Windpump correction for more water and Smooth Flow

The windmill.

Windmills are romantic.

My windmill is now running very smooth. Subbu says this is first time after several years that no sound is coming while it is operating. Various initiatives taken recently has ensured that. But one more thing is pending. That is my long standing dream.

I want to increase the volume of water output.

Bottom of windmill with
boring mouth.
Here is where I will
be fixing the below equipment.

The issue is, currently the windpump is designed to pump 10cm (4 Inches) of water in one stroke. My submercible pump  (footvalue) on the other hand is capable of moving around 45 CMs (17inches) of water.

So I need to "Amplify" the mechnical motion of windpump.  Here is the design I made out of my mind. I used sketchup software (trial freeware).

Yesterday I went to couple of workshops in pune and discussed with the mechanics. One shop has lathe machine and another is welding. I had to go twice to meet them with printouts.  They agreed to make this. I am doing it locally in Pune and will be transporting this to my farm (around 900 kms) across.  I want to do this under my supervision till final design takes shape. I may want to simulate here. I am in touch with Subbu to send measurements of the base etc.....

The idea is to amplify the rocking motion of the windmill pump rod.

Notice the crevice on the top of the pump to allow freedom of movement. Then
look at the diagram below.

This design is to allow some freedom for the vertical movement which may sway
bit due to semi circular motion. Here I want to keep the rod going to boring well steady and absorb the
movement through the cantilever.

This cantilever type (yellow) will amplify the stroke.

Top to bottom view. I want the components to be removable so that Subbu can take it for modifications if any.

Counter weight to support the weight of boring rods (of around 80 feet). this will make the pumping light
weight and will not "stress" the windmill which otherwise have to lift the weight.

Farm Visit and Update in Visuals June, 2018

I had been to my native in the 4th week of June, 2018 to attend an unprecedented temple festival. That was a festival that will happen once in 100 years or so and therefore donot want to miss the opportunity.

While there, I visited the farm thrice.  Some of the pictures are below.  The best part is my extended family visited the farm. This is the first time I am exposing the farm to my own family consisting of my sisters and brothers.

Shown here is few pictures away from the usual.  

The rock mountain on the way to the farm. It is already etched and getting further eaten away
by granite mafia or m-sand innovators.

Sastha Temple near the farm.  He is well settled.  Only I did not find time to worship near.

The 3 year old coconut tree has already started fruting.

Red Coconut 3 year old

Jamun fruit tree. The Jamun is so tasty. It is organic, you just pluck and eat.
Unfortunately we have no takers (buyers) for this in the vicinity. It is getting wasted.

Subbu in pensive mood.  There is no water in the farm. There is a transformer breakdown in nearby locality deprivingg
electricity for atleast 10 farms. For past 4 days the plants have not been watered.  Same time windmill had been disconnected and kept because of lethargy, he had been postponing connecting it. Same time the oil engine also failed. Some electrical issue. He was embarrassed when we visited several  times.  That is the reality and must be faced.

The farm pond. There is water. But pump ? Planning for a small pump.  The existing kerosene pump will drain more water. Need just 1 inch water.

The one and only surviving vegetable is brinjal. All other vegetable patches are dry. Not mended properly.
I guess when Subbu was away to Tirupati, Kandan did not attend as he was busy for his own family function.
In farm, if you donot tend a patch for more than 3 days, you will loose it.

Banana Trees.  Asking for water.  There is sunshine too. 

Extended family. Sisters, cousins.

They had great entertainment. This is may be first time they are seeing a farm in close quarters.
They were free to pluck and eat anything. Most of them spent time taking selfie images.

Banana. Country variety.  Currently I am making loss. The whole bunch sells
at Rs. 50/- only in our locality (more on that separate post).

Enthusiastic crowd. Look at their faces pointing in different directions, as if they entered amazon forest.

Schedule of Updates pending for long

It has been quote some time now that I have updated the blog. Not that I donot have material. the fact is there is too much of them.

