GB2081818A

GB2081818A - A mobile pump assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2081818A
Application number: GB8124856A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Lucas Industries Ltd
Current assignee: ZF International UK Ltd
Priority date: 1980-08-16
Filing date: 1981-08-14
Publication date: 1982-02-24
Also published as: GB2081818B

Abstract

A trolley 11 carries an electrically operable pump 14 and an array 17 of photovoltaic cells to supply electricity to the pump and is also provided with wheels 12 and a handle portion 13 which enable the trolley to be wheeled to a location where irrigation is required. At the location, the trolley is floated on a body of water, the necessary buoyancy being provided by the wheels 12, and is anchored by means of the handle portion 13 now in a different position. The pump 14, powered by the cells 17, is then able to pump water from the well or river for irrigation purposes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A mobile pump assembly This invention relates to a mobile pump assembly particularly, but not exclusively, for pumping water for irrigation purposes.

In many arid areas, land irrigation is essential to the successful growth of agriculture. However, in outlying districts and/or where the area under cultivation is small, the establishment of fixed irrigation schemes to provide the required groundwater may be uneconomic. An object of the present invention is therefore to provide, in a simple and convenient form, a mobile pump assembly which is readily movable to a site where water is available and which can be operated to provide irrigation water without the need for an external or consumable energy source.

Accordingly, the invention resides in a mobile pump assembly comprising a trolley provided with at least one ground-engageable wheel, an electrically operable pump carried by the trolley, an array of photovoltaic cells mounted on the trolley and operable in use in reponse to solar radiation to supply electrical power to the pump, buoyancy means provided at or adjacent one end of the trolley for permitting said one end of the trolley to float in a body of water, and anchorage means provided at or adjacent the other end of the trolley for retaining the assembly in position during operation of the pump.

Preferably, the buoyancy means is defined, at least in part, by said ground-engageable wheel.

Preferably, the anchorage means is defined at least in part, by a projecting handle portion of the trolley which is adjustable between a first position, in which it can be gripped by an operator to assist in moving the trolley, and a second position, in which it can be anchored relative to the ground to retain the trolley in position.

Conveniently, the array of photovoltaic cells is connected to the pump through an electric storage battery and/or electronic control means.

Conveniently, the electronic control means includes a peak power tracking device.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one example of the invention; Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a pump assembly during transport, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the assembly when used to pump water from a well, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of part of the assembly when used to pump water from a river.

Referring to the drawings, the assembly includes a trolley 11 which at one end is provided with a pair of spherical, rubber wheels 12 having sufficient buoyancy to allow said one end of the trolley to float when immersed in a body of water.

At its other end, the trolley includes a projecting, bifurcated handle portion 13 which is pivotable between a first position (as shown in Figure 1), in which it can be gripped by an operator to assist in moving the trolley, and a second position (as shown in Figures 2 and 3), in which it can be anchored relative to the ground to retain the assembly in position during operation.

Supported by the trolley adjacent its one end is an electrically driven pump 14 which has its inlet side connected to a flexible hose 1 5 (or inlet filter) which, in use, is immersed in a body of water to be used for irrigation purposes. A further, flexible hose 16 is connected to the outlet side of the pump 14 and is of sufficient length to allow water delivered by the pump to be directed to the required irrigation site. Typically, the pump 14 is driven by an electric motor and is intended to deliver water at varying lift from a solar array of a few hundred watts.

Releasably mounted on the trolley 11 is an array 17 of photovoltaic cells or modules which are disposed in a plurality of hingedly connected panels 18 so that the array can be folded into a stack which fits neatly on the trolley 11. The photovoltaic cells or modules in the array 17 are connected to the pump 14 through an electric control device 18 so that, when exposed to solar radiation, the cells or modules provide the required electrical power to drive the motor.

Conveniently, an electric storage battery is connected in circuit between the array 17 and the pump 14 so that electrical energy can be stored by the battery during sunny conditions and used to operate the pump during overcast conditions. In addition, electronic control means may be connected between the array 17 and the pump 14, the electronic control means conveniently including a peak power tracking device so as to ensure maximum efficiency in the power output from the array 17.

In use, the complete assembly is wheeled by hand to a site where irrigation water is available, for example a well as shown in Figure 2 or a -.ver as shown in Figure 3, the handle portion 13 at this stage being in its first position to assist the operator in wheeling the trolley 11. On reaching the irrigation site, the array 17 is removed from the trolley 11 and the panels 18 are unfolded so as to ensure maximum exposure to solar radiation.

The handle portion 13 is then moved into its second, anchoring position and said one end of the trolley is immersed in the body of water so that it floats on the wheels 12 and the hose 1 5 is immersed in water. The pump can then operate to deliver water through the hose 1 6 to the irrigation site.

In the example shown in the drawings, the pump 14 is surface mounted, i.e. disposed above the body of water from which, in use, water is drawn by the pump. It is, however, to be appreciated that a submersible pump could also be employed.

Claims

1. A mobile pump assembly comprising a trolley provided with at least one groundengageable wheel, an electrically operable pump carried by the trolley, an array of photovoltaic cells mounted on the trolley and operable in use in response to solar radiation to supply electrical power to the pump, buoyancy means provided at or adjacent one end of the trolley for permitting said one end of the trolley to float in a body of water, and anchorage means provided at or adjacent the other end of the trolley for retaining the assembly in position during operation of the pump.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the buoyancy means is defined, at least in part, by said ground-engageable wheel.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the anchorage means is defined at least in part by a projecting handle portion of the trolley which is adjustable between a first position, in which it can be gripped by an operator to assist in moving the trolley, and a second position, in which it can be anchored relative to the ground to retain the trolley in position.

4. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the array of photovoltaic cells is connected to the pump through an electric storage battery and/or electronic control means.

5. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the array of photovoltaic cells is connected to the pump through electronic control means including a peak power tracking device.

6. A mobile pump assembly comprising the combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.