Abstract:
In this study the design, construction and testing of a hand operated water pump was undertaken. The major components of the pump were the pump frame made from angular bar mild steel, the pump chamber made of mild steel, the pump cylinder made of cast iron, the pump crankshaft made of hollow galvanized iron pipe, the connecting rod made of hollow galvanized iron pipe and the pump inlet and outlet made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe. The pump was a single- operator- type pump. The pump theoretical discharge was 3.86 L/s while the actual average discharge of the pump was 7.5 × 10-2 L/s at an average sump depth of 1.6 m. The pump volumetric efficiency is 40.8 % and the pump efficiency is 75.84%. The operation of the pump was dependent on the weight of the operator i.e. the heavier the operator the more water he can discharge through. The discharge results obtained for the sump depths of 1.1 m, 1.6 m and 2.1 m were used to plot the graph of discharge over time. Regression analysis shows that there is strong relationship between weight of operators and discharge for the pump; the variance (relationship of pump operation in relation to weight of operator) of the pump was found to be 95.7%. The pump could be suitable to irrigate fragmented and small land holdings, especially to pump water from shallow depth to irrigate small plots, thereby serving the needs of small scale farmers. Performance of the pump can be improved when the driving pulley diameter is increased and the driven pulley diameter is decreased. Because of the piston and cylinder contact, the pump should be lubricated before it is put into operation for smooth movement and optimum performance. The angle of construction of the crankshaft should be changed from 900 to curved 450 for easy alternation of the crankshaft and subsequently facilitating the reciprocation of the pistons.
