Abstract

Hydraulic shock, also colloquially known as hydram, or hydraulic ram pump, or water hammer, or fluid hammer is a high-pressure shock wave that propagates at the speed of sound through a piping system when a fluid in motion is forced to change direction or stop abruptly. This destructive force can be converted into useful work, i.e., to pump the water to higher elevation, thereby increasing its potential energy, i.e., lifts the water using the high-pressure shockwave. Its low performance combined with affordability of fuels has put this otherwise longstanding technology in the backburner of science and research for a long time, yielding to electric or fuel powered pumps. However, growing concerns about the impacts of fossil fuel use on the environment as well as the rising price of electricity has generated a renewed interest in such technology. The ram pump’s operation in remote areas where the power grid is not available adds research value to the technology. In this paper, a novel approach, i.e., adding thermal energy to the flow to assist the water hammer pressure was modeled. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted using ansys. The results were validated experimentally in a 32 mm (27 mm internal diameter) drive pipe and a supply head of 2.18 m ram pump. The exhaust pressure can also be used to produce power using a hydraulic turbine, hence our claim of multi-purpose application as a theme of this project. The results between simulation and experiment were consistent, with only 6.99% error for pressure, and 10.16% for flowrate. The results show that pressure increased from 183.33 kPa to 342.32 kPa when thermally assisted to reach 106.75 °C. The experimental discharge flow increased from 11.72 l/min to 16.41 l/min for the corresponding temperature, a 42.01% increase. The system in power mode produced 91.28 W and 35.81 W with and without thermal infusion, respectively. The Rankine efficiency of thermally assisted hydraulic ram for combined application was above 10% whereas with power generation only, the efficiency was 1.4% at a net delivery head of 5 m for both scenarios. It was observed that in general, the efficiency increases proportionally with delivery flow.

