Hydraulic ram pumps raise water to considerable elevations using two moving parts and without the use of an external power source. It uses pressure generated from a “water hammer” shock wave. When water entering the pipe reaches maximum speed, the waste valve closes creating high pressure which opens the check valve. The high-pressure water flows through the valve and out of the delivery pipe. Then the pressure falls, the waste valve opens, the check valve closes and the cycle repeats. In our model, the delivery pipe leads back to the entry point allowing for water to be re-cycled. Water leaving the “waste” valve becomes the endpoint. The pump allows the water to be cycled multiple times allowing for any proteins expressed from the GMO to interact with the water while remaining in a closed system. The pump is low cost, runs continuously, low maintenance and can easily be scaled up.

Model of Hydraulic Ram Pump depicting water flow

Actual ram pump created and tested

Team:ULaVerne Collab/Hardware

Hardware

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