Development and testing of a spiral tube water wheel pumping system

Abstract

Spiral Tube Water Wheel Pumping System is based on kinetic energy of flowing water, which is free of cost and abundantly available in several locations. The main components of the developed system includes float, inlet, blade, spiral tube, block bearing, housing, T-joint, union valve and outlet. When the force of flowing water directly acts on the blade it causes water strike on the blade and the thrust of the blade makes the wheel to rotate continuously in the direction of flowing water. Inlet allows to water to enter inside the spiral tube while rotation of wheel makes it to travel inside the tube. With every rotation, a column of water and air is created inside the tube. Air being compressible forces the water to exit through the outlet. More is the kinetic energy, better will be the pumping. Performance and testing of spiral tube water wheel pumping system was analysed. The testing of spiral tube water wheel was evaluated at different delivery head and carrying different horizontal distances, both affecting the discharge adversely. The result show that the system gave a discharge of 0.59 to 0.44 lps at delivery head of 4.14 to 4.83 m and horizontal distance of carrying water 3 to 10 m. The spiral tube water wheel pumping system can give a discharge of 55296 lpd at velocity 2 m/s, water depth of 1 m and lifting head of 4.28 m and carrying distance of 3 m. The cost of pumping 51200 litres of water at 3 m of operating head was found to be Rs 260.15, 287.83, 760.43 and 1604.74 for water wheel pumping system, electrical power pumping system, Diesel power pumping system and human power pumping system, respectively.