Pumps Technology
There are various pumps available on African market. The ones that are currently being promoted most extensively are Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) pumps. The concept is that these pumps require minimum maintenance, which can ideally be carried out by the villagers. However, most of the pumps fail to meet sustainability requirements as set out in Problem Statement.
This project focuses on two most commonly encountered types, namely reciprocating pumps and rope pumps (reciprocating pumps can be further classified as direct action pumps, e.g. Nira AF-85 or Malda Pump, or lever action pumps for boreholes, e.g. Afridev Pump). The pumps that will be constructed for the purpose of the project are the Abakus pump, which is a rope pump, and the Nafe pump, which is a reciprocating pump similar to Malda type.
The principle for lifting water in a reciprocating pump is by moving a piston up and down in a tube, which creates lower pressure above water in the well, which in turn causes water to be sucked up through the rising main. There is a one-way valve at the bottom of the pump rod, which prevents water from flowing back down. The rope pumps, as the name suggests, use a rope with washers (usually, rubber circles) attached at regular spacing. The rope forms a loop and as it is pulled through a rising main, the water is trapped in the raiser pipe and lifted to the outlet spout. Figure 6 shows an example of a rope pump from Nicaragua. |
Use the links below to read brief descriptions of particular types of pumps.
Afridev pump
Malda pump
Elephant pump
Abakus pump
Nafe pump
Afridev pump
Malda pump
Elephant pump
Abakus pump
Nafe pump