Low cost solar powered water pump

The study describes the development of a prototype solar energy powered water pump. The system was developed in an attempt to meet the following requirements and constraints: Cheap, convenient and easy manufacture, reliability and low maintanance of the system, no auxiliary power requirements, and minimum running costs. The literature survey indicated that a number of pumping systems have been studied in the past, with variable successes, based on numerous thermodynamic cycles. Our system operates on the combination of two constant volume and two constant pressure processes, on a working fluid which expands due to input heat from the sun, and contracts due to heat rejection to the pumped water. This expansion and contraction of the fluid is utilized to move flexible bellows, resulting in the pumping action. The thermodynamic and heat transfer aspects of the system have been modelled and the results were compared with the experimental data. A number of working fluids were attempted and the final results show very good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results for Freon 113. Lack of detailed thermodynamic data did not allow similar comparison for Methanol. Yet, experiments on another fluid (Cyclohexane) were abandoned because the fluid was found to be incompatible with the bellows material.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Energy Research Centre

Year dc:date.issued

1985

Author dc:creator

• Vouzas, George

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Gryzagoridis, Jasson

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22328

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/22328