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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"
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! width="50%" style="background:#efefef;" | Advantages
! style="background:#ffdeadf0f8ff;" | Disadvantages
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| 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 borehole The rope pump can be produced with locally available standard materials and local skills, such as an artisan workshop.of 6 to 20 cm diameter
The frame is welded from mild steelRope pump can be made in any country since the design can be adapted to the materials that are locally available. The handle axle is a mild steel pipe (some design use bearingsAfter due training it can be produced, either ball bearings by small or wooden bearings, other employ medium metal companies or blacksmiths that have a steel bushingwelding machine and standard hand tools. The pulley wheel Although simple does not mean easy. It is assembled by fitting essential to build the cut-off sides of a tyre on a rim, which generates a nice 'v' shape which provides good traction on the ropepump with 10 basic design rules. The ropes are made of Polyethylene, Polypropylene, or Polyamide fibres varying from Ø 4 to Ø 8 mm(See [http://www. Natural fibres are not suitable, as they will lengthen when wet, and degrade too fastropepumps. The pistons are injection moulded plastic with no sealorg ropepumps. The rising main are PVC pipes ranging from 20-50mm diameter (depending on liftorg] FAQs). The guide box can be made of concrete with a ceramic insert (some designs use cast In general, training is needed for good quality in glass bottles)production and, as important, or made of wood with a pvc lininggood installation.
The installation pump frame is made of galvanized pipes or mild steel. The handle is a galvanized steel pipe with metal bushings (there are also designs with ball bearings, or wooden bushings). The pulley wheel is made of the Rope pump is easy sides of a used car tire and mounted with clamps and does spokes on the handle. The wheel should have a sharp 'v' shape to get a good traction on the rope. The ropes are made of Polyethylene, Polypropylene, or Polyamide fibers varying from Ø 4 to Ø 8 mm. Natural fibers are not need any lifting equipment suitable, as they will stretch when wet, and degrade too fast. The pistons are made of the side of the siude of a used car tire or special toolsinjection molded HD polyethylene. The pumps rising main are generally installed in dug wells but also versions that fit into boreholes are availablePVC pipes with wall thickness of 1.5 to 2 mm and diameters of 20 to 50 mm (depending on depth of the water level). The guide box is made of concrete (with a ceramic piece or small glass bottle as turning point), galvanized pipe or wood with a PVC 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 the whole pump, be manufactured in any small town with only Because of the most basic welding machinelocal production, 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 The installation and repairs of the main conditions is a very high level 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 years. ====Motorized rope pumps====Most common diesel and petrol pumps pipes are suction pumps that can pump from shallow wells down to 7 m. deep. Pumping from deeper wells requires generator pump sets or long-shaft diesel pumps costing US$ 800 or more. Where there is electricity, submersible pumps can be used but many small farmers do not have electricityvery light so no need for any lifting equipment.
===Costs===* The Hand Rope Pump costs pumps cost between US$ 30-150 depending on model, location of production, and cost of materials and labour.
* 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 with a complete wheel cover, 95% of the Rope pumps have a small 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 [[Self Supply|Self Supply]]. A survey among 5,025 rural families in Nicaragua indicates that 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 who use a capped rope and a bucket on their well. In Nicaragua pumps are now being produced commercially by some 10 workshops. Different models of Rope pumps were introduced in Africa. This introduction has not always been successful as described above. In Ghana, 80% of the pumps did 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, the "right" user training and willingness of users to pay for repairs, up to 90% remain in operation also in Africa, as the Victory pump model in Ghana, the Elephant model in Zimbabwe and 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. ====Nicaragua====Some 70.000 rope pumps have been installed since 1988. The shift from imported piston pumps of $600 to locally produced rope pumps of $100 has doubled rural water supply in ten years, much faster than countries that applied imported hand Piston pumps. Users do the maintenance and over 95% of the Rope pumps remain in operation. The Rope pump has been adopted as the standard water pump by the government. Some 80% of the Rope pumps in Nicaragua are used for one or a few families for [[Self Supply|self supply]]. The economic effect of family pumps is a total generated income of over 100 million US$ in the last 12 years. Families with a pump earn an average of 220 US$ more than families without a pump on their well (Investigation by CESADE/ICCO at 5015 families). The extra income is explained by the fact that as soon as families have a pump near the house, women save time, more water is used (so more hygiene) and water is used for animals, garden irrigation and reducing health related costs and generating extra income. ====Zimbabwe====A Rope pump model called the Elephant Pump was introduced by the organisation Pump Aid in 1990. The main difference with other Rope pump models is the solid round concrete structure around the pump, to protect the well and to avoid splashing and recontamination. Now some 3,000 pumps serve 950,000 people and some 95% of the pumps are working. Many more pumps are planned to be installed in these countries before 2015 and if this can be realized, these pumps together will reach 1 million people. .
In 2008, rope 2013 the government of Ethiopia decide to make a long term program to improve and standardize the Rope pumps are used in over 30 countries. Below and is doing this with funds from the experiences in Nicaragua, Zimbabwe Japanese aid organization JICA and Ghana are listedtechnical support of the Dutch organization Meta.
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.
===Manuals, videos and links===
====Manuals====
* Jan Nederstigt, Arjen van der Wal. [http://www.practica.org/wp-content/uploads/services/publications/Rope%20pump%20manuels/ropepump%20manual%20EN%20full.pdf Rope Pump: Low Cost Pump Series. TECHNICAL TRAINING HANDBOOK ON ROPE PUMP PRODUCTION, INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE]. Practica Foundation. August 2011 (3rd edition). French version: [http://www.practica.org/wp-content/uploads/services/publications/Rope%20pump%20manuels/ropepump%20manual%20FR%20full.pdf A POMPE A CORDE: Séries de la pompe à moindre coût.] * [http://www.practica.org/wp-content/uploads/PDF/practica-180306-rope-pump-manual-ethiopia-march-2006-complete1.pdf Rope Pump production manual], produced by [http://www.practicafoundationpractica.nl/ org PRACTICA] and [http://www.etc-international.org/index.php?id=41ETC ETC Foundation]. It has 86 pages and contains detailed instructions.
* Construction manual [http://www.connectinternational.nl/english/smartmodules/smart-tec/pumps/ropepumpproduction SHIPO Model, Connect International].
* ERPF, K. (2006) [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/338 Installation and Maintenance Manual for Rope Pumps], Skat, Rural Water Supply Network, St Gallen, Switzerland.
*ERPF, K. (2006) Manufacturing Guidelines for the Production of Rope Pumps in Mozambique., Skat, Rural Water Supply Network, St Gallen, Switzerland [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/340 English], [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/341 Portuguese].
* RANDRIANASOLO, A. and ERPF, K. (2004) [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/resources/details/337 Madagascar Rope Pump Specification. First Edition 0 - 2004], Skat, Rural Water Supply Network, St Gallen, Switzerland.
====Videos====
{|style="border: 1px #176fb7; background-color: #efefef" align="none" cellpadding="5"|<font size="3" color=#176fb7>Visit our page of over more than 15 [[Rope pump videos]]</font>|}
====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]