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solar pump

Water pump without photovoltaic cells
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rigid polymer elements; tubular chambers. With valves at either end. Chambers connected and laid end to end on gentle gradient (eg 2-3% depending on available solar energy)*

(solar)heated air inside expands and this forces water through the valve upwards to the next chamber.

Raising this water stores potential energy; But this is secondary to the use of simply moving water over distance in a "set and forget" fashion.

Dimensions to suit available sunlight and water needs.

ps im in australia, so sunlight here is like oil in the gulf.

It could pump water from the sea to flood inland channels or large basins such as the planned *Finlayson Basin idea for flooding Lake Eyre (salt) in South Australia.

peter2, Nov 27 2006

salt so what http://forum.online....asp?discussion=134
this is the way [peter2, Nov 27 2006]

Previous thermal pumping idea Pumped_20storage_20of_20thermal_20energy
I'll test you on it, later [Ling, Nov 28 2006]

Duke Euphoria's Take on this idea (scroll down for a bit) http://www.junkpile...20Irrigation%20Pump
I remembered thinking this was a particularly good idea after spotting it on a page linked to my Midge Laser idea. [zen_tom, Nov 28 2006]

solar fluidyne pump http://www.engin.sw...0Proposal/FK_AO.pdf
[nomocrow, Nov 28 2006]

another solar fluidyne pump http://www.iedu.com...tirlingProject.html
yeah, it says engine, but it's really just a pump [nomocrow, Nov 28 2006]

The Australian Sea The_20Australian_20sea
see discussions re salt. [ConsulFlaminicus, Mar 10 2008]

salt water as power http://www.cryogeni.../spdesalinator.html
use for the salt [peter2, Dec 26 2009]

[link]






       a very slow and inefficient way to do this to be very sure.
jhomrighaus, Nov 27 2006
  

       [jhomrighaus] I don't see this being inefficient at all - as the only energy input is 'free' solar energy. It's got an organic gentleness to it - and cost wise, it would be cheaper to move water up a gradient and over a distance like this than it would be to pump or drive it over a distance. Sure, the throughput for a single pipe isn't going to be a great deal - but you can just lay multiple pipes - in addition, the system draws more water when it's needed i.e. when there is more sunlight to power the system. That's about as efficient as it gets.
zen_tom, Nov 28 2006
  

       puuurrrrffect
peter2, Mar 10 2008
  

       That's possibly the most shameless bump I've ever seen.   

       Anyway, I don't get how the pump continues to work. The air forces some water out of the tube, then what?   

       The earliest steam engines were pumps to remove water from mines. Their design lends its elf to solar pumping.
marklar, Mar 10 2008
  

       //It could pump water from the sea to flood inland channels or large basins such as the planned *Finlayson Basin idea for flooding Lake Eyre (salt) in South Australia.//   

       The 'Inland Sea' idea has been deleted from the 'Bakery I notice. The 'Australian Sea' idea is still there [link]. Suggest you read through that one [peter2]
ConsulFlaminicus, Mar 10 2008
  

       ConsulFlaminicus thank you. i have previewed that page and annotated. the ideas are made for each other. thanks again.   

       Marklar. the pump, like most operates with valves. the 24 hr cycle of solar heating and cooling does the rest. ie during the day. the elements push water. at night they suck... trial the idea, if you live in a hot climate, by leaving a pump-pak of eg sunblock in your car and in the sun. After heating the air, the fluid is forced up through the stem and onto your console. that's the basic mechanism. It would need multiple tubes: sort of like a flies eye, extruded. Even in this clumsy aparatus, with non-ideal materials and design, a significant outcome is evident.
peter2, Dec 26 2009
  

       Original or not, this is quite clever. I wouldn't call it widely known, either.   

       Here's my visual take on it:   

       A continuous line of standard concrete or plastic water pipe is laid overland from uptake to target point. Each section of pipe is joined by a mass manufactured connecting piece which integrates the one way flap valve and, immediately uphill of the valve, a standard plumbing screw fitting for attaching the separate air expansion chamber. The air chamber need not even be immediately local to the main pipe, so it could be above ground, and attached to a buried pipeline via a connecting pipe.   

       The air chamber is simply a piece of pressure-rated steel pipe, anodized black, and sealed at the top. For maximum sun heating it is tilted back at right angles to the midday sun. An optional mirror behind it focuses more heat onto it.   

       Possible upgrades and other configurations: the expansion chamber is horizontal, attached to the downpipe at a T connector, and the mirror behind it tracks or self-distorts to match the sun elevation. Or the pipe is contained in a D-shaped or lenticular cross-section clear tube of IR-retaining greenhouse glass/plastic, with the rear mirrored. No tracking should be necessary in that configuration.   

       A zebra striped shadow grating (a picket fence, basically) on the sunward side could change the pumping cycle from daily to hourly!   

       I'm not convinced that // It would need multiple tubes: sort of like a flies eye // - optimum size would need to be calculated against cost, application case and physical factors (maximum pressure rating, thermal transfer, etc), but I'm pretty sure a decent pump could be built using standard available pipe, say 1/4" - 12" OD. More pumps per location could be added via manifold headers for greater pumping volume.   

       The illustrations at the bottom of [zen-tom]'s [link]ed page demonstrate the principle quite well.
BunsenHoneydew, Oct 31 2010
  

       well , still thinking about this one., how about you ? Salt ponds can produce power: sit like organs along the whole system.
peter2, Jul 10 2013
  
      
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