Rope pump
A rope pump is a kind of pump where a loose hanging rope is lowered down into a well and drawn up through a long pipe with the bottom immersed in water. On the rope, round disks or knots matching the diameter of the pipe are attached which pull the water to the surface.
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 well. Rope pumps are often used in developing areas with the most form consisting of a PVC 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 .[1] Rope pumps can be powered by low speed petrol/diesel/engines, electricity[2], human energy[3], wind[4] and from solar.[1]
History
Chain or washer pumps were used by the 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[5]. 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[6] and is also being used in Africa[1]
Rope pump technology is in the public domain and there are no patents pending on it.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Solar powered water pump". Soar Aid. http://www.solar-aid.org/project_water_pump/. Retrieved on 2009-04-10.
- ↑ "Moto Rope pumps". http://www.daenvis.org/ropepump9.htm. Retrieved on 2009-04-10.
- ↑ "Bicycle Rope Pump". http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/lib2/ropepump.htm. Retrieved on 2009-04-10.
- ↑ "THE ROPE WIND PUMP". http://www.gamos.demon.co.uk/just%20gamos%20homepage/henkfnl2.htm. Retrieved on 2009-04-10.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "history". Ropepump.com. http://www.ropepump.com/his/his.htm. Retrieved on 2009=04-10.
- ↑ "history". Ropepump.com. http://www.ropepump.com. Retrieved on 2009-04-10.