Effects of Discharge Head on the Performance of a Mini-Hydraulic Ram Pump for Possible Application in Mini-Hydro Turbine Systems

Abstract

This paper presents a study into the possible effects of the discharge head (height) on the performance of a mini-hydraulic ram pump for possible applications in mini-hydro turbine systems. After modelling and fabrication, the pump was subjected to various experiments by varying the supply heads of 2ft, 2.4ft, 2.8ft, 5.2ft, and 7ft against various delivery/discharge heads of 6 ft, 8 ft, 10 ft, 12 ft and 14 ft. It was observed that the efficiency of the system drops drastically for a delivery height to supply height ratio above 6 while producing peak power at a head ratio between 1.92 and 4. Also, the maximum volumetric flow through the pump which was 14,364 L/day was obtained at a delivery to supply height ratio of 2. It can be concluded that the performance of the hydraulic ram pump is closely associated with the delivery height/head to give optimal performance.