Floating Water Wheel

The floating water wheel finally got launched beginning of January.
It turns at about 1/2 this speed when the output pipe is connected & pressurised.
The output seal carrier was originally clamped to the framework, but the axle is slightly bent & chewed out the lip seals.
Letting the seal carrier float got rid of this problem.
It pumps about 7 liters a minute to approx 8 meters. Depending on river flow.
It couldn't reach the 12 meters I had hoped for.
More tweaking required.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• floating
• waterwheel
• water
• wheel
• power
• alternative
• pump
• ram
• appropriate
• technology
• coil
• spiral
• belcher

[schoolconsultants]

Will the design work better with spiral pipes i.e. concentric circles radiating down to the centre rather than all pipes at same distance from centre ?

I suspect so, as the trapped air gap will decrease and force magnified.

Interesting stuff - well done.

[technoprat]

@schoolconsultants I think you are right. I will be trying this when I refurbish it for the next dry season. Im hoping it will be able to pump to my top tank which is approx 10 m above the river.

[shithustler420]

good idea. but why use poly foam? and plastic barrels.. thanks forpolluting the river...

[technoprat]

@shithustler420 Its plywood & epoxy. Interesting name you have.

[bryncomeaux]

@93tomb look bud we gotta do something! come on!

[bryncomeaux]

i had this idea but mine was a mini riverboat like mark twain style and the driver paddle was the generator paddle and people would think it was decorative and not complain

[93tomb]

@shithustler420 What do you mean polluting the river? Its not like he's just dumping the plastic waste in the water. Even given the amount of waste products that will wash off the plastic over time, its not gonna be significant in running water. Dunno why you feel the need to put arbitrary negative comments on somebody's clever (and quite environmentally friendly) idea...

[Dingyjester]

very cool

[rafagam10]

Hi.

Beatifull machine with a solid building. Congratulations. Only one sugestion: to increase the amount of water pumped by hour, I have the feeling that the water collector have to stay more time under the water level (i.e. have time under and have time above the water level). Rafael Gamboa, Costa Rica.

[7had]

Excellent work, one of the most professional and 'appropriate tech' versions of the spiral pump i have come across.

We will be making a very similar version for use at a farm in Portugal next year. I would love to see a detailed (exploded) diagram of your PVC rotary union.

I think it would also be well worth your time (for the sake of prosperity) to make a detailed pdf available online somewhere of the complete build.

Is there a working online site for the project this is affiliated with?