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{{Language-box|english_link= Rope pump | french_link= Coming soon | spanish_link= Coming soon | hindi_link= Coming soon | malayalam_link= Coming soon | tamil_link= Coming soon | swahili_link=coming soon | korean_link= Coming soon | chinese_link=绳泵| indonesian_link= Coming soon | japanese_link= Coming soon }} [[Image:Rope_pump_icon.png|right|80px]]
[[Image:RopePumpMozambique.JPG|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump| Rope pump]] on a borehole, made in a local workshop in Mozambique ]]
The modern Rope pump is a highly efficient and low cost pump, it can be produced with local materials and can be truly operated and maintained at a village level. The basic design has a wheel with a continuous loop of rope with pistons that fit with a small clearance in the pump pipe. The low end of this pipe is at the bottom of the well. By turning the wheel the rope passes up through the PVC pump pipe and pushes the water up. At the top end of the pump pipe, the diameter increases and the water comes out via a Tee piece. If produced and installed well, Rope pumps have proven highly successful prove to be sustainable and now there are hundreds of thousands 120,000 of these pumps in use world wide and used for anything from community communal and domestic water supply to , irrigation and cattle watering. For irrigation, it Modern models can be used as a simple surface water diversion pump. For from wells down to as deep as 35 mand compared to imported hand pumps, rope Rope pumps are often three to five times cheaper and . Good quality pumps can last for 20 years or more sustainable than standard piston pumpsas is proven in Nicaragua where the first improved models that were installed in 1990 are still working. Rope pumps can be powered by hand, bicycle, motor, horse, or wind power.
====Origins====
The almost intuitive design is known by many other names , including the paternoster (after the beaded prayer chain it resembles), Noria pump, liberation pump or ropechain-and-washer pump. It is a relatively recent development of but all have the ancient chain-and-washer same pumpprinciple. Evidence of the chain-and-washer this pump principle dates back as far as two thousand years, to feudal China <ref> Fraenkel, Peter, and Thake, Jeremy.
[http://www.washdoc.info/docsearch/title/118633 Water Lifting Devices, A handbook for users and choosers], 3rd ed. UK, Rugby: Intermediate Technology Publications Ltd, 2006.</ref>. The earliest report of the design in the west is cited <ref> Olsen, J. P. [https://utorontopress.com/us/greek-and-roman-mechanical-water-lifting-devices-1 Greek & Roman Mechanical Water-Lifting Devices: The History of a Technology]. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1984. </ref> as that illustrated by the Sienese early renaissance engineer, Tacolla, circa 1433 <ref> Tacolla, Mariano. ''De Ingeineis'', Liber Primus Leonis, Liber Secundis Draconis, Addenda. c. 1433, folio 80. </ref>, a copy of which is given in the figure to the right <ref>Weisbaden, Ludwig, ed. et al. [http://digital.library.cornell.edu/k/kmoddl/pdf/037_001.pdf Facsimile of De Ingeineis], Liber Primus Leonis, Liber Secundis Draconis, Addenda [online]. Germany: Satz Und Druck, 1984. [April 2009]</ref>. In the 1970 and 80s the basic design was adapted by numerous individuals, the most prominent of which were R. van Tijen of Demotech, J. Haemhouts <ref>Sandiford, Peter, et al. [http://www.washdoc.info/docsearch/title/116194 The Nicaraguan Rope-pump]. ''Waterlines'', January 1993, Vol. 11 (3).</ref> <ref> Lammerink, M.P. et al. [http://www.ircwash.org/resources/evaluation-report-nicaraguan-experiences-rope-pump-final-report EVALUATION REPORT NICARAGUAN EXPERIENCES WITH ROPE PUMP] The Netherlands: IRC, 1995. </ref> and R. Lambert <ref>Lambert, R. A. [http://www.washdoc.info/docsearch/title/110481 How to make a rope-and-washer pump]. London: Intermediate Technology Design Group, 1990.</ref>. They applied the simple design as a tool aimed at economic and social development. They took advantage of low cost and versatile modern plastics to produce the modern rope-pump design. They applied this pump as a homemade, low lift pump. However the early models did not really take off and a successful scaling up of the Rope pump only started in 1988 in Nicaragua where the pump was technically improved by Van Hemert of the organization SNV and Alberts of Bombas de mecate. They made it into a compact metal model fit for commercial sales, produced and sold by local private companies. V. Hemert and Alberts <ref>Alberts, J. H. [http://www.ircwash.org/sites/default/files/Alberts-2004-Rope.pdf The rope-pump - an example of technology transfer]. ''Waterlines'', January 2004, Vol. 22 (3), 22-25.</ref> Holtslag.
