Effects of supply head variations on the performance of hydraulic ram pumps

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of a hydraulic ram pump under varying operational conditions, with a focus on the effect of head supply at a fixed delivery head on flow rate, pressure fluctuations and efficiency. The experimental setup involved adjusting the water supply height to simulate different pumping scenarios, with precise measurements of water flow, pump frequency and pressure surges recorded using Arduino-based sensors. The results show that as the head height difference (denoted as h) between the supply and delivery decreases, the pump’s frequency of operation increases, indicating faster cycling at lower heights. However, this did not result in a proportional increase in efficiency. The highest efficiency was 10.4 %, with the lowest waste percentage of 97.57 %, when the head height was 148 cm; here, the pump was able to deliver the most water with the least wastage at 1.5 mL/s. Even though the flow rate increases with increasing head height-in this case, 168 cm, 163 cm, and 158 cm-the efficiency goes down and the waste percentage remains high, indicating that higher head heights do not lead to better overall performance. Pressure surge measurements revealed the highest amplitudes at greater head heights, but these did not correlate with improved pumping efficiency. The findings indicate that the ram pump’s performance is optimized at 148 cm, where a balance between efficiency and water delivery occurs, though significant water wastage remains. This study highlights the importance of optimizing head height and underscores the potential for further improvements in the pump’s water utilization efficiency.