference
1. http://www.greenandcarter.com/main/about_us.htm
2. Mihelcic, J. R., Fry, L. M., Myre, E. A., Phillips, L. D., &
Barkdoll, B. D. (2009). Field guide to environmental engi
neering for development workers: Water, sanitation, and i
ndoor air. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engine
ers.
3. http://www.lifewater.org/resources/rws4/rws4d5.htm
4. http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Hydraulic_Ram_pu
mp
5. http://www.greenandcarter.com/main/service/installation.
htm
 Multiple-ram set up

Six 4-inch hydraulic rams with a combined output of more than 300,000 lit
ers per day irrigate around 35 hectares of farmland in central Negros Occid
ental.