water wheel Water Pump (4.4MB)

This is an experimental water powered water pump I built.
It pumps 1 lt per minute to about 3 m, turning at 4 rpm.
It uses a a spiral tube pump.
In a later experiment it pumped to about 8 m.
For more details of how this works see my friends website.

http://lurkertech.com/chris/eco/

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• water
• wheel
• power
• pump
• coil
• spiral
• belcher
• low
• tech
• alternative
• ram
• waterwheel

[wcwiegman]

seems like it needs a counterweight opposite the pvc scoop to make it balanced better, same weight as the pvc.

[technoprat]

@wcwiegman

There are some weights on the wheel.

The problem is that the balance changes.

As the scoop rises it holds about 1 kg water.

But the water then drains into the lower half of the coil.

My second wheel has two scoops/coils on opposite sides of the wheel.

This gives a more constant speed.

[caustic7]

I know it would get heavy, but what if you were to create a tall wheel with a great deal of hose windings, Would the extra windings pump the water higher? or is there a diminishing return on the pressure created with windings?

[technoprat]

@caustic7

In theory you are right.

But in practice yes, a diminishing return.

Mainly from friction inside the coil.

[AFGaskillJr]

How did you work out the rotary coupler???? I want to build one but I am stuck at the Coupler.

[uhclem]

I hear alien spacecraft.

[Asylumescapee69]

Also I have this idea that I could separate the drive wheel from the pump coils and gear them to reverse the scoops against the flow, and increase torque at cost of rpms. Perhaps with some bike gears I could slowly crank it up as momentum is gained. Easy to imagine. Building it is another story. I would want to make something that lasts for 300 years or more. And pumps enough water to irrigate crops/trees and hydrate the animals. Maybe with generator alternative as well for when tank is full.

[Asylumescapee69]

I want to make a wheel strong enough to handle 10 stacked flat coils. (5 on each side) dumping into a tapped solid axle with a universal on one end . I figure I can stagger all 10 intakes and all 10 taps so that there is a nearly constant adding of water to the system rather than a pulse. I'm curious if check valves can allow for some height potential to fill a storage tank (if I have enough concentrated force from the river)

[fierwall5]

@technoprat the friction should not play into it because it is not one solid piece it is trillions of little pieces so i would think that his idea would work in practice but their is only one way to find out.

[homskoult]

You need to try a water pick-up at every blade with check valves

[varer]

@technoprat i am not so sure about that. The gravity will compensate at the cost of power of the turning wheel. You see, the friction does not impact the pressure, but the amount of water that is pumped. The faster the wheel turns the more water per time amount. Ahh this is so hard to explain in words..