[[Image:An illustration of the basic rope-pump design in the west circa 1433.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump| Rope Pump]] first illustrated in the west circa 1433 <ref>Weisbaden, Ludwig, ed. et al. [http://digital.library.cornell.edu/k/kmoddl/pdf/037_001.pdf Facsimile of De Ingeineis], Liber Primus Leonis, Liber Secundis Draconis, Addenda [online]. Germany: Satz Und Druck, 1984. [April 2009]</ref>]]
===Suitable conditions ===[[Image:horse rope pump.jpg|thumb|right|200px|'''Horse Rope pump''', powered by horses or donkeys. Pumps from wells to 65 m deep. Pump capacity 5 times more than a hand powered model. Used in Nicaragua. Photo: Henk Holtslag]]A rope Rope pump can be used to draw water from large diameter hand dug wells or of 3 meters to boreholesas small as 6 cm. Applications include communal wells, households, irrigation, and cattle watering. One person can draw water up to from 35 mdeep, two persons can pump to 60m from 60 m deep (using a second crank)and if powered by an engine it can pump from 100 meters or more. A rope Rope pump can be driven by hand, windmill, motor, bicycle, and animals, wind or engines. A rope If well made, a hand Rope pump can pump 40 delivers 35 litres / min from 10 meters depthand halve of that if the well is 20 metres deep. Rope Pumps can be [http://www. It is mawama.org/rope-pump/rope-pump-efficiency very efficient] but typically have an efficiencies of 65%, [http://www.mawama.org/rope-pump/rope-pump-efficiency model equations of the rope pump] confirm the best rope speed to around 1.2m/s and the piston spacing to be 1m. Hand pump models are most commonly used at depths less than 50m. Some 70,000 rope pumps are in use in Nicaragua, 20,000 in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, India, Vietnam, and others. In total, the Rope pump is used in over 30 countries35m.
The Rope pump is most suitable for single families, but is also often used for communities up to 20 families (150 people).
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" align="center"
! style="background:#f0f8ff;" | Disadvantages
|-
| valign="top" | - Simple, no “black box” <br> - Easy to maintain <br>- Easy to train on production, maintenance- Can be made locally by workshops <br> - Significantly cheaper (up 5 to 5 8 times) cheaper than imported piston pumps. for the same depth <br> - If made wellRotating movement, one pump can supply up to 250 people as experiences no dynamic force like in Nicaragua, Ghana and other countries indicate. However, suggested use is for maximum of 20 families (100 people) piston pumps<br> - Easy to maintain. Pump parts in the wells plastic and concrete (no corrosion) <br> - Easy Rotating shaft, easy to train on maintenance. <br>- Can be made locally power by workshop. bicycle, animals, windmills, electric motors or combustion engines <br> - Ideal to be used by one or two families in a shallow well on their own yard. <br>- Can be used Fit for irrigation and , therefore used as income generation. <br>- Can be driven by handIf made well, windmillone pump can supply up to 250 people as is the experience in Nicaragua, motorTanzania, bicycleMalawi and other countries. However, animals. <br>suggested use is for maximum of 20 families (150 people) | valign="top" | - The rope pump It is simple which is easy good but also leads to copy, but bad copying (materials, construction) leads to resulting in early break down.and bad image <br>- Lack of Requires frequent maintenance and installation errorslike oiling the bushings, can lead if not leads to early wearing out or and breakage of pump partshandle <br>- A “blocking system” is needed on the handle to avoid return of the handle, if not the "spinning back" of the handle which can be dangerous, especially for children.<br>- It cannot pump higher than the pump outlet <br>- Compared to piston pumps the rope pumps Rope pump is semi-open at the top which in theory, can cause contamination of the well. (if well made this is hardly a problem in practice) <br> - The Rope pump splashes morethan piston pumps.<br>- Not suitable as a community pump for more communities larger than 20 families.<br>
|}
===Construction, operations and maintenance===[[Image:Rope_pump_action_diagram.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump| Rope pump]], An illustration of the pumping action of a rope pump. However, this drawing needs adaptation. The pipe diameter at and above the Tee piece should be larger than the pump pipe. This is essential for good functioning of the pump. Now most of the water will come out at the top!]]
