I’m new here, been lurking awhile, etc. Has anyone heard of the Bellocq Compression Wave pump? A fellow named Toribio Bellocq received a patent for it in the 1920’s. Here’s a link to about all I’ve discovered on the web regarding this pump:
This pump apparently overcomes the suction limit imposed by Toricelli’s law(you can only push water, atmospheric pressure will push water up about 10M) by creating a standing wave in the intake pipe with the foot valve conspiring to take in water. It doesn’t really violate Toricelli’s law, it just transmits energy down the pipe and the foot valve acts as a pump.
My interest in this is more than just idle curiosity, I’m a terrific cheapskate, and my summer house sits about 75 meters above a river. I would like to get find a cheap way to get about 4 liters of water per minute from down there to up here. Normally, one would run power down there and install a regular old pump, but I’m afraid the “thieving river rats” would steal my pump within a week, so I’m looking for something with low cost at the suction end.
While it may work as an interesting experiment, I doubt it would provide a practical or efficient means of pumping water. To me it would seem more practical to have an installation which wold make pump theft difficult… and I guess they can always steal the pipes…
Ram pumps are an effective technology. They do not require electricity but they can be stolen.
You might also consider a jet (ejector) pump. That would let you keep the active, expensive element in your house. It would pump water down to a small nozzle, with a gap between it and a larger inlet. The water jet entrains water around it, and the flow coming back is at higher volume but lower pressure.
An I wrong in assuming jet pumps are limited to about 40 meters? I would definitely consider that if it could work. I’m not concerned about pipes leading down and things underwater being swiped, it’s the nice shiny above ground pump that fetches jack at the pawn shop that I’m concerned about.
Can jet pumps be staged somehow, with retaining pools, I’ve never seen that, my land is completely raw, and a extra pool of water would mean nothing except a place for deer to socialize.
The ram pump would be great except that the river barely moves, and is the headwaters of a nearby lake.
If your curious, This is on the White River in North West Arkansas, just outside of Eureka Springs. So “river rats” should probably be called “Hill Billies,” or “Arkansas Ridge Runners.” I’m a foreigner in these parts. I telecommute, so where I hang my hat doesn’t affect my work.
I guess you could hide the pump by building an underground enclosure and covering it with dirt and burying the pipes for some legth. I have seen a machine like a small tiller which will bury a cable or small hose as it goes along (without digging a trench). You can also provide a lockable cover and an alarm.
Looks interesting. One bit of advice if you decide to try it: Use steel pipe, not PVC or Polyethyline pipe. They’re not strong enough to handle the pressure spikes.
Oh, you’ll need a quick acting foot valve and a good screen to keep the valve clean.