Wind water pumps as the name suggests are pumps that use the energy of the wind to pump water. The powers used for water pumping are hand pumps, solar, gasoline, water and wind. Anything is better than pumping water by hand but the gas generators should be avoided. The rest of the methods are favorable. In case of wind the pump is directly linked to the wind generator. The conventional wind water pump, the windmill is still a very useful technology. It is one of the oldest and effective methods used to pump water.
There are basically two types of windmills that are the vertical-axis windmills and the horizontal-axis windmills. A windmill water pump is normally of the horizontal-axis variety.
A preferable site for a windmill water pumps would be open areas that should not have any obstacles or trees in the surroundings. The windmill should be located as close to the water source as possible and should have good exposure to wind. The measurements of the wind speed should be taken and the period over which the water will be pumped should be taken into account.
There are different types of wind powered water pumps that can be used to pump water. The most common type is the traditional cylinder pumps. But it depends what the wind energy is being used to produce. If the windmill is being used to produce electricity to power electrically produced pumps then in that case the pump is powered by an electrical motor. Good quality batteries should also be kept as a backup. If the wind is being used to lift the water then air lift pumps are used. The sizes of the pumps depend on the daily water requirements. And the amount of water that a wind powered water pump can pump depends on the speed and duration of the wind. The efficiency and quality of the pump also plays an important role.
Often water pumping windmills and water pumping wind turbines are confused. But there is a difference between water pumping wind turbines and water pumping windmills. The water pumping wind turbines are used to produce electricity whereas the water pumping windmills are used to provide mechanical power to pump water.
The cost of wind powered water pump depends upon the capabilities of the machine. Although some stock watering systems are available for a rough estimate of $1000 to $6000.
There are many advantages of windmill water pumps. They can have automatic governance and can run unattended for long periods of time. They are suitable for isolated locations and don’t have any energy costs. Their main attraction is their simplicity.
Along with the advantages a windmill water pump has a couple of drawbacks too that should not be overlooked. They have high capital costs and the fact that they have poor performance when the winds are light and the water from the windmills is insufficient.
