Design and fabrication of a foot water pump for small scale irrigation systems

Abstract

Irrigation farming is becoming more essential today because of the climate change which is evidenced by prolonged droughts in most parts of the country. Many farmers now depend on irrigation practices to produce crops and citrus fruits. The study looked at foot water pump being cheap and affordable for small scale farmers. The materials were sought locally, and the design and fabrication was done at Busitema University Faculty of Engineering workshop. The project had three objectives as stated below; i. To analyse design requirements for foot water pump for irrigation system. ii. To fabricate and assemble foot water pump for irrigation system for small to medium size farmers. iii. To evaluate the performance of the pump. The study was guided by the following research questions; a) What are the best design specifications for a foot water pump components? b) What manufacturing processes to follow for the pump assembly? c) What is the capability and performance of the pump? The first two objectives were all met and the perform of the foot water pump was carried out. Impressive results were obtained. In the first objective, it was discovered that the water discharge of the foot pump decreased with increase in suction depth, secondly, the discharge in the foot pump is not determined by the weight of the operator but by the number of cadence an operator is able to make. In conclusion, the use of a good seal and fast closing valve minimizes both internal and external leakages of pressure thereby increasing discharge and head of the foot pump.