Lessons learned
The Volanta pump is a high quality pump fit for deep wells. The piston has a hydraulic seal so there is little maintenance. The local production in Burkina was a good idea. Production is still going on there with capacity of 100 - 300 pumps per year.
History
The Volanta Pump, created DGIS in co-operation with by Jansen Venneboer B.V., is a reciprocating pump driven by a large flywheel for medium to very deep wells. It uses a retractable cylinder and a seal-less stainless steel piston. A crank and a connecting rod convert the rotary motion into a reciprocating action, which is transmitted to the plunger via stainless steel pump rods. The crankshaft and the flywheel run on ball bearings mounted on a plate that can be fixed to a steel or concrete pedestal. The cylinder is of glass fiber reinforced plastic with a close-fitting seal-less stainless steel plunger. The complete cylinder can be lifted from the well by the threaded pump rods, without removing the PVC-U rising main. The stroke is adjustable to reduce the effort needed at deep installations.
It is designed for heavy-duty use and the maximum recommended installation depth is 80 m.
The Volanta Pump is not in the public domain and information can be asked from the manufacturer. The Volanta Pump is fully corrosion resistant. It is rather difficult to install and it needs extensive masonry work. Regular maintenance is easy so that communities can care for the pumps. Info from Akovo pedia
References and more info
Information
- https://akvopedia.org/wiki/Afripump_/_Blue_pump
- http://www.jansen-venneboer.com/machinebouw/handpompen/volanta-pomp/
- Practica Foundation
- www.spie-nl.com (Volanta manufacturer in The Netherlands)
- www.handpump.org
