Synopses & Reviews
The Automatic hydraulic ram is a pumping device that has been widely used for nearly a century in rural areas, for lifting water to heights of over 100 meters. It is an ideal machine for water pumping if certain conditions are satisfied, because it works solely on the power from falling water carried in a pipe from a spring, stream or river, without any need for an additional power source. It is completely automatic, and has an exeptional record of trouble free operation. It cannot be used everywhere, however. It cannot be used to pump still water form a well, pond or lake, unless there is a separate, flowing water source nearby.
In Part 1, we describe how a simple ram pump can be made form commercial pipe fittings, how to choose a site for the ram, how to install and adjust the ram, and the sort of maintenance that the ram pump will need during its working life. We have tried to write the manual in non-technical language so that it can be used by people with little or no technical training.
In Part II, we describe in greater detail the range and limits of operation of ram pumps, and the different materials that have been used to make them. We have taken information given in the trade literature of a commercial ram manufacturer, to describe the simple calculations that you will need to design a different sized ram pump for different site conditions. We also include in Part II the results of our limited laboratory tests on the ram, which describes the tuning procedure.
Synopsis
Part One contains details of how to make and maintain a small hydraulic ram on a suitable site, whilst Part Two takes a more technical look at ram performances and design considerations and also contains a useful bibliography.