The Zimbabwe Bush Pump: 54 mm open top cylinder model Recent research into technical methods of reducing down time, using standard downthe- hole equipment

Description:

The history and development of the Zimbabwe Bush Pump is well recorded in numerous documents (see aquamor.info). It has been the Standard National Hand Pump option for the country since 1933 and has passed through a number of technical developments since that time.

Currently over half the estimated 50 000+ Bush Pumps placed in the rural areas within Zimbabwe are out of action. This is a combination of technical, economic and other problems faced by the country at this time. This report attempts to make suggestion which address the technical problems. Most of these technical problems are found in “down-the-hole" equipment of the pump. Standard down-the-hole equipment includes 50mm GI pipe as the rising main, a 600mm long 75mm brass cylinder with matching piston equipped with two leather seals, a heavy duty brass foot valve and mild steel 16mm pump rods.

This report discusses small modifications of current standard down-the-hole equipment, namely 50mm GI rising main, 75mm cylinder and heavy duty foot valve and 16mm steel pump rods. Minor refinements are made to the design or method of installation which have the potential to overcome many of the “down-the-hole” problems. The use of GI pipe has been retained partly because there is no other rising main option available which can cope with the wide range of depths which the Bush Pump operates in (3m to 100m). It is known that aggressive ground water occurs in some parts of Zimbabwe, and this can cause problems with corrosion in both the rising main and rods. But overall the problem of corrosion is not so large as to require a major shift away from the standard equipment.

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Bibliographical Information:

Morgan, Peter (2017) The Zimbabwe Bush Pump: 54 mm open top cylinder model. Recent research into technical methods of reducing down time, using standard downthe- hole equipment , Aquamor Pvt Ltd

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