References

1.
Sucipta
,
M.
, and
Suarda
,
M.
,
2019
, “
Investigation and Analysis on the Performance of Hydraulic Ram Pump at Various Design Its Snifter Valve
,”
International Conference on Design, Energy, Materials and Manufacturing
,
Bali, Indonesia
,
Oct. 24–25
.
2.
Yang
,
K.
,
Li
,
J.
,
Guo
,
Y.
,
Guo
,
X.
,
Fu
,
H.
, and
Wang
,
T.
,
2014
, “
Design and Hydraulic Performance of a Novel Hydraulic Ram Pump
,”
11th International Conference on Hydroinformatics
,
New York
,
Aug. 17–21
, p.
10
.
3.
Guo
,
X.
Li
,
J.
,
Yang
,
K.
,
Fu
,
H.
,
Wang
,
T.
,
Guo
,
Y.
,
Xia
,
Q.
,
Huang
,
W.
,
2018
, “
Optimal Design and Performance Analysis of Hydraulic Ram Pump System
,”
Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. A: J. Power Energy
,
232
(
7
), pp.
841
855
.
4.
Fatahi-Alkouhi
,
R.
,
Lashkar-Ara
,
B.
, and
Keramat
,
A.
,
2019
, “
On the Measurement of Ram-Pump Power by Changing in Water Hammer Pressure Wave Energy
,”
Ain Shams Eng. J.
,
10
(
4
), pp.
1
13
.
5.
Roberts
,
A.
,
Thomas
,
B.
,
Sewell
,
P.
, and
Hoare
,
E.
,
2019
, “
Generating Renewable Power From Water Hammer Pressure Surges
,”
Renew. Energy
,
134
, pp.
1392
1399
.
6.
Schiller
,
E. J.
,
1984
,”
Proceedings of a Workshop on Hydraulic Ram Pump (Hydram) Technology Held at Arusha, Tanzania, May 29–June 1
,
Arusha, Tanzania
.
7.
Najm
,
H. N.
,
Azoury
,
P. H.
, and
Piasecki
,
M.
,
1999
, “
Hydraulic Ram Analysis: A New Look at an Old Classic
,”
Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. B: J. Eng. Manuf.
,
213
(
Part A, no. 1
), p.
15
42
.
8.
Krol
,
J.
,
1951
, “
The Automatic Hydraulic Ram
,”
Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng.
,
165
(
1
), pp.
53
73
.
9.
Adil
,
M.
,
Arshad
,
M. A.
, and
Aslam
,
M. S.
,
2015
, “
Low Cost Water Pumping for Sustainable Irrigation Using Renewable Energy Based Ram Pump
,”
5th International Mechanical Engineering Congress
,
Karachi, Pakistan
,
May 9–10
.
10.
Karekezi
,
S.
,
Kimani
,
J.
,
Wambille
,
A.
,
Balla
,
P.
,
Magessa
,
F.
,
Kithyoma
,
W.
, and
Ochieng
,
X.
,
2012
,
Global Energy Assessment
,
T. B.
Johansson
,
A.
Patwardhan
,
N.
Nakicenovic
, and
L.
Gomez-Echeverri
, eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
11.
Harith
,
M. N.
,
Bakar
,
R. A.
,
Ramasamy
,
D.
, and
Quanjin
,
M.
,
2017
, “
A Significant Effect on Flow Analysis & Simulation Study of Improve Design Hydraulic Pump
,”
IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng.
,
257
(
1
), p.
012076
.
12.
Nwosu
,
C. A.
, and
Madueme
,
T. C.
,
2013
, “
Recycled Micro Hydropower Generation Using Hydraulic Ram Pump (Hydram)
,”
Int. J. Res. Eng. Technol.
,
1
(
3
), pp.
1
10
.
13.
Schiller
,
E. J.
, and
Kahangire
,
P. O
,
1984
, “An Experimental Investigation and Design of Hydraulic Ram Pump,”
Workshop on Hydraulic Ram Pump (Hydram) Technology
,
Arusha, Tanzania
,
May 29–June 1
.
14.
Dickinson
,
H. W.
,
1936
, “
Early Years of the Hydraulic Ram
,”
Trans. Newcom. Soc.
,
17
(
1
), pp.
73
83
.
15.
Maratos
,
D. F.
,
2003
, “
Technical Feasibility of Wavepower for Seawater Desalination Using the Hydro-Ram (Hydram)
,”
Elsevier
,
153
(
1–3
), pp.
287
293
.
16.
Denson
,
M. D.
,
Galad
,
M. N.
, and
Malamug
,
J. J. F
,
2016
, “
Design and Fabrication of a Hydraulic Diaphragm Pump
,”
J. Sci. Technol.
,
1
(
1
), pp.
11
17
.
17.
Sarma
,
D.
,
Das
,
M.
,
Brahma
,
B.
,
Pandwar
,
D.
,
Rongphar
,
S.
, and
Rahman
,
M.
,
2016
, “
Investigation and Parameter Optimization of a Hydraulic Ram Pump Using Taguchi Method
,”
J. Inst. Eng. Ser. C
,
97
(
4
), pp.
551
559
.
18.
Abebe
,
A.
,
Beyene
,
A.
, and
Tadesse
,
Y.
,
2022
, “
Design, Simulation, and Experimental Validation of Thermally Infused Hydraulic Ram Pump
,”
ASME J. Energy Resour. Technol.
,
144
(
2
), p. 022103. https://doi.org/
19.
Watt
,
S. B.
,
1974
, “
A Manual of Information on the Automatic Hydraulic Ram for Pumping Water
,”
National College of Agricultural Engineering
,
Silsoe, Bedford
.
20.
Bergeron
,
1928
, “Beliers Hydrauliques, Hydraulics Machinery,” p.
23
.
21.
Tijsseling
,
A. S.
, and
Anderson
,
A.
,
2004
, “
The Joukowsky Equation for Fluids and Solids
,”
Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Pressure Surges
,
Chester, UK
,
Mar. 24–26
.
22.
Schiller
,
E. J.
,
1984
, “
Proceedings of a Workshop on Hydraulic Ram Pump (Hydram) Technology
,”
Hydraulic Ram Pump
,
Arusha, Tanzania
,
May 29–June 14
, pp.
739
751
.
23.
Bergant
,
A.
,
Simpson
,
A. R.
, and
Sijamhodzic
,
E.
,
1991
, “
Water Hammer Analysis of Pumping Systems for Control of Water in Underground Mines
,”
4th International Mine Water Association Congress
,
Budapest, Hungary
,
Sept. 25–30
.
24.
Yang
,
B.
,
Deng
,
J.
,
Yuan
,
W.
, and
Wang
,
Z.
,
2020
, “
Investigation on Continuous Pressure Wave in a Periodic Transient Flow Using a Three-Dimensional CFD Model
,”
J. Hydraul. Res.
,
58
(
1
), pp.
172
181
.
25.
Blocksome
,
C. E.
, and
Powell
,
G.M.
,
2006
,
Waterers and Watering Systems: A Handbook for Livestock Owners and Land Owners
,
Kansas State University
,
Manhattan, KS
, pp.
77
82
.
26.
Glover
,
P. B. M.
,
1994
,
Computer Simulation and Analysis Methods in the Development of the Hydraulic Ram Pump
,
University of Warwick, Doctoral thesis
,
Coventry, UK
.
27.
Rennie
,
L. C.
, and
Bunt
,
E. A.
,
2007
, “
The Automatic Hydraulic Ram—Experimental Results
,”
Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. A: J. Power Energy
,
204
(
1
), pp.
23
31
.
28.
Saito
,
S.
,
Takahashi
,
M.
, and
Nagata
,
Y.
,
2011
, “
Effects of the Air Volume in the Air Chamber on the Performance of Water Hammer Pump System
,”
Int. J. Fluid Mach. Syst.
,
4
(
2
), pp.
255
261
.
29.
Lansford
,
W. M.
, and
Dugan
,
W. G.
, “
An Analytical and Experimental Study of the Hydraulic Ram
,”
Eng. Exp. Stn. Bull. Ser.
,
38
(
22
), p.
78
.
30.
Young
,
B. W.
,
1995
, “
Design of Hydraulic Ram Pump Systems
,”
Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. A: J. Power Energy
,
209
(
4
), pp.
313
322
.
31.
Thomas
,
T. H.
,
1994
,
Algebraic Modelling of the Behaviour of Hydraulic Ram-Pumps
, Working Paper No. 41 ed.,
Development Technology Unit, Department of Engineering, University of Warwick
,
Coventry, OK
.
32.
Iversen
,
H. W.
,
2010
, “
An Analysis of the Hydraulic Ram
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
,
97
(
2
), p.
191
196
.
33.
Verspuy
,
C.
, and
Tijsseling
,
A. S.
,
1993
, “
Hydraulic Ram Analysis
,”
J. Hydraul. Res.
,
31
(
2
), pp.
267
278
.
34.
Shende
,
P. B.
,
Choudhary
,
D. S. K.
, and
Ninawe
,
A. P.
,
2015
, “
Analysis and Enhancement of Hydraulic Ram Pump Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
,”
Int. J. Innov. Res. Sci. Technol.
,
2
(
3
), pp.
109
133
.
35.
Tacke
,
J. H. P. M.
, 1988, Hydraulic Rams: A Comparative Investigation, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
You do not currently have access to this content.