Performance characteristics of a small water-hammer head pump

Abstract

Many rural farming areas are located far from a reliable electricity supply; hence, obtaining a reliable source of water for crops and livestock can prove to be an expensive venture. A water pump operating on the water-hammer effect requires no external power source and can serve as an effective means of pumping water to a higher altitude once a reliable supply is available. A low-cost small water-hammer head pump was designed to operate on the water-hammer head effect created by the sudden stoppage of a flowing fluid. This design consisted of an inlet section followed by the pump body, a pressure section and an outlet. The experimental set-up for testing the water-hammer head pump was designed with a variable head input and an adjustable head output. For each test configuration, a total of 10 samples of pump supply water and pump exhausted water were collected. The water samples were collected for 30 s in each case. The results showed a non-linear variation of water flow with respect to pump outlet height. The pump was capable of delivering water to a maximum height of 8 to 10 times the height of the input head. The pump operated at average efficiencies of 26 %, 16% and 6% when the delivery height was 2, 4 and 6 times the input head height, respectively. There was a 5% incremental decrease in pump efficiency as the delivery height increased in increments of the corresponding input head height.