Rope Pump – An alternative for developing country like India

1. Rope Pump – An alternative for developing country like India By Kishan Majethia Aasif Momin Raviraj Parmar Ritesh Patel

2. Basic problems • There are many pumps available in the market of high efficiency and higher reliability but the basic disadvantage of such pumps is their higher initial cost as well as higher maintenance. • Even the problem is not just been solved by the initial high cost. There has been considerable money drain over the maintenance of the pumps.

3. Basic problems (cont.) • In our developing country like India many rural areas are yet using the basic bucket and a pulley to drive the water from the well because of their inability to pay such high price for such sophisticated pumps. • There’s a solution way out to this problem “A Rope Pump”. It is having a much low initial cost along with low maintenance without much affecting the efficiency of the pump.

5. Basic components • Pulley wheels. • Washers (pistons). • Rope. • Pipe (with tapered ends). • Guide box. • Locking mechanism. • Transmission elements.

6. Construction • The basic construction of the rope pump consists of a pulley above which is being fitted over the bearings. • The continuous rope consisting of numbers of blocks moves over the pulley. The upper pulley serves as the driving pulley for the rope. • A handle is also being attached with the upper pulley which can be rotated by means to rotate the upper pulley and ultimately the rope.

7. Construction • Rope sliding over the pulley consists of various blocks(pistons) fitted over it, which moves along with it. • As shown in figure the rope along with blocks moves inside the pipe which enters from the below • This rope is being supported by means of guided box attached at the lower end of pipe.The mouth of this pipe is to be tapered for automatically alligning of the pistons over the rope.

8. Construction • A piston sliding inside the pipe consists of minor clearence for minimizing the wear between the piston and the pipe. • Pipe is provided a slight buckle at the bottom top end for efficient movement of the piston inside the pipe. • An locking arrangement is also being provided over the pulley which ultimately the whole arrangement is being fitted over the bearings which supports them and promotes their efficient rotation.

9. Working

10. Working • When a rotating torque is being provided over the pulley, it rotates and ultimately rotates the rope moving over it due to surface friction created. • Ultimately the rope moves along with the blocks mounted over it. • These pistons sliding inside the pipe would create a suction head below it with help in sucking the fluid inside the pipe. • Once fluid is being sucked in it being supported by another piston coming after it, which will again create a suction head below it and ultimately lifting water.

11. Working • At the upper end of the pipe slot is being provided from which water comes outlifted by means of pistons and poured in the outside bucket or a necessary pipe which takes the required fluid to the destination. • The locking arrangement being provided over the pulley has a rod pushed over the gear arrangement be means of spring. It just permits uni-directional rotation of the pulley and thus preventing back-flow of the fluid

12. Basics • As can be seen from the figure rope pump is basically an hand or paddle operated pump, which consumes the human power to operate the pump. • As the figure itself is self explanatory we can move ahead to the technical aspects which we are supposed to incorporate in it.

13. First design made by us of piston

14. Above design details • It will permit smooth alignment and movement over the pulley as rope is being fitted over one side. • Consequently increases the contact of rope with pulley and minimum vibration when piston moves over both the pulleys. • Yet its having a disadvantage that due to weight of the water over the pulley there is an possibility of miss-alignment which enables corner being in touch with the pipe and will increase friction drastically.

15. Primary design

16. Above design details • It will over-come the disadvantage of miss-alignment of the first design in the pipe, yet there are some limitations of this design. • It will create vibrations while moving over the pulley as it’s profile is not in accordance with the pulley. • While moving over the pulley, rope will be pulled every time from back of the pulley leading to adding in the vibrations and fatigue in rope.

17. Another Piston design

18. Details about the upper design • It permits smooth movement of the piston over the pulley, but lacks proper alignment of the rope in the pistons. • Pulling action of the rope can reduce the rope life considerably which results in addition in the maintenance of the pump, which will over rule above advantage of the pump of low starting and maintenance cost, so we designed an another model of piston given in next slide.

19. Piston

20. Piston details • It eliminates all the above disadvantages. It permits proper alignment over the pulley(reducing vibrations), proper rope alignment inside the piston, etc. • It’s yet having a disadvantage of striking with the pulley due to upper end not being pointed, it also doesn’t permit effective splashing in the water. • To cope up with the above disadvantages we thought of an another design of the piston given below.

21. piston

22. Advantages • Light in weight due to lower material used in the piston. • Effective splashing in water and prevention of striking the upper pulley as well as guide pulley at bottom due to pointed head. • Effective rope alignment while moving over the pulley. • Proper aligning in the pipe without bending.

23. Additional elements • We are also thinking of incorporating a locking mechanism in our system which will permit one side movement and resist it’s reversal • Also thinking of an additional guide pulley below the upper larger pulley make the pipe arrangement compact and increase in angle of contact of rope with pulley for its use as underground wells.

24. Primary design of locking arrangement

25. Locking mechanismadvantages • Due to locking arrangement provided it prevents the back rotation of the pulley which ultimately rotates the handle. By locking the same it provides safety for the operator. • If locking arrangement is not provided then the corresponding water filled in corresponding pipe will cause its back flow and hence correspondingly loss in head. Thus we can get instant flow by providing this arrangement.

26. Comparison with other pump

27. Advantages of rope pump • High efficiency ( 80-85% ) • Produced with local skills and material • Low cost • Safe work • Improve situation of women and children • Facilitate activities like hygiene education, water conservation, reforestation, etc.

28. Fields need to be developed • Piston design(so as to minimize vibration as much as possible). • Piston material selection. • Pipe material selection.(yet thinking of using PVC pipes.) • Best locking arrangement mechanism. (minimum friction & vibration.) • Selection of proper bearings. • Analysis of stress induced in the rope. • Analysis of wear over piston.

29. Proposed specifications • Capacity of pump :- 35 lit/min. • Head :- 2-3 meters. • Effort requires to run this pump :- 70-80 watts.

30. Gannt chart

31. Thanks