Water Pumps

The Vacuum Barrel Pump

The technology described below is controversial although interesting

Please note: We do not yet have one of the Gravity/Vacuum barrel pumps operating, although are currently researching them and believe there may be some potential because the physics appears to be promising although challenging to understand. More will be posted if we can create a working model. The devil is in the detail, and such things as air seals and container strength must be adequate in order to achieve solid outcomes. Plus, many individuals appear to not have achieved success in creating working models, which is only to be expected, although some individuals do claim to have achieved success as can be observed in the demonstration videos linked below. 

The term 'Gravity Vacuum Pump' or 'Barrel Pump' describes a device that enables water to be raised from a lower level to a higher lever using only physics and without the use of an electric-motor-driven pump or a petrol-engine-driven pump, or even a wind-turbine-driven pump.

This is traditionally considered to be impossible because the concept initially appears to violate the law of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed - only converted from one form to another. Meaning that a system always has the same amount of energy unless new energy is introduced from outside sources.

This paper attempts to explain the principles that are believed to apply to barrel pumps, and identify the naturally occurring sources of energy that enable the pumps to operate without the use of mechanical or electrically powered devices. However, the videos are claimed by some to be a hoax.

Archimedes' principle is a law of physics discovered by the ancient Greek mathematician and inventor, which states that any object completely or partially at rest in a fluid (gas or liquid) is moved by an upward force or pressure. The volume of liquid displaced is equal to the volume of the body submerged in the liquid, or equal to the volume below the surface of the body partially submerged in the liquid.

Archimedes of Syracuse - circa. 287 BC—212/211 BC

For example, when a ship is loaded with cargo, the ship sinks lower and displaces more water. This is because the displacement force is always proportional to the weight of the ship and its cargo.

It is often said that Archimedes was so thrilled and excited by this discovery that he immediately left the bath and exclaimed 'Eureka! Eureka! ' (I get it! I get it!).

The principles on which a barrel pump functions are thought to be based on a unique interpretation of Archimedes' principle as described below.

Water in the container drains through a small outlet, a spigot, and a pipe located at the bottom of the container. This action lowers the water level and draws air into the container to replace the drained water.

In contrast, water contained in an otherwise sealed container with only a narrow outlet and pipe located at the bottom of the container will flow out of the container only until the atmospheric pressure inside drops enough to create a partial vacuum in the container, after which the water stops flowing.

Water stops flowing because the partial vacuum inside the container is equal to the gravitational force pulling the water out of the container, and a balance is reachebetween the vacuum holding the water in the container and the gravity pulling the water out.

An inlet hole is then added to the top of the container following which air enters the container replacing the partial vacuum, and without the vacuum, the water exits the container through the bottom outlet.

The surface of the falling water acts as a piston, drawing air into the container through the inlet.

A pipe is then connected through the inlet hole and the joint is securely sealed to prevent air from leaking into the container through the join. Any air vent previously added to the top of the barrel is either completely sealed or a flexible membrane is fitted that effectively seals the vent. The adequate sealing of all joints is essential, as a partial vacuum formed inside the container will cause any inadequately sealed joints to leak air into the container, and air leaks are the most likely reason for the failure of a system to operate. Simply sealing joins with silicon or other similar materials is completely inadequate as the system is capable of forming a significant partial vacuum, and it is difficult to create adequate air seals because air molecules are so very small, and so leaks can easily form. The inlet pipe is directed into a body of water located some distance below the bottom of the container. Note that the height to which water can be drawn up through the inlet pipe may possibly be determined by the unique, detailed design of each pump, plus the vertical distance between the outlet and the surface of the water in the well. This assumption can only be proven or disproven by building pumps of various sizes and designs and thoroughly testing them.