[[Image:Rope_pump.PNG|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump | Rope pump]], (Victory model) on a hand-dug of 20 meters deep well, made in a local workshop in northern Ghana. Photo: Netherlands Water Partnership. ]]
With different depthsdeeper wells, different sizes of smaller diameter pump pipes are needed, otherwise the pumping becomes to too heavy. See manuals on websites of [http://wwwpractica.practicafoundation.nl/libraryorg/manualspublications/ Practica Foundation] and , [http://www.connectinternational.nl/english/smartmodules/smart-tec/pumps/ropepumpproduction Connect International], and [http://www.ropepumps.org ropepumps.org].<br>
Many different types of rope pump exist, powered by hand, bicycle, wind, horse, [http://www.mawama.org/rope-pump/powered-rope-pump/solar-pv-powered-rope-pump solar] etc.
Similar to piston pumps, a cement slab and a good soak away are needed to avoid splash water becoming a cause for pollutionand recontamination of the water in the well.
====Design====
* Pumping depth (Lift): 0 to 30m 35 m * Cylinder diameter: 28 (pump pipe) 32 mm for 1 to 10 metres deep, 25 mm for 10 to 42 20 metres deep and 19 mm, depending on depthfor 20 to 35 metres deep* PistonPistons: Plastic Rubber or HD PE (plastic) pistons spaced at 1 m* Yield: (75 50 watt input, ) at 5 a 10 m head) ~ 4.5 the yield is 2 m³/hour . [http://www.mawama.org/rope-pump/rope-pump-efficiency Model equations can be found here] * Population/field area served: Max 150 people or irrigation of 0.25 1 hectare * Type of well: dug well or of 3 metres to boreholeof 6 to 20 cm diameter
The rope Rope pump can be produced with made in any country since the design can be adapted to the materials that are locally available . After due training it can be produced, by small or medium metal companies or blacksmiths that have a welding machine and standard materials hand tools. Although simple does not mean easy. It is essential to build the pump with 10 basic design rules. (See [http://www.ropepumps.org ropepumps.org] FAQs). In general, training is needed for good quality in production and local skills, such as an artisan workshopimportant, good installation.
The pump frame is welded from made of galvanized pipes or mild steel. The handle axle is a mild galvanized steel pipe with metal bushings (some design use there are also designs with ball bearings, either ball bearings or wooden bearings, other employ a steel bushingbushings). The pulley wheel is assembled by fitting made of the cut-off sides of a tyre used car tire and mounted with clamps and spokes on the handle. The wheel should have a rim, which generates a nice sharp 'v' shape which provides to get a good traction on the rope. The ropes are made of Polyethylene, Polypropylene, or Polyamide fibres fibers varying from Ø 4 to Ø 8 mm. Natural fibres fibers are not suitable, as they will lengthen stretch when wet, and degrade too fast. The pistons are made of the side of the siude of a used car tire or injection moulded plastic with no sealmolded HD polyethylene. The rising main are PVC pipes ranging from with wall thickness of 1.5 to 2 mm and diameters of 20-50mm diameter to 50 mm (depending on liftdepth of the water level). The guide box can be is made of concrete (with a ceramic insert (some designs use cast in piece or small glass bottlesbottle as turning point), galvanized pipe or made of wood with a pvc lining. The installation of the Rope pump is easy and does not need any lifting equipment or special tools. The pumps are generally installed in dug wells but also versions that fit into boreholes are availablePVC turning point.
