Design, Simulation and Experimental Test of Solar Assisted Hydraulic Ram Pump
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Date
2020-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research aims at designing, simulating, and experimentally testing a solar-assisted hydraulic ram
pump, which is an automatic water-lifting device convenient to pump water, by adding energy to the
chamber. Low level performance of HRP triggered working on performance improvements. The
approach to achieve the objective involves knowing the basic working principle of regular hydram
and water hammer effect, data collection and synthesis with understanding of fundamental thermofluid
and heat transfer principles, development of a mathematical model, CFD simulation of the
thermal effect inside the pressure chamber and finally experimental test.
The efficiency of regular hydram can reach 65% delivering around 5 liters per minute with the net
head of 6m. The mathematical model gives maximum water hammer pressure change of 268.4 kPa,
whereas experimental test results 183.33kPa. Flow rate at the exit of the pump was 4.72 L/minute
with source flow of 12 liters every minute and supply head of 2.18m. Experimental test getting a
source flow of 34 liters every minute gave 11.72 liters per minute.
The regular hydraulic ram pump was assisted with solar thermal system to improve its performance.
The temperature generated from thermal collector was applied to the chamber. For the experimental
test, equivalent controllable electrical heater was selected having a temperature of 200
o
C.
The temperature effect results 33kPa pressure rise when computed analytically with approximate
chamber temperature of 150
C.
The exit flow rate was 1.35 and 1.667 liters per minute for the analytical and CFD modeling
respectively at source flow of 12 liters each minute.
o
C. While CFD provides 50kPa with chamber temperature of 145
o
Superposition of thermal and water hammer effect gave 301.4 and 318.4 kPa analytical and CFD
simulation respectively. Thermal infusion test, conducted at San Diego State University, measured
maximum chamber pressure of 342.32 kPa with chamber temperature of 106.75
C. Exit flow rate
was 6.07 liters per minute for analytical, 6.387 liters per minute for CFD with supply flow of 12 liters
per minute for a pump having 27 mm diameter at supply height of 2.18 m. During the thermal
experiment 16.41 liters per minute was recorded with supply of 34 liters per minute. Therefore, after the application of thermal energy to the pump delivery head was improved by a minimum of three
meter.
The heat energy will be generated by using UHVFP collector. The energy is delivered to the chamber
through thermal oil, since thermal oils does not need any pumping system. The hot fluid coming out
of the solar thermal collector applied around the wall of the chamber.
The power of solar radiation for Addis Ababa was investigated to model the solar thermal potential
as case study. The lowest solar radiation occurs in July and its value is 350 W/m
. Ultra-high vacuum
(UHV) collector was selected since it can generate mid-range temperature. A minimum mean
temperature difference of 110
2
C obtained with a collector efficiency of 50%. With the UHV collector
fluid outlet temperature, 225
o
C can be produced during July. Therefore, this newly designed novel
hydraulic ram pump can lift water by improving delivery head at least by three meter than regular
hydraulic ram pump with higher delivery flow if it is assisted by solar energy.
Description
Keywords
HRP, performance, water hammer, solar assisted, temperature effect, delivery head