Author(s): David Ferras; Saber Nasraoui; Capucine Dupont
Linked Author(s): David Ferras Segura
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: A hydraulic ram is a type of pump device that makes use of the potential energy of a water source to elevate a portion of that water mass to a higher elevation without the need of any external energy input. The potential energy is first converted to kinetic energy through a drive pipe. Then the pumping effect is generated by means of a fast valve closure, producing a pressure surge that is used to divert part of the flow to a higher elevation. Hydraulic rams were first proposed and designed at the end of the 18th century by John Whitehurst and Joseph Montgolfier. However, only during the 20th century the scientific explanations, both experimental and numerical, of the underlaying hydraulic ram mechanisms were provided with the support of water hammer theory. The present paper aims at contributing to the mathematical description of hydraulic rams by providing a new hydraulic model in time domain and a new experimental data set for model calibration and verification.
Year: 2024