Video LinkThe Barsha pump is a water wheel propelled pump that utilises the energy from the flow of rivers and canals to pump water without requiring any fuel or electricity to be operated.
There are estimated to be 500 million smallholder farms globally, comprising a large proportion of the world's poor. Intensifying their crop production is key for creating food security.
Amongst many challenges that smallholders face, proper water management is one of the most critical elements to achieve. One method to enable control of water irrigation is by the use of pump technologies. Of particular interest are hydro-powered pump technologies.
The Barsha pump has a patented modular structure that allows water to be scooped up and pumped. The design consists of a spiral pump that is formed by a tube wrapped around a horizontal axis as can be seen in the image. One end of the tube is open and once per revolution, it is submerged underwater, filling partially the spiral. In each revolution, the air inside the spiral is compressed building up the pressure to pump the water outwards.
The performance of the pump depends on the input conditions. For the pump to work properly, the flow of the river, stream or canal should be at least 0.8 m/s. The river should have a minimum depth of 20-50 cm and minimum width of 150 cm. In order to pump water from the water source, the pump must be connected to an HDPE pipe with a diameter of 40 mm and the length needed for the distribution of the water pumped.
Compressed air between the water columns in the spiral result in air pressure that effectively lifts the water. The pump can lift water to a height of up to 20 m or pump to a distance of 1 km, while reaching up to 40,000 litres of water per day, depending on the flow velocity of the water. Since no fuel or electricity is required for its operation, the pump does not emit polluting greenhouse gases.
The Barsha pump is distributed through aQysta’s distributors in Africa, South America and Asia.
Pumped irrigation is ruled worldwide by electricity- and diesel-based systems. They bear high operation and maintenance costs because of continuous use of electricity from the grid and expensive fuels, respectively. As a consequence, these technologies might be eventually (too)cost-intensive for most smallholders—which makes them less accessible and/ or suitable for small farmers. The Barsha pump on the other hand pumps water without electricity. Making it a viable option for pumping water, especially in rural areas and developing countries.
