How does a hydraulic ram pump work?
Ram pumps have been around for many decades and are popular for two main reasons: • They need no external source of power — the force of moving water gives them the power they need. • They are extremely simple, with just two moving parts. The basic idea behind a ram pump is simple. The pump uses the momentum of a relatively large amount of moving water to pump a relatively small amount of water uphill. To use a ram pump, you must have a source of water situated above the pump. For example, you must have a pond on a hillside so that you can locate the pump below the pond. You run a pipe from the pond to the pump. The pump has a valve that allows water to flow through this pipe and build up speed. • Once the water reaches its maximum speed, this valve slams shut. • As it slams shut, the flowing water develops a great deal of pressure in the pump because of its inertia. • The pressure forces open a second valve. • High-pressure water flows through the second valve to the delivery pipe (w
