Ram Pumps - contributed by KelandA Ram Pump is a hydraulic pump that uses the potential energy of a downhill free flowing body of water. It does not use any fuel or electricity. Therefore a ram pump can be ideal in remote locations away from power grids. Operating without power also makes them a good environmental choice.
Ram pumps require a sizeable amount of moving water to operate. The way they work is by utilizing a source of water above the pump. A valve allows water to flow from the source down a pipe and into a chamber via gravity, as the pipe fills up it forces the valve to close. This allows pressure to build up in the chamber which forces open a second valve. The water escapes past this valve and out of the distribution pipe. This lowers the pressure in the lower chamber and closes the second valve while reopening the first valve. This allows the cycle to repeat. Ram pumps can be used to provide water to whole villages. A single water ram water pump can service 100 households or more. The pumps can fill large tanks of water that allow a central location for families to come and collect what they need. They are very efficient and do not deplete the original source of water. Lack of water is a major problem for many Filipinos. As many as 8 million live without access to clean water and over 25 million lack access to sanitation facilities. This leads to dehydration and disease. Green Empowerment has been working in the Philippines since 2001 and along with its partners received a grant in 2012 to bring clean water to 24000 people in remote areas. |