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meribah-ram-pump Poblaki Ram Pump Installation Report

Prepared by: Jennifer Tracy

On January 22, 2008 the Thai-Karen village Poblaki (aka Dok Mae Sot) received a ram pump providing water to the village primary school. This is the first permanent ram pump installation coordinated by BGET. Poblaki is a 4 hour drive northeast of Mae Sot located in Tha Song Yang district. The ram pump provides approximately 1500 liters of water each daof approxim

and Thai resident for ovethe ram pump in Bangkok, Thailand to BGET and offered to install it with his insta team, consisting of an Austrian and two

inary

Andrew P

team performed a second site assessment, confirming and updating the prior data and

detailing out the specific materials needed to complete the install. A path was cleared for the future placement of the pipeline and the location for the pump and the initial water collection tank where leveled.

In the evening on January 17th the BGET team

returned to Poblaki. A meeting was held to coordinate among the villagers the following days work. On

B G E TB G E T

y for the village school ately 130 students.

The installation was funded and led by Ralf Oberg, the German-born CEO of Meribah Pumps,

r 20 years. Ralf donated , which he manufactures locally

llation and development other Germans: Phillip, Stephan, and Thomas.

The project was completed in five stages.

The initial stage took place in May 2007, when the site was first discovered and prelimmeasurements of water flow and location where recorded by Watit (BGET Technician) and

ascale (past BGET volunteer). On January 14th the BGET team, including

Thai (Technician), Sunti (Technician), Surat (Technician), and Jennifer (volunteer) and Ralf’s

BORDER GREEN ENERGY TEAM

B G E TBORDER GREEN ENERGY TEAM

Poblaki village school

Ralf Oberg describing to the villagers the layout of the ram pump installation.

The BGET ram pump installation team: Thai, Sunti, Jennifer, and Surat.

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January 18th the BGET team and 30 villagers worked together throughout the day on several construction activities: A dam at the water source was constructed to join two separate water flows and a catchments devise made of bamboo was secured to the pipe end to filter out large debris,

the water will be collected

A 300 liter cement water collection tank was installed, where before it falls to the ram pump,

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The cement foundation grounding the ram pump was laid,

Eighteen meters of 4” PVC pipe delivering water from the source to the collection tank was laid out,

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The drive pipe, a 1” steel pipe falling a height of 6 meters, over a distance of 12 meters, from the water collection tank to the ram pump, was installed, and

A path for the water delivery pipe was cleared, spanning from the ram pump to the school, 336 meters.

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Three days later, on January 21st, after the previous cement work settled, the BGET team and Ralf Oberg’s team return to continue the installation. The 4” PVC pipe was extended to reach the water collection tank and the pipe was covered with soil to prevent future damage from exposure. A wire and bamboo screen was created to cover the water collection tank to keep out debris. And a over flow hole was created to direct excess water from the collection tank back to the stream.

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The drive pipe sending water from the collection tank to the ram pump was fixed in four locations with cement, stones, and iron bars to hold the pipe steady from the vibrations received from the ramming motion of the pump.

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The fine tuning of the ram pump, changing angles, ball size (functions as the valve closing and opening the pump to create water pressure in the pipes that drives the water up), closing of the snifter (air hole that equalizes air inside the pump), and a little trouble shooting to get it all working properly was diligently done by Ralf’s team.

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The ½” delivery pipe, distributing the water from the pump to the school spanned approximately 336 meters and ascended roughly 70 meters. The initial 60 meters of delivery pipe are steel pipes, more resistant under pressure received from the ramming of the pump motion, and the remaining portion PVC pipes were used. The steel delivery pipe was fixed with cement, stones, and stakes, every 3 meters, and the PVC pipe was fixed every 6 meters, again to secure the pump from the vibrations received from the pump. The PVC pipe was then covered with soil to prevent damage from exposure.

After the initial installation the water delivered to the village school, filled a water tank at a rate of ½ liter per minute, approximately 700 liters per day.

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Four weeks after the pumps installation, on February 18th, Ralf, his team and the BGET team returned to check up on the pump. Upon arrival, we found that the water source was discharging less water due to the dry season affects, and coupled with the pump’s current settings, was not functioning. Alternations were made to the snifter valve and a solid steel junction, connecting the drive pipe to the pump, was put in place of the existing flexible connector (the flexible connector moved too much in response to the ramming motion, losing valuable energy). With these alternations, the pump began to work, delivering even more water to the school, 1.2 liters per minute, over 1500 liters of water per day. This number is more than double the original output of 700 liters.

On behalf of the BGET team, thank you to all the Poblaki villagers and Ralf and his team.

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Contributors and Contacts Border Green Energy Team (BGET) Our Mission The Border Green Energy Team (BGET) provides hands-on appropriate technology training and financial support to village innovators in ethnic minority areas on both sides of the Thai/Burma border. BGET works in four areas:

• Improving sustainability of Thai solar home systems through local technician trainings

• Refugee camp renewable energy trainings • Community micro-hydro construction and Operations & Maintenance

(O&M ) • Solar electricity construction and O&M trainings for medical clinics on

the border Website: www.bget.org P.O. Box 66, Mae Sot, Tak 63110, Thailand Tel: 055-534-464 or +66-55-534-464 Mobile: 084-817-0955 or +66-84-817-0955 Meribah Ram Pumps Our main objective is to be able to provide even underprivileged people in rural areas, with affordable and appropriate technology, in order that they enjoy a constant water supply for all their needs. Website: www.meribah-ram-pump.com ProTech Transfer Co., Ltd. 189 Soi Chockchaijongjamlean, Rama 3 Road Kwang Bangpongpang, Khet Yannawa Bangkok 10120, Thailand Phone: +66 (0) 2 683 4990 - 1 Fax: +66 (0) 2 683 4992