Water up 150 ft. 30 degrees w/ windmill ?

[bcarwell]

I need to pump water from a river up an embankment about 150 feet at a 45 degree angle to a tank on a ledge using a windmill next to the tank.

Any suggestions ?

I thought of using the conventional sucker rods they use for normal vertical wells and run the string of them down to the landing and the well pump in the river. But I think supporting the sucker rods at an angle down the embankment might be a difficult problem. A variation I thought of was wire rope but again it seems it might be difficult to get it supported down the embankment and it might be susceptible to wearing and fraying at the support points at the wheels or pulleys from the reciprocating motion generated from the windmill.

I also thought of using the windmill to run a generator or car alternator or whatever up on the ledge and just running wire down to the river to operate an electrical pump. Certainly easier to get wire down the embankment than sucker rods or wire rope. But the purely mechanical approach above might be more reliable and simple. With the electrical solution, I'd need some sort of generator, voltage regulator, maybe storage batteries and maybe an inverter as I don't know what kind of d.c. pump you could use that operates like a submerged well pump.

Finally I thought of river power itself to run the pump. I briefly looked at various water wheels, etc. but this river is fairly slow moving (maybe 1-2 ft./sec) and a **** for developing a head is impossible. There are some low/no head river turbines that work in a 2-4 ft./sec range and its still a possibility as I don't need many GPM of pumping.

Any suggestions on what to try ?

Bob

 

[dodge man]

Generator and a electric pump would be easiest. The windmill sounds like a good idea, doesn't need any power right? The reality is it might cost more, I'm not sure. The problem is that is going to take quite a bit of a pump to lift it that high. PTO pump might be an option.

What's this for, ocassional use, everyday use for cattle? They needed use will probably dictate how you do it. If you need it all the time, like for cattle, you might end up with an electric pump anyway for days there is no wind.

 

[zzvyb6]

Consider driving a shallow well up by the tank location and running the windmill in a conventional manner. Most people are surprized at the ways water travels in the strata below ground. If you are lucky and have some help, you can get water way above 150'. If not, you can drill down to the river level and bring it up from there. A 2" well will do for you just fine.

Keep in mind that my Flint & Walling Star 26 4" direct stoke with an 8' wheel is rated at about 1.5 hp in a gale force wind (according to their literature from 1923). . The effectiveness of a windmill is time not power. It works around the clock, night and day (as long as there is a breeze, that is)...

 

[Egon]

In days gone by wellhead pump jacks were operated by cables running from a central power source. Cables down to the pump jack at the river should work. How they are rigged up I don't know but assume it might not be that hard. Cable does not have to run in pipe.

Have you considered a RAM pump

Oil History in Ontario

Site showing a jerker system for an Ontario Oil Field.:thumbsup:

It will even show some pump jacks!

 

[CurlyDave]

I know that there are solar-powered well pumps.

You might consider something like this instead of the windmill.

You don't need a lot of batteries, your storage would be an extra-large tank filled by the pump when the sun shines. The tank is significantly cheaper than batteries and probably has a longer life.

 

[bcarwell]

Thanks to all for replying.

Guess I should have made clear I already HAVE the windmill (10 ft. Dempster Aeromotor) so I'm trying to use it if possible. I know that because windmill pumps lift and don't suck, they use them down to 500 - 1000 feet, so I think the power is there. My use is for 10 head of miniature hereford cattle and drip irrigation for about 30 winegrape vines, so I don't need a whole lot. And I'm assuming some tanks will take care of days when the wind doesn't blow, although I get a pretty consistent 6 mph on bad days and frequently 15 mph.

Egon, yes I'd looked at a RAM pump. They fascinate me, but I think they need a little more head than I get out of our river. And thanks for the jerker pics- it has inspired me and I think more than ever now the solution should be wire cable down to the river. It could be very inexpensive and light relative to sucker rods I think.

I didn't think a solar pump would be feasible due to expense of solar panels and seems to me just like with a generator I'd need batteries to store enough power to cycle on and off a pump of sufficient power to lift/move a column of water in 1/2 inch pvc 200 feet. I don't think a 100 - 200 watt panel would do much and any more I think gets expensive, especially compared to my "free" windmill.

Thanks for all your input ! If you think of anything else (like what kind of surplus, cheapo wire cable technique and supports to use, let me know !


Bob

 

[rmully]

Fun project ...send some pictures when you get the project moving .

 

[TravisTractor]

koenders.com they have compressed air windmill driven pumps

 

[CCWKen]

A windmill might work but you'd have to redesign the seals, valves and top cap. They're not designed to "pressurize" the output. All they do is lift the water to the surface. To overcome gravity, you'd need around 50-60psi just to get the water up the hill. The angle doesn't matter, it's still a 150' rise. Your best bet may to use a well pump to get the water to the top then use a tank and booster pump for your pressure. Or drill down to the water table at the top of the hill and put your windmill up there.

 

[Egon]

you'd have to redesign the seals, valves and top cap

All been done in the oilfield!:thumbsup: