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The invention of the Hydraulic Ram

Hydraulic ram pumps are a great way to move water to higher elevations without using any power. Many remote areas use these pumps as a water source. It requires little maintenance because the system uses minimal moving parts. However, a large amount of water is needed to provide kinetic energy ind order for the pump to function. Hydraulic rams are not used when water is scarce because of potential water wastage. I’ve used water pumps or hydraulic rams in a zoo game I played. I needed to raise water levels to create a living space for aquatic creatures.

The first hydraulic ram was installed in 1772 by John Whitehurst of Cheshire, UK. Back then the “pulsation engine” raised water 16ft. He installed another ram in an Irish property in 1783, but acquired no patent for is design. Thirteen years later a Frenchmen invented a self-acting ram pump for his paper mill at Voiron. His friend took out a British patent on his behalf the following year. US interest in the rams increase dramatically sixty years later.

Josiah Easton acquired the patents for Whitehurst’s and Montgolfier’s (the Frenchmen) designs and sold them at his firm until 1871. At some point, Easton’s son James inherited the firm and installed pumps at country houses, farms and villages communities across England, some surviving as late as 2004. The firm later closed in the early twentieth century but James continued on. The waning interest for hydraulic rams in the late 19th century probably attributed to the downfall of the firm.

Ever since the late twentieth century interest in hydraulic rams has been renewed. This could probably be accredited to the recent trend of sustainable and renewable energy. The kind of aid the U.S. provided to developing countries was also changing at this point. Instead of giving cash, the US also provided some goods or at least NGOs. Since power is often scarce there, hydraulic rams are a viable choice. Hydraulic rams are now a viable option where there electric counterpart is not.