Rope pump

2009-05-15T03:07:25Z

208.72.14.30: /* Description */

A '''rope pump''' is a kind of [[pump]] of which the main or most visible component is a continuous piece of rope, in which the rope is integral in raising water from a [[Water well|well]].

==Description==
[[Image:demo rope pump in apeldoorn.jpg|thumb|Rigid valve rope pump]]
A rope pump is a kind of [[pump]] of which the main or most visible component is a continuous piece of rope, in which the rope is integral in raising water from a [[Water well|well]]. Rope pumps are often used in [[Developing country|developing areas]]. The most common rope pump consists of a [[Polyvinyl chloride|PVC]] [[Plastic pressure pipe systems|pipe]] and a rope with flexible or rigid valves. Rope pumps are cheap to build and easy to maintain. One design of rope pump using a solar powered rope pump can pump 3,000 litres per day using a 80 watt solar panel .<ref name=SolarAid/> Rope pumps can be powered by low speed petrol/diesel/engines, electricity<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.daenvis.org/ropepump9.htm|title=Moto Rope pumps|accessdate=2009-04-10}}</ref>, human energy<ref name=thefarm/>, wind<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamos.demon.co.uk/just%20gamos%20homepage/henkfnl2.htm|title=THE ROPE WIND PUMP|accessdate=2009-04-10}}</ref> and from solar.<ref name=SolarAid>{{cite web|url=http://www.solar-aid.org/project_water_pump/|title=Solar powered water pump|publisher=Soar Aid|accessdate=2009-04-10}}</ref>

==History==
Chain or washer pumps were used by the [[China|Chinese]] over 1000 years ago. In the 1980's the first steps were made to improvement the rope pump using PVC pipes plastic moldings in [[Nicaragua]]<ref name=Ropepumphistory>{{cite web|url=http://www.ropepump.com/his/his.htm|title=history|publisher=Ropepump.com|accessdate=2009=04-10}}</ref>. The technology was rapidly disseminated over the whole country and 25% of the rural population in Nicaragua now use rope pumps. It is also used in other parts of Central America with over 25.000 pumps have been installed to date<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ropepump.com|title=history|publisher=Ropepump.com|accessdate=2009-04-10}}</ref> and is also being used in Africa<ref name=SolarAid/>

== Construction ==
Rope pumps can use flexible valves, rigid valves or sometimes no valves at all. Flexible valve can be cut piece of bicycle tube. The valves are positioned 20 cm apart on the rope. One disadvantage of flexible valve rope pumps is that different pump builders may use inappropriately sized valves. The thickness of the rubber is also an important factor that differs from place to place.<ref>http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/wat-ro.htm</ref> Rigid valves using plastic or metal [[Washer (mechanical)|washers]] that fit tightly into the PVC pipe as the rope is dragged through can also be used. If the fit is tight, the washers can be spaced up to half a metre apart. For deeper wells, thinner pipe can be used. These rope pumps often work with a hand crank.<ref>http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/System/7014/rope.html</ref> Valves can also be made from knots in the rope itself.<ref>http://www.appropedia.org/Rope_pump_knots</ref> Valveless pumps rely on friction with water clinging to the rope is moved at high speed, often using a bicycle to produce the required speed. It is a less efficient design but is simpler to construct.<ref name=thefarm>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/ropepump.htm|title=Bicycle Rope Pump|accessdate=2009-04-10}}</ref>

Rope pump technology is in the public domain and there are no patents pending on it.<ref name=Ropepumphistory/>

==See also==
* [[Chain pump]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [[appropedia:Rope pump|Rope pump]]
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1853390224 Robert Lambdon's book]

[[nl:Touwpomp]]

[[Category:Pumps]]

{{Watersupply-stub}}

IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Rope pump