I need to move water from a 5000 litre rain water tank to a 1000 litre tank that I use to water my vegetable garden from, via gravity feed. There is a 4 metre head between the tanks. I would like to put together a foor powered pumping system. I have the bike, can easily get a training stand and would appreciate any advice regarding what type of pump to use and how best to put it all together. If there is anyone out there willing to take this job on for a commission please let me know.
bicycle powered water pumps
(14 posts) (11 voices)-
CunningPlansDept
MemberHi Taffy, (if you're still here)
How did you go with this? I'm slowly pulling together plans for the same thing for the Wollongong community garden, so I'm interested to hear of any experiences with it.Posted Tuesday 27 Oct 2009 @ 7:25:57 am from IP # -
How about a drill powered rotary pump? http://cgi.ebay.com.au/DRILL-POWERED-ROTARY-PUMP-BRAND-NEW-QUICK-POST_W0QQitemZ310177600743QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Home_Tools_Pumps?hash=item48380694e7
There are plenty of those on eBay. Just attach a small wheel to the axle and run the wheel off your bicycle tyre. By finding the right wheel size and adjusting to the best gear you should be able to set up a pumping gym!
Posted Wednesday 28 Oct 2009 @ 1:43:24 am from IP # -
ghostgum
MemberA quick search puts those drill powered rotary pumps as 10 litres per minute. So 5000 litres would be about 8 hours. You need a better pump.
To lift 1 litre by 1 metre is 1kg * 9.8m/s2 * 1 = 9.8J.
The energy to lift 1000l by 4m is 40kJ
One rider can sustain 100W (=J/s) over a long period.
So it will take a minimum of 40kJ / 100 = 400s or about 6.5 minutes.
That's a flow rate of 150 litres per minute, so you will be needing something fatter than a garden hose, or pump much slower.Posted Wednesday 28 Oct 2009 @ 2:33:36 am from IP # -
I just setup small experiment. Electric rotary pump 360W was able to pump 12.5L /per minute using garden hose. Head 4 M. This electric pump need 80 min to transfer this 1000 L 4M up. It looks that this type of rotary pump will not be best suited for human power. Maybe better will be piston pump ? or modify air foot pump used to pump tyre or air bed high volume pump?
Posted Wednesday 28 Oct 2009 @ 6:09:02 am from IP # -
Bobthe...
MemberHi pedallers,
To pump a large volume over a low head you need a fat pipe, like 2" poly....
To do it by pedal power you need to get the most efficient pump possible so you are not wasting most of your energy. Those drill pumps are VERY inefficient for energy.
(I work with pumps and irrigation systems...... and I'm trying to think which style of pump is going to be best......Ummmm ......)
The most efficient electric pumps are centrifugal... but they need high input revs.... to get that from a bike (or other pedalling machine) is not very efficient.
If you put you bike in its highest gear you will get about 1:4 increase (100rpm pedalling gives 400rpm at the rear axle. If you arrange another chain drive to get another 1:4 you'll get 1600 rpm........ nearly enough........ but I don't know of any efficient centrifugal pump that only needs 100 or 150 watts @ 1600rpm..... there might be some, but I don't think they put out the flow that you're after.You might do better with an old diaphragm pump, or a vane pump like a bilge pump, setup for pedal power..... I don't know if yachties have such things.
You might talk to your local marine supplies.......Bob >>
Posted Tuesday 3 Nov 2009 @ 10:24:03 pm from IP # -
OK Taffy, it can be done::that is lifting water 4m by pedal power.
I've been evolving this for a while & have a working prototype of an AXIAL FLOW TURBINE PUMP. This is a ROTODYNAMIC type, which means if it isn't going fast enough ,it won't pump water, it depends on 'flying foils in fluid'; centrifugals are rotodynamic also.
The 12cm impeller is driven through a right angle spiral bevel gearbox [from a small angle-grinder] ratio 1::3 with a cluster of sprokets [12~>18]on the input shaft [where the disc was] :: this is chain driven by a 100tooth chainwheel on a 'bicycle built for two' with the special arrangement having the pedal cranks 90* out of phase //so two operators take it in turns for the power-push.
This pumps to 2m lift, I'm working on variants.Posted Thursday 14 Jul 2011 @ 9:06:51 am from IP # -
Andy Chee
MemberFor a human powered pump, I'd agree that positive displacement is much better than centrifugal.
Any good sailing/boating/marine store should have something.
https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?cat=133&item=67553&intAbsolutePage=1
Posted Thursday 14 Jul 2011 @ 10:14:15 am from IP # -
Russell Moore
Member100 tooth chainwheel?, where did you get that, the largest one I have ever seen was 60 teeth.
Also I have had some experience with the diaphram bilge pumps available at marine stores, the rubber diaphrams wear out fairly quickly, especially if exposed to sunlight.
Posted Friday 15 Jul 2011 @ 12:54:20 am from IP # -
mich_blogs
MemberI suggest you build a Newcomen engine.
Posted Saturday 23 Jul 2011 @ 12:06:31 pm from IP # -
100 Tooth chainwheels can be made from industrial chain-drives,the one I bought was 1cm thick,so it was machined to suit bike chain & the centre opened up till it sat on the remains [after teeth ground off] of the middle chainwheel of three, 4X6mm c/s hold it to the outer c/w.
80 Tooth c/w can be bought from Greenspeed-recumbents
Anyway Taffy, this is the 2m lift model, I'll do the 7m number next/soon
I've been blogging awhile on ihpva.org > forums > water > challenge.
You can come & check out what I've got,north side of Botany BayPosted Saturday 6 Aug 2011 @ 3:25:52 am from IP # -
I've got a two-man pedal-pump up & running,see some pics on onetonpump.com.
If you wish, come & check it out in the workshop near Sydney Airport.
Helpers with this interest & expertise are needed. Ph 0414766477 Tony.Posted Wednesday 5 Oct 2011 @ 8:48:04 pm from IP # -
This one being promoted in Africa is interesting.
http://www.kickstart.org/products/super-moneymaker/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues/july-dec10/kickstart_07-13.html
Posted Wednesday 5 Oct 2011 @ 10:04:35 pm from IP #