====Maintenance====
One of the main strengths of the rope Rope pump is that '''all''' maintenance is and repairs are relatively simple and can '''easily and genuinely be done at village level'''by local technicians. All spare parts can, like Because of the whole pumplocal production, be manufactured in any small town with only the most basic welding machine, other standard hand tools spares are available and a basic supply of standard items like PVC pipe, GS pipe and round barknowledge to do repairs. The most frequent repairs are simple and consist mainly of repairing replacing the rope or handle. Although easy and simple to maintain it is important the user is instructed in why pistons and how to maintain and repair their pump. Evaluations show that rope pumps on communal wells can be maintained by weekly oiling of the users under certain conditionsbushings. On pumps shared amongst large groups one of the main conditions is a very high level The installation and repairs of community coherence and responsibility. If the rope pump technology is introduced properlypart does not require special tools, like often is the case with the Zimbabwe Elephant Rope and pump, up to 90% of rope pumps remain operational, even after many yearspipes are very light so no need for any lifting equipment.
* Cost of introduction: between US$ 10,000-30,000 per project, including 20 pumps, engineering and hands-on training.
* Rural water programme: US$ 150,000-200,000 per project, including 1,000 pumps, start up of production facility and hands-on training.
===Field experiences===[[Image:RopePumpBicycle.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump| Pedal Rope pump]], bicycle model, produced and used in Nicaragua]][[Image:RopePumpMotor.png|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump| Motorized rope Motor Rope pump]], powered by a diesel motor, used for irrigation. Pumping from a 25m well. Photo: Netherlands Water Partnership.]][[Image:RopePumpZambia.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump| Hand Rope pump]] used for irrigation in Zambia]][[Image:Rope pump cross section.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump| Rope pump]] Cross section diagram of a rope Rope pump on with a complete wheel cover, 95% of the Rope pumps have a capped wellsmall wheel cover to reduce cost and make maintenance easier. Also water quality of semi-covered Rope pumps is the same as completely closed Rope pumps.]]
Because of its low cost, the pump is also popular for domestic use[[Self Supply|Self Supply]]. A survey among 5,025 rural families in Nicaragua indicates that a rope an Rope pump increases family income, even if used for domestic purposes only. Families with a pump on their well earn an average US$ 220 more per year more than families without who use a rope and a pumpbucket on their well. In Nicaragua the pumps are now being produced commercially by 20 some 10 workshops.
Different models of Rope pumps were introduced in Africa. This introduction has not always been successful: in one projects over as described above. In Ghana, 80% of the pumps did NOT not work after one year! and in Ethiopia, Uganda and Mozambique there were similar problems with pumps being installed for large communities. However, with the "right" models and , the "right" user trainingand willingness of users to pay for repairs, up to 90% remain in operation also in Africa, as the Victory pump model in Ghana and , the Elephant model in Zimbabwe have provedand the SHIPO Model in Tanzania and Malawi prove. In 2013, Rope pumps were used in over 30 countries. Below are the experiences in several countries.
====Malawi, Blantyre trials====
Several rope pumps were introduced in order to provide a better alternative for the Afridev Community handpump, which is the standard handpump in Malawi. The Afridev is not popular due to many breakdowns and not available spare parts, especially in the more remote areas. However, the rope pumps also broke down many times, sometimes several times per month, due to the high number of users and was therefor not considered by the users as a good alternative for a community pump, although repairs were possible. Another disadvantage mentioned was that children found it difficult to pump and sometimes got hurt when the handle security break system was not functioning (in that case the handle turns back with a high speed due to the weight of the water in the riser pipe). The communities now prefer a more reliable handpump than the Afridev, with less need for spares.
====Mozambique====
As in Malawi, the Rope pump was seen as a viable alternative to the Afridev which is generally the official pump of choice. WaterAid had first introduced a bucket and windlass system in the Niassa province as an alternative due to the high failure rate of Afridev pumps, but the Mozambican government refused to accept these as official community water supplies. WaterAid, in partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), UNICEF, CARE and the Government of Mozambique, therefore began a lengthy process of piloting a robust community rope pump, first relying on support from Bombas de Mecate in Nicaragua, but later adapting the design from Madagascar which is a pump model with a closed wheel cover. The new model meets a number of key well protection and water quality criteria set down by the development team. Three manufacturers were in operation in three provinces and through a process of skill sharing improvements have been made to the design resulting in a robust high quality model. A manufacturing standard has also been produced with the help of SKAT. After final stages of this process there was a final approval of the pump in 2011 as well as the licensing of the manufacturers by the Governments standards laboratory.
