Design, Modelling and Fabrication of a Portable Solar Powered Suction Pump

Some inventions are glamorous and very sophisticated – microchips embedded system technology –and more while some others are quieter, yet not less relevant in easing the work that man has to do with his own energy. Pumps do fall in the latter category (Mario, 2001).

This project is intended to model a portable solar powered suction pump. Pumps are devices that transfer fluids (liquid or gas) from one point to another through some mechanical means. Pumps generally have being in use for centuries in different fields of application and most especially in the engineering field (Vijaypratap, 2017). The project intends to bridge the gap between a manually operated rotary pump and an extremely sophisticated liquid transfer pumps.

Transfer of liquids can be very difficult, time consuming and frustrating especially in the automotive Maintenance field where liquids – oil and coolant – are needed to be transferred from their containers into different parts of the machines for proper lubrication. Fluids used, many a time, are needed to be contained such that there will be no spillage, hence, the need for a safe transfer of such fluids through a closed cross section. Pumps operate by some mechanism (typically reciprocating or rotary), and consume energy to perform mechanical work by moving the fluid. Pumps operate via many energy sources, including manual operation, electricity, engines, or wind power, come in many sizes, from microscopic for use in medical applications to large industrial pumps (Woodford and Chris, 2008).

When it comes to field applications where electricity may not be available or the use of electrically powered pumps may be hazardous because of sparks, electricity powered pumps will be less efficient. However, in the use of hand operated pumps so much mechanical energy is required to be imputed on the part of the operator. Designing a machine that can pump the fluid without the need of so much energy on the part of the operator as well as boycott the use of direct electricity will hence be a reasonable contribution to field of maintenance and other relevant fields where such pumps will be required.