| Water,
entering the steel drive pipe flows through it by gravitation
until it reaches the RAM, passes through the RAM and out
through the pulse valve into the waste drain. As the water
flows, its velocity increases until the pulse valve is
no longer able to pass the volume of water flowing: at
this point the pulse value is suddenly closed. The outlet
thus being closed, the flow of water suddenly stops. This
produces a concussion of more or less severity in the
body of RAM according to the height and distance from
which the water is flowing. The result of this concussion
is that a portion of the water in the body of the RAM
is forced upwards through the delivery valve into the
air cylinder. At the same time the recoil allows the pulse
valve to return to its original position. The outlet being
thus reopened, the water which was brought to rest by
the closing of the pulse valve recommences to flow through
the RAM until it acquires the necessary velocity to raise
the pulse valve a second time, closing the outlet, producing
a concussion and forcing more water into the air chamber
through the delivery valve. The water, which is forced
into the air chamber, finds its way through a pipe, known
as the 'rising main', to the place where it is required
for use with a continuous flow being maintained so long
as the RAM remains working.
This
series of events, which takes time to describe clearly,
occurs from 40 to 90 times per minute, according to
the size of the hydraulic RAM, the fall of the water
driving the RAM, etc. The RAM will continue working
automatically, the pulse valve rubber and delivery valve
rubber being the only moving parts.
View working picture Here (new window)
The
fall of water necessary to work a RAM may be as low
as 500mm (20 inches) and with such a fall, water may
be raised to 18m (60 feet). With higher falls, such
as from 2m (6.7 feet) to 7m (23.3 feet) and over, water
can be raised to upwards of 300m (1000 feet) or more
in height and distance is more or less unlimited: several
of our ram installations pump to over 5km (3.13 miles).
Schematic layout View of a Vulcan Hydraulic Ram installation in a residential/farming environment (new window)
Due to the action of the RAM, unless the conditions
are unusually severe, and provided the RAM is kept working,
it will be unaffected by changes in temperature especially
low temperatures which might cause a conventional system
to 'freeze up' unless some form of heat is provided.
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