There are now more than 300 Rope pumps installed across three provinces (Niassa, Cabo Delgado and Zambezia) and in Niassa particularly WaterAid funded projects continues to offer communities a choice of either the Rope pump of the Afridev. The pumps were monitored twice per year in order to better understand the pumps sustainability. At this moment (July 2013) The trained manufacturers are not producing anymore and most of these pumps are defect. Reasons are as mentioned before, lack of ownership and payment for repairs and technical breakdowns because the number of people using the pumps was too large. Also the complete cover of the pump complicated the repairs.
Another organization ADPP in Itoculo (near Nampula ) trained workshops in the production of the so called SHIPO model of which there now are 4000 in Tanzania. Some 350 of these pumps are installed on hand dug or manual drilled tube wells and some 70% are working. At this moment (July 2013) this pump model is being produced in Monapo.
It was not considered by the users as a good community pump, although repairs were possible. Another disadvantage mentioned was that children found it difficult to pump (caused by too large of a pump pipe diameter) and sometimes got hurt when the handle security break system was not functioning. Due to lack of quality control the pumps did not have an anti-return system. This results in the handle turning back with a high speed due to the weight of the water in the riser pipe. In 2008, over 2000 simple Pole model Rope pumps for irrigation were installed near Blantyre made by the organization DAPP.
In 2012, a Water training centre (SMART Centre) at the Mzuzu University introduced the SHIPO model Rope pump. This centre, supported by Connect International, is now (in 2013) training local companies in manual well drilling and Rope pumps. A focus is on quality control via certification. After initial problems, now good quality pumps are produced and some 100 installed. [https://www.facebook.com/SMART.Centre.Mzuzu/ Mzuzu Smart Centre].
Apart from this initiative, PumpAid has also been active in the Chimoio province installing Elephant Pumps which are also rope pumps.
Please see the external links below for further information.
====Videos====
====External links====
[[Image:RopePumpvietnam.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Rope pump| Rope pump]] used for rice paddy irrigation in Vietnam]]
[[Image:wind rope pump.jpg|thumb|right|200px|'''Wind Rope pump''' used in Nicaragua, produced by AMEC]] * [http://www.ropepumps.org/ www.ropepumps.org website](English and Spanish)* [http://www.ircropepump.nlcom/page/31886 Rope pumps: out-perform conventional handpumps on most counts in Ghana testropepump.com]. Article on IRC.(Spanish)* [http://www.ircircwash.nlorg/pagesites/15380 Rope default/files/Sutton-2009-Transferring.pdf Transferring the rope pumpto Africa: local production A long and installation capacity being developed in Senegalwinding road?]. Article on IRC.*[http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/implementationsustainable-groundwater-management/handpump-overview pumps Overview of community handpumps hand pumps at the RWSN website]
* [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/289 Low-cost pump alternatives for rural communities in Honduras (rope- and EMAS pumps), SKAT website]
* [http://www.pumpaid.org/The-Elephant-Pump.shtml Pump Aid works in Malawi and Zimbambwe with the Elephant pump, a kind of rope pump.]
* [http://www.wateraid.org/international/what_we_do/where_we_work/mozambique/2595.asp Rope Pump - WaterAid in Mozambique]
* [http://www.appropedia.org/Rope_pump Rope pump article at Appropedia]
* [[Solution_of_the_week_7|Akvo solution of the week 7]]
* [[Solution_of_the_week_9|Akvo solution of the week 9]]
* [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/307 'Low Cost HandpumpsHand pumps' RWSN Field Note 2011-3]* [http://www.rural-water-supplyropepump.net/en/implementation/handpump-overviewcom/rope-pumps-nicaragua RWSN: Rope Pumps (Nicaragua)]* [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/implementationresources/handpump-overviewdetails/rope-pump-madagascar RWSN: 337 Rope Pumps (Madagascar)]
* RWSN: The Rope Pump Concept [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/294 English], [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/296 French], [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/336 Portuguese]
===References===
<references/>
===Acknowledgements===
* [http://www.henkholtslag.nl henkholtslag.nl], [http://www.300in6.org 300in6.org], [http://www.connectinternational.nl connectinternational.nl]