Hydraulic Ram Water Pump - WORKING

https://youtube.com/shorts/Jw6yVkRwt7k

https://youtube.com/shorts/EY8BV4jkzCg

This is a working, fully 3D printed ram pump! I used PLA for the main components and 95 shore TPU for the seals and valves. It has garden hose threads on the inlet and outlet of the pump.

This is a work in progress and I am still making improvements to make it easier to print and more reliable so if you have issues then check to see if you have the latest files.

For the best results, do not use a rough textured built plate when printing the TPU seals or the check valve main body. I used carborundum glass and it worked well for me.

You may need to dry your TPU before printing the seals.

Update 9/29/2022:

I changed the design with these goals in mind;

1. No rubbing parts. 

2. Minimize the number of parts.

3. Optimize for ease of printing.

4. Minimize supports.

5. Little to no post processing.

Update 10/2/2022:

I made it so weights can easily be added to the waste valve. And now it can be setup to be self starting and self purging, which is great for an intermittent water source!

B.O.M.

1. Machine screw (#6-32 x 2") to hold the weights for the waste valve. You will need to cut off the screw head to create a small threaded rod. You may not need a screw or weights if the head pressure is under 16".
2. You will need 1/2" (or 14mm id) flat washers. In my test I used 7 for 44" head pressure.
3. Empty soda bottle. Any size should work.

Print Settings

1. Orient the parts like shown on the slicer screenshots. This is very important so as to create the best possible seal surfaces. It is not necessary to print the items simultaneously.
2. Turn on Ironing for ALL parts and set the ironing pattern to concentric. This creates the smooth surface for the seals
3. Layer height: 0.15mm
4. Line Width: 0.4 outer, 0.6 inner (worked ok for me but its not important)
5. Perimeters: 3 for the main body, check valve main body, and waste valve main body. 2 for everything else.
6. Infill: 20% for the main body, check valve main body, and waste valve main body. 100% for all the seals, check valve, and waste valve.
7. Support: Set to 61 (yes 61, its not a typo) degrees and "Touching Build Plate Only" for all PLA parts. See slicer screenshots. Turn off support for the TPU seals.