Let me start. In summary, I visited my farm last month.  I will start with some visuals. The following stories will start appearing in that order.
a) Farm Visit and Visuals.
b) Issue of Windpump rectified.
c) Banana, vegetable dream !
d) Other issues that come to mind.
e) Restructuring the Blog for better surfing experience

Farm Update in Visuals 26-Jun-2018

1) The windpump is fixed.  It is rotating happily without load.  Subbu has promised he will connect to boring today.  He was busy with school admissions for his siblings in the past 2 weeks. I was also doing similar admission work.

2) I will be travelling to native for a unprecedented religious function at our Temple. This happens after 108 years. The consecration of temple tower.  More on that later.  I may visit the farm if time permits.

3) My entire energy is now spent in once again creating (attempting) the verticle windmill. I have started the painting and other works in my terrace. I am relieved now that my Son has completed 10th standard. The R&D was banned at my home last year to give way for his studies. More on that later. I have also started thinking about the 6" off centre alignment correction of the main windpump at the farm. I need to prepare a gadget for that (more on that later).

4) The multiple formalities for 3 Phase upgrade of electricity has been done. Requisite govt fee has been paid. Tips have been paid. The EB team may come any time to fix additional wire to bring 3 Phase current. Hopefully that will solve the under voltage problem of deep well bore pump. 

Rest in pictures. 

The entrance. Shows trees are maturing. and welcoming

Slowly the seating arrangement is getting the natural shade.

A part of the farm 

Jasmine

My brinjal experiment. My wife was fighting that I should not grow any vegetables. I
 am incapable of managing produce and will be wasted. This is growing amidst the challenge.

The banana country variety

Finally the windpump is fixed refixed with blades in right alignment.
It is now rotating freely without connection to boring well.

Pond. Some water due to rains.

Wonder of wonders. Already started yielding. Something wrong or right ?

These are delicious country varieties. They have very less shelf life.

Two cats. A surprise. Must be kandan's

Produce at the farm. all delicious organic Jam Fruits and Sapota

Outside the farm. This is how it is. Barren. 

Fruit flower - Jamun.

I recall, all the nursary plants purchased from Ramji Nursery, Nagarcoil are good.

Windpump Rotor blade interchange

As planned already, finally the day has come for action.   A tall stage has been constructed around the windpump to reach upto the rotor fan and change each of the blade. As told already, the blades are having their convex side facing the wind. It must be the concave side as per aerodynamics.  This correction or change is to be carried out today.

However there is very heavy rain as reported by Subbu from ground Zero. A special team had constructed the tower earlier. Subbu had called for 2 boys who are expert in climbing and working in towers. But no work today. I hope they will safely do the work. Post this picture there was some more safety poles constructed.

Closeup of the rotor.  These nuts have to be removed to free the blades. Then each have to be turned
back and re-fitted.

The stage atop looks fragile. Have asked to add more strength and cross bridges for comfortable
working.

Farm Update 11th May, 2018

It is easier said than done.  Everything in a farm is like that.

a) To reverse the blades of windpump rotor we need to construct a bamboo tower upto that. It must be safe and comfortable to work on top of that stage. Subbu has asked his known person to visit the farm and give a quote. This is a season of temple festivals. They are busy.  Anyway we have to do this job to extrat more from the windpump.  (Refer my last post).

b) The sprinklers (3 Nos.) have been give to Valliyoor for welding the tripod stand. Subbu is yet to take delivery of the same.

c) Subbu was busy plucking the jasmine flowers morning. It will otherwise go waste. He has tied with some local small vendor. This time we have the electronic weighing machine and a notebook to note down the daily yield.

Vettiver at the farm.  One row is not enough. But it is surviving
in the hot Sun

d) I need to think a lot more about the windpump. Now that the water is secured, I am planning to do all possible things to increase the water output. That will amount to purchasing a new foot valve (plunger) which would cost estimated 16K

e) The vegetable plot where the sprinkler is being tried, is growing slow. I have hopes on this.

f). While on the visit to the farm, I was particular to inspect the vettiver that I asked Subbu to plant around the pond to prevent soil erosion. Earlier the vettiver was sown and got spread around the wind pump tower. This was attracting snakes and rabbits. It was destroyed. Some stalks were supposed to be replanted and watered daily. As expected that was not done, except for my compulsion.

g).  But whatever vettiver has been planted, was satisfactory. Not enough, but satisfying that the concept is good. Now If i need to deepen the pond further, I must employ manual labor and not JCB.

