High altitude hydro

[nowty]

I recall someone on St Elsewhere, (might have been Hermit), who ran about 1/4 mile of plastic pipe down from a pond down their hillside for DIY Hydro. When they got the water flowing they shut off a valve at the bottom and bang, instant pipe destruction. I guess trying to stop 1/4 mile of water from moving in an instant is against the laws of physics.

I think they improvised a very slow closing valve to get round the problem.

[Fintray]

I recall someone on St Elsewhere, (might have been Hermit), who ran about 1/4 mile of plastic pipe down from a pond down their hillside for DIY Hydro. When they got the water flowing they shut off a valve at the bottom and bang, instant pipe destruction. I guess trying to stop 1/4 mile of water from moving in an instant is against the laws of physics.

I think they improvised a very slow closing valve to get round the problem.

I'm sure you are correct.

[openspaceman]

This is how a hydraulic ram pump works; water accelerates down a pipe until its velocity drags a valve shut. The impulse created by suddenly stopping the flow then pushes the water up hill via a one way valve. The pressure subsides and the valve opens restarting the cycle.

We had one on the estate that filled a 1700 gallon tank in the main house loft 200 yards away and 100ft higher up.

[Ph.]

We have a ram pump here, built out of 3/4” plumbing parts, 6m head to pump, 35m head to storage tanks, but I only run it in the winter now when there isn’t surplus electricity. Amazing though the ram pump is at less than 85% efficient we can’t afford that much water going downstream when it’s dry in the summer, & just turning a switch is much easier!

Ph.

[ecogeorge]

We have a ram pump here, built out of 3/4” plumbing parts, 6m head to pump, 35m head to storage tanks, but I only run it in the winter now when there isn’t surplus electricity. Amazing though the ram pump is at less than 85% efficient we can’t afford that much water going downstream when it’s dry in the summer, & just turning a switch is much easier!

Ph.

6m head
Surely that's Pico hydro project in the making ?
George