Development and Performance Evaluation of a Vacuum Drum Based Water Pumping System

Abstract

A vacuum drum based water pumping system (VDBWPS) is a cost effective system for lifting and carrying water from a nearby flowing canal/nallah as well as from standing water of farm pond/open well. The main component of the developed system includes of a mild steel (MS) drum, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, jointer, elbow joint, T-joint, L-joint, regulator valve, and foot valve. In this system water can be filled manually or via other devices, such as a solar pump or a treadle pump. The drum's capacity is nearly 80% filled, and the remaining 20% is kept empty. A continuous supply is created by closing both air release valves and opening the discharge valve. More is the vacuum, better will be the pumping. The testing of vacuum drum based water pumping system was evaluated at different suction lift and carrying horizontal distances, both affecting the discharge. The result show that the water pumping system gave a discharge 2.22 to 2.40 litre per minute (lpm) at a constant suction lift of 0.92 meter (m) and varying distances 0 to 12 m. it was also found that the discharge increase with the distance having peak discharge at 6 m i.e. 3.75 lpm and afterwards it decreases gradually as the carrying length increases. The vacuum drum based water pumping system can give a discharge of 5400 litre per day (lpd) at 0.92 m of suction lift and carrying horizontal distance of 6 m. The cost of operation of vacuum drum based water pumping system was 352.41 ₹/day. It has always been a demand that the "technology should be technically feasible, economically viable and socially acceptable".