The container is then filled with water through the filler cap hole (see figure 1). This filler hole must then be sealed and made completely airtight, ideally with a screw cap and rubber seal, plus a smear of vaseline or similar and possibly securely fitted with a flexible plastic membrane. Optionally, a second opening located on the top of the container can be made and fitted with a flexible plastic film stretched across the opening, and securely fixed in place. This membrane creates a pressure reduction valve that can help to prevent the container from collapsing due to the combined effects of atmospheric pressure on the outside and a partial vacuum inside the container and must be made airtight, although this valve is not essential if the container is strong enough to resist the effects of the atmospheric pressure pressing down on it.  

Note: A top filler cap may not be required as the barrel could potentially be filled through the outlet pipe by connecting a pressurized water supply through a simple hose pipe, and forcing water into the container while also forcing air out through the upper pipe. This then removes at least one potential source of air leaks by not having a filler cap.

When the bottom outlet is opened, water flows out from it under the influence of gravity. The surface of the water inside the container falls and acts as a piston reducing the atmospheric pressure inside the container and creating a partial vacuum.

This partial vacuum exerts a force inside the inlet pipe similar to a person drinking liquid through a straw.

Important note: *********

When drinking through a straw the lungs are expanded to create a partial vacuum in the mouth. This partial vacuum combined with atmospheric pressure pushing down on the surface of the liquid in the drinking vessel pulls the liquid out of the glass through the straw and into the mouth. The fluid then flows down the throat helping to maintain the partial vacuum in the mouth and drawing more fluid through the straw. This is similar to the effects observed in the barrel pump, except that the water flowing down the throat is still located within a sealed container (the stomach) and is not in the open atmosphere.

A conventional siphon works by creating a low-pressure area in the discharge pipe that allows atmospheric pressure to push the water up to a height of about 10 metres at sea level. Meaning that when a higher pressure exists at the bottom of the inlet pipe opening than exists at the opening of the outlet pipe which is always located below the water level into which the inlet pipe is located. Under the effects of a partial vacuum (suction), the water can be drawn up to a height that is dependent on the difference between the two air pressures. If the opening to the inlet pipe is say 3 meters below the outlet pipe and theair weighs 1.222Kg per cubic meter or 0.1222 grams per litre, inside a pipe of 50 mm diameter and 3 meters high, there will be about 5.8 litres of air, weighing a total of 7 grams. The next question is, can a column of air weighing only about 7 grams lift a column of water weighing 5,889 kg up the tube to a height of more than 3 meters, without the assistance of a partial vacuum, similar to sucking water up a straw, is the vacuum strong enough?

The actions of a barrel pump are not attributed to free Energy, magic, or trickery. The energy driving the device is drawn exclusively from the effects of gravity, which is constant and consistent, except at differing heights above sea level, plus air which reaches up to a height of about 100 kilometres. It is gravity that pulls water out of the barrel and it is gravity that pulls the atmosphere down toward the surface of the earth at some 10.3 tons per square metre at sea level. 

These forces, combined with the partial vacuum created by the water leaving the container, create a path of least resistance for the water entering the riser through the water in the well and flowing up and through the container inlet. Gravity then pulls the water leaving the inlet tube down into the container, thereby replenishing the water flowing out of the container and maintaining a consistent water level. The weight of the water in the container above the outlet adds to the difference, as does the slight increase in the weight of the atmosphere located below the container which pushes down onto the surface of the water in the well. If the combined weight of the water and the air is sufficient to overcome the atmospheric pressure at the outlet, the falling water within the container should create enough suction at the inlet opening to lift the water up the pipe and into the container in order to maintain a consistent volume of water that is sufficient for the system to continue to run indefinitely, or at least until the tank needs to be refilled due any introduction of air into the container. 

Optionally, a transparent tube could be inserted into the lower area of the container, with the joint made airtight and attached to the side of the container to a point above the top to act as a water level gauge. The partial vacuum will affect the operation of this gauge, although it could possibly be a valuable device to attach. The top of the tube could be plugged o prevent air from entering the container under the influence of the partial vacuum.

A narrow, transparent tube can optionally be inserted close to the bottom of the container and attached to the side to reach above the top. to act as a water level gauge. Although, it may be necessary to plug the top of this pipe to prevent air leaks.

The Barrel Pump