Hydropower and Water Pumps

Instalation of RAM Pump in ICIMOD Knowledge Park, Godavari. A hydraulic ram pump has been demonstrated in ICIMOD’s Knowledge Park at Godavari. This pump requires no fuel or electricity to pump water, therefore it is also called zero energy water lifting pump. This technology is very much useful for the mountain communities where they have water sources at lower elevation and irrigated area is located at higher elevation. The pump was gifted to ICIMOD by the manufacturing company based in Pakistan. Photo: Jitendra Raj Bajracharya/ICIMOD.

Hydropower is one of the most promising potential sources of energy in the HKH region. The possibilities range from large-scale hydroelectric stations to the small water-powered wheels used across the region to grind grain. At Godavari, we focus on low-cost small-scale technologies for farm households.

Picohydropower: peltric set technology

Peltric set technology is a means of generating electric power from a small quantity of water dropped from a large height. The device consists of an induction generator that runs with a peltron turbine. A high velocity water jet strikes the bucket to run the impeller, which in turn rotates the shaft of the induction generator. The basic principle used is that ‘an induction motor tends to generate electricity after it runs faster than the synchronous speed’. An induction generator controller (IGC) is used with a ballast heater for regular power supply and to protect the generator, The IGC diverts electric power to the ballast heater when the electric power is not being consumed to produce hot water. The device is simple to operate and requires little maintenance. The generated electric power can be used to provide electricity in rural and remote mountainous areas and is highly suited for use in the HKH region which is full of small streams and rivulets with small discharge flows on sloping land that provides height for the water to drop down. The demonstrated set provides 200W of electricity, sufficient to light 18 light bulbs of 11 Watts each (shown using energy-saving fluorescent bulbs, each with a light energy output equivalent to that from a normal 60 Watt bulb).

Hydro ram water pump

The hydro-ram water pump is a self-actuating pump operating on the principle of a water hammer that is used to lift water from a position near the water source to a higher location. If correctly installed and properly maintained, it is a dependable and useful device that can lift water to a great height without the use of any source of energy or fuel other than the water itself. The pump uses the momentum of a relatively large amount of moving water to pump a relatively small amount of water uphill. This type of pump is useful for providing irrigation water to fields at a higher level than the water source, or water to a house higher up a slope.