Title: Hydraulic Rams

OBJECTIVE:

1. To familiarize ourselves with hydraulic ram

2. To be able to know its basic components, function, operation as well as its
applications
3. To be able to determine its discharged capacity and efficiency
DRAWING AND SKETCH:
QUESTION AND ANSWER:

1. WHAT IS HYDRAULIC RAM?

A hydraulic ram, or hydram, is a cyclic water pump powered by

hydropower. It takes in water at one "hydraulic head" (pressure) and flow
rate, and outputs water at a higher hydraulic head and lower flow rate.
The device uses the water hammer effect to develop pressure that allows
a portion of the input water that powers the pump to be lifted to a point
higher than where the water originally started. The hydraulic ram is
sometimes used in remote areas, where there is both a source of low-
head hydropower and a need for pumping water to a destination higher
in elevation than the source. In this situation, the ram is often useful, since
it requires no outside source of power other than the kinetic energy of
flowing water.

2. WHAT IS THE METHOD OF OPERATIONS IN THE HYDRAULIC RAM?

A simplified hydraulic ram is shown below. Initially, the waste valve

[4] is open, and the delivery valve [5] is closed. The water in the inlet pipe
[1] starts to flow under the force of gravity and picks up speed and kinetic
energy until the increasing drag force closes the waste valve. The
momentum of the water flow in the inlet pipe against the now closed
waste valve causes a water hammer that raises the pressure in the pump,
opens the delivery valve [5], and forces some water to flow into the
delivery pipe [3]. Because this water is being forced uphill through the
delivery pipe farther than it is falling downhill from the source, the flow
slows; when the flow reverses, the delivery check valve closes. Meanwhile,
the water hammer from the closing of the waste valve also produces a
pressure pulse which propagates back up the inlet pipe to the source
where it converts to a suction pulse that propagates back down the inlet
pipe. This suction pulse, with the weight or spring on the valve, pulls the
waste valve back open and allows the process to begin again.

A pressure vessel [6] containing air cushions the hydraulic pressure

shock when the waste valve closes, and it also improves the pumping
efficiency by allowing a more constant flow through the delivery pipe.
Although the pump could in theory work without it, the efficiency would
drop drastically and the pump would be subject to extraordinary stresses
that could shorten its life considerably. One problem is that the pressurized
air will gradually dissolve into the water until none remains. One solution to
this problem is to have the air separated from the water by an elastic
diaphragm (similar to an expansion tank); however, this solution can be
 problematic in developing countries where replacements are difficult to
procure. Another solution is to have a mechanism such as a snifting valve
that automatically inserts a small bubble of air when the suction pulse
mentioned above reaches the pump.[13] Another solution is to insert an
inner tube of a car or bicycle tire into the pressure vessel with some air in it
and the valve closed. This tube is in effect the same as the diaphragm,
but it is implemented with more widely available materials. The air in the
tube cushions the shock of the water the same as the air in other
configurations does.

Basic components of a hydraulic ram:

1. Inlet drive pipe
2. Free flow at waste valve
3. Outlet delivery pipe
4. Waste valve
5. Delivery check valve
6. Pressure vessel

3. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF THE HYDRAULIC RAM?

No moving parts,
No power requirements,
Inexpensive,
Quiet pumping continuously over a long period,
Pollution free or Green" pump,
Simple construction and easy to install, and
Only initial cost and very low or negligible maintenance cost.
 4. DISCUSS BRIEFLY THE OPERATIONS OF THE HYDRAULIC RAM.

The water enters the pump body at rising speed causing the waste
valve (clack valve) to close under the effect of the internal pressure.
Closing this valve causes an overpressure condition, opening the delivery
check valve so that the water in the pump body can flow into the
pressure vessel. The air in the pressure vessel is compressed.

The pressure in the pump body therefore drops and the delivery
check valve closes under the pressure of the air in the pressure vessel and
the weight of the water. The air compressed in the pressure vessel propels
a part of the water contained in the tank back out, until the pressure of
the water in the delivery pipe and the weight of the water and the
atmospheric pressure all equal out again. Then the waste valve opens
again and the cycle restarts, so long as the water supply is not cut off.

5. HOW DOES IMPULSE DEVELOP IN THE HYDRAULIC RAM?

The kinetic energy of the water running downhill through the drive
pipe builds up pressure and uses the impulse developed or water
hammereffect from built up water pressure. The pump is then able to use
this built up pressure impulse to pump the water through a smaller
diameter delivery pipe over a greater distance or an elevation even
higher than the original water source. More than 50% of the energy of the
driving flow can be transferred to the delivery flow.
CONCLUSION:
After the experiment that we have done, we can say that we were
able to familiarize ourselves using the Hydraulic Ram. We were able to
have the knowledge about is basic component, function, operation and
its application. And also we were able to compute its discharge capacity
and efficiency.

In referring with the experiment, when a moving mass of water was

suddenly stopped, this explains that the Hydraulic ram lifts water by
utilizing the impulse developed.

It only shows that a relatively large amount of water must be available

at moderate head to lift a small volume to higher head.
 Therefore, we can conclude that the lesser the amount of waste water
the greater the frequency. As the Hydraulic ram is said to be wasteful of
water, it is also advantageously employed in situations where no other
source of power is available.

The possible source of error is in the pumping flow rate. I suggest that
there must be desired pumping flow rate through the delivery pipe to the
destination. And should have constant water flow and must be 3 feet
away from the pump location

REFERENCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_ram

http://www.brighthubengineering.com/hydraulics-civil-engineering/44729-learn-
about-hydraulic-ram-pumps/#imgn_1
http://www.wikiwater.fr/e43-hydraulic-pumps-hydraulic-ram.html