Abstract

The hydraulic ram is a device that makes use of the energy of a “water fall” to raise part of the water flow to a higher elevation by merely using the energy of the water hammer. Even though a small water volume is compressed, the device may be a solution for water supply on family farms, for home use, animal drinking troughs and watering of vegetables. Current study evaluated the performance of a hydraulic ram constructed with disposable bottles replacing the conventional air chamber model made of cast iron. Experiment was conducted at the College of Agronomic Sciences in Botucatu SP Brazil. Equipment´s performance was assessed by employing different volumes of air chambers (0.25; 0.6; 1.0 and 2.0 L) at the following pumping pressures: 70, 105, 140, 175, 210 and 245 kPa. Results showed that 0.6 and 1.0 L bottles showed higher pressure flow. Within the conditions given for polyethylene tubes, the effectiveness of the device occurred only at a maximum 1:7 ratio (slope/elevation).

Key words: hydraulic ram pump, polyethylene terephthalate, outflow.