The report at hand is a comprehensive summary of the conducted research and consequent developments in the experimental design of a solar-heated water displacement pump focused on its implementation in areas lacking access to safe drinking water, particularly in developing countries.
The research begins by examining the dire situation faced by the two billion people lacking safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2023). This is done by looking closer at the factors influencing water supply, considering needs and the context in which these affected people live.
This contextual analysis motivated the need to develop a solar-powered water pump system designed to effectively, reliably and sustainably bring safe drinking water from improved water sources to households in the most affected regions of the world.
To address this need, existing pumping systems that are currently used or have the potential to mitigate this problem were studied and evaluated.
By carefully examining the most recent advancements in relevant water pumping technologies for this contextual application, an innovative opportunity for converting low-grade heat energy into mechanical energy was identified.
Having identified the problem and understood its context, analysed the existing solutions and identified a potentially disruptive hypothesis, an innovative system of an affordable, robust, and scalable solar-heated water displacement pump was designed.
In addition, the design was validated with a high-fidelity prototype with which experiments were done to successfully prove the concept’s working principle.
The successful proof of concept aligns with the established objectives of simplicity and accessibility. In fact, the water pump prototype was created on a minimal budget, making use of simple and accessible tools and materials, highlighting its potential for scalable cost-effective manufacturing.
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the performance of the prototype, along with the theoretical design considerations that influenced its development. As a result, it serves as an experimental logbook that also offers insights into the existing water crisis and contributes to a better understanding of it. Thus, the present work lays the foundation for future research and developments on this innovative working principle, making it a valuable contribution to this life-changing field.