Hydraulic Ram Pumps Are Magic

Hydraulic Ram Pumps Are Magic

#shorts

[YSPACElabs]

This is similar to how an electronic boost converter works. The water's inertia is like an inductor, and the output check valve is like a diode. The other check valve is like a switch.

[FirstLast-gwmg]

If you're familiar with water hammer, that is precisely what is happening here. Water will flow downhill, and once it's moving, it has kinetic energy. If you suddenly slam a valve closed, all of that kinetic energy has to go somewhere; typically into the nearby plumbing, causing a sudden jolt of increased pressure ("water hammer"). In this case, there's a convenient place for it to go: up the tube. And so it does.

If there's a large mass of water and/or it's moving quite fast, it can have a lot of kinetic energy. This increased pressure can be many times higher than the head pressure of the water's static mass under gravity, which can cause big problems if there's no safe place for all the energy to go. Water is relatively incompressible, so a typical solution is to add a surge tank nearby that contains a compressible fluid (gas) - this way the energy will be spent more gently by compressing that gas, causing a much more gradual change in pressure instead of a massive spike. The water will surge into that tank, and as the gas in the tank is compressed it will start pushing back, slowing the water down gradually until it stops flowing, reverses, and eventually the compressed gas will push that extra water back out of the surge tank and the system will return to static equilibrium.

[frederickwelham]

Ordinance Survey maps show hydraulic rams which were installed in Victorian times to supply water to houses many metres in elevation higher than the source, usually a spring. They also used a device called a jack pump.

[jt]

Love this little engineering masterpiece. Actually invented in England by Clockmaker Whitehurst ~1772, or in France about the same time. Montgolfier had one. A Swedish engineer, find one in France early for 1800-something., BUT it hadn't any automatic valves. You have to open/close valves manually. That Swedish guy, engineer J O.Lundberg, took a patent in 1896 ( begun selling them in ~1893). Product was baptized Vädur, Vædur (Ram in English). Try to get a pic in here, no it didn't work my way. It was sold all around the world. Sold in it's original design until ~2000. Perhaps today. As young boy I saw that miracle! Without any external power keep pumping 24/7?? All the water flooding around was the power I understand (and forget) as an adult. I think, easy estimated, 90% was spilled to pump the left 10%. But it pumped it to a HIGH level. I still love it, and among bicycle it's a sustainable invention.

[chenlim]

How have I never heard of this before??!!! All those high school physics classes and no one ever thought to mention this sorcery?

[taiyoqun]

Ram pumps take 2 cm of potential energy and transform it into 5 m of potential energy. Yes, they lose a lot of water to do so, so it can't feed itself, but otherwise they are the closest we have to free energy. They are magic even if you understand how they work

[Caisadilla]

The hardest part of building a perpetual motion machine is figuring out where to hide the batte-- wait wuh!?

[rxotmfrxotmf]

As usual, a marvelous demonstration of physical principles. Well done!

[donskiver]

Fun fact, this is how they get water up into those water towers you see in smaller towns.

[justinciallella]

I used one for years, to fill a reservoir up my hill. I built it from plans I got from Clemson university. I now use solar/12v pumps.

[sigmacentauri]

Since i watched this video now im obsessing with finding a piece of land with a stream on it to build a mini hydro plant.

[Jesse-bbqj]

1:15 "how is this possible?"
Gravity does not exist, I recall when I first realized. Air has weight to it and we LITERALLY are NOT touching the ground

[user_a]

Brilliant explanation - this guy is gold.

[orbismworldbuilding]

I feel like you should mention that the water going out of the second valve creates a vacuum that pulls the waste valve open

[olorinistar]

I've heard of this before, but it wasn't explained nearly so well. I understand this pump now, thank you!

[lscales]

I love you can explain stuff so simply and it still makes me feel dumb.

[you_tube_]

Perfect example of potential energy getting converted into kinetic energy. amazing.

[funklelester]

Simple fix for the waste. Use a catch basin(a kid pool) and an appropriately sized syphon hose to refill the first bucket. Get that perpetual motion going.

[Newmachinist]

Great informative video overal. Too bad the person filming with a cell phone didn't turn the phone to landscape - would have improved the video dramatically

[heathers]

What is the purpose of the large vertical pvc chamber and the valve to the left of it?