Design a fully performing pump which is entirely made of local materials and that is so simple it can be sustained and potentially be built by the user without receiving any aid.

This specific objective comprises of the following outcomes:

OUTCOME-1. Do a comparative performance study on shallow well pumps used in developing countries today and in the past.

The initial step under the specific objective 1 is to do a study on the performance of a selection of pumps and compare them against each other to ascertain the most appropriate. To date we have found that the rope pump has at least equalled or outperformed many of its competitors with regards to cost, water quality, material sourcing and ease of construction (Harvey et al, 2006).

OUTCOME-2. Clarify which components of the selected pump that are fabricated off site.

The pump selected will have numerous parts that need assembling while the well is being constructed. The objective here is to determine which of these parts that are sourced off site can not be easily accessed. Easy access to all the pump components is essential in implementing the idea of sustainable water points.

The research carried out so far has shown that the majority of components used in the rope pump can be sourced locally. However, there are still components which are manufactured offsite (Chair of charity, Water works, 2009). A further research under this topic will be on accessing more specific data on these components.

OUTCOME-3. Simplify the selected pump in terms of design.

This objective has yet to be started but will be to determine how complicated the pump design is and if simplifications of it are feasible. The desired outcome is a design output comprising of the least combinations of components possible. There are a lot of details in this objective which will be addressed in the near future.

OUTCOME-4. Simplify the selected pump in terms of material usage.

A key aspect of this thesis is to make sure that the pump design will comprise of materials sourced locally at a minimum expense. In this context we will be doing a critical assessment of all possible materials that can be used; this will address the limitations, advantages and disadvantages of all potential materials. Comparisons will subsequently be made and conclusions drawn as to which materials are best for each part.

Note: In this context "local resources" will mean that all materials can be found readily or bought in local markets. There will not be a need to transport any material for long distances. Cost is directly linked to this point; if the local community cannot afford it without outside aid then it is not locally resourced in our eyes - because the money used has not come from the community. It is also important that the materials we use are not entirely limited to the well. If the materials were specific to the well only then it would be a specialist store that would stock the parts. However if the parts could be used for alternate purposes then there is a likely hood that more stores will have them, resulting in easier access and higher availability.

OUTCOME-5. Construct a scaled version of the design.

The final objective of this aim is to construct a prototype of our design. As discussed, the pump will be constructed with materials found locally in the communities of interest and it is imperative that this criterion is met in this design. We have sourced a workshop space in which to carry out this objective. Completion is intended to be 30th January 2010.

The Rope Pump Well

The rope pump well is a hand operated pump. It is a continuous loop of rope which hangs loose down to a guide at the bottom of the well before being pulled up through a pipe to the top. The rope has pistons attached which allow the water to be forced up the pipe. There is a wheel located at the top which when turned moves the rope and creates the force to pull water up the pipe.

Picture courtesy of oas.org

Notes on the Components of the Rope Pump Well

The Wheel: The turning wheel can be made from reinforcing an old bicycle wheel (Whitehead, 2007).

The Crank: The crank is the lever used to turn the wheel. Bicycle pedals can be modified to meet this criterion. The crank is usually hand operated and can be done by people with a reasonable level of physical ability.

The Rope: The rope can be made from a number of materials from nylon to natural fibre. Whichever material is used it needs to meet certain criteria; it should be strong and durable, it should not stretch during use (lack of tension in the rope will result in sliding of the rope) and the rope should not be so smooth that it slides on the wheel.

The Pistons: The pistons are attached to the rope and are used to force the water up the pipe. There are many options as to what they can be constructed from; plastics, rubber or leather from old shoes are some examples. However, the pistons must all be the same size and moulded to fit the thickness of the pipe.

The Guide: The guide is one of the main components of the rope pump well. It allows for the rope to correctly line up with the pipe before entry and acts as a counter weight to tauten the rope. The entrance and exit to the guide is widened to allow easier access to the guide and the pumping pipe. This section of the pump is the hardest to construct as it has components which need to be put together. Most guide designs today comprise of a concrete box, an entrance pipe, a pumping pipe and a ceramic piece.