Wrong Fitting in Windpump

Today I made a startling discovery.  The one that will shame and nullify our 4 years of hard work. On my cellphone, I was just going through some of the snaps that I took while I visited the farm 2 weeks back.

The windpump as it stands now

Something struck me. While at farm, I had this sense that windpump was not working to full speed that I expected it to be.  Today I was playing a short video clip when it struck me that something is wrong with the propellers.  I cross checked in the web on how generally the fins of the properller (called rotor) should be arranged.

What I found was that our windpump did not have their fins fitted as per aerodynamic rules.  They were fitted wrongly.  However it was serving the purpose. It is rotating.  It is pumping water.  But could have done more.  I guess the technicians who came and installed few years back had made this mistake.  No one noticed the fundamental flaw since then.

Rest in pictures.

I called Subbu and did whatsup of some snaps for reference. Asked him to go through and get back. He did not call back. He did not realise the mistake. I explained.  He could not belive. He was angry, prepirating. He had worked with windpump for all these years.  God knows how many times he climbed to stop that, paint that, oil that and connect the rods whenever there is a repair.  Today his fundamentals has got shattered.

He said it will cost to build a ramp and hire labor. I said we must do. There is no choice. We are going to correct this.    We must correct this so that we get maximum out of this machine that we have invested.

I have high hopes on this windpump. I am glad I discovered it.

Play the video attached below. Notice the rotor blades. They are fixed with convex side in front. It must be the concave side in front. The correct picture is given below.

The beautiful windpump amidst vegetation. I have high hopes on this. We will correct the error soon.

The correct position given for illustration. Notice the pipes supporting the fins must be outside. The cusp must be outside.

Another example

And another one.

Sprinkler - No big deal

Coming back to my dream of growing vegetables.   Subbu, for that matter anyone who hears me always tries to give impression that growing vegetables as a difficult task. Therefore they avoid, they postpone, they donot give attention to my "n" number of lectures. But I am not going to give up.

I know and  I suspected that on the ground,  Subbu would not have made enough attempt even after several iterations of my interaction over phone.

Luckily I had opportunity to visit the farm last week in person (refer last post).  The team over there had fixed the ground in a hurry,  readied the farm with brinjal, beans and other saplings because I am coming.    I knew this and smiled.

What I saw was disappointing. Tomato, chilli, brinjal plants were so tiny, planted far away from each other and seldom watered. However the basic ground was ready for vegetables. All we need to do is sustain. It was waiting for a proper watering solution.

I took Subbu to Tirunelveli (nearby town) and purchased 3 sprinklers right away. Each cost around 600/-.  I also brought an electronic weighing machine which can weigh upto 20 KG. We also enquired about 1 HP or 3 HP pumps for driving force to drive the sprinklers or rain gun in future.  It looks like a decent monobloc pump would cost around 6K. I wanted to atleast make the sprinkler up and running before I leave. I wanted to ensure all spares are purchased like bent pipe etc. Because Subbu is famous for leaving a job half done. We returned in bus by 11 PM.

In future if this is successful I want to go for rain gun. It costs around 7K for the metal one and another 2K for the stand.  It will be a project of 15K to secure everything. I hope this will be useful to wet the farm in all nook and corners from one place.  The idea is to fill the cement tank from borewell. Then pump the cement tank water using minimum force for irrigation.

The sprinklers would have to be welded on tripod stand.  Back in farm, next day Paramu and Kandan went into action. While we were waiting in shade, these guys went about setting up the sprinkler with existing pipe to be driven with pressure from submercible pump.  It worked.

Subbu came and pitched a stump. Paramu tied the sprinkler to the stump. Lo it worked.  We enjoyed it rotating for quite some time, measured how much radius it covers with water etc and returned.

I came back from tour. Subbu was supposed to weld them. But he has gone on vacation. This work will be done next week.