Turtle needs help PLEASE? 8

[Damien.d]

Good day to All

*****Urgent assistance would be much appreciated.***** Pump dynamics is not my forte but I need help pump seawater up from the shoreline to replenish water in a turtle holding tank at an NGO. This was an injured and sick turtle that was rescued last week but the people working there have limited resources. From the shoreline to the tank is 150m and there is a 15m altitude difference. They have a 25mm HDPE pipe with a one-direction stop valve at the bottom but their pump is too weak to suck it up all the way from the shoreline. Any recommendations on a simple setup that would provide much relief to the chaps carrying buckets of water up every day for a water change. What size and type of pump? any additional valves etc that would ease the priming? The pipe would have to be rolled up after every use to prevent it from growing legs and walking away at night.
We would be so grateful to Anyone who would be so kind to help with the info and a simple drawing.
Warm Tropical Regards
Damien

 

[hacksaw]

Locate your pump in a way that is is closer to sea level, and prefill the pipe, while keeping it from flowing back to sea. Once the pump starts open the blockage at the seawater intake,and should pump the liquid 15 m just fine.

 

[LittleInch]

Can you move the pump like hacksaw says?

The maximum vertical lift is about 7m from sea level, but no appreciable length of inlet pipe.

What power source do you have?

If you've got electricity then a submersible pump is probably best.

150m is quite a long way for a 25mm pipe and might need quite a big head/ pressure to get any decent flow, so your pump might need 30 to 40 m head to overcome static lift and friction.

A few more details would help.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Damien.d]

Hi Hacksaw and LittleInch

Many thanks for your speedy replies. Unfortunately can't move the pump as its needs to be in an enclosure(theft prevention) The 150m from tank to sea is a thick jungle. The pump has a single-phase electricity point available. We tried the method Hacksaw suggested but the pump on hand only managed about 2L/min...and it was a task to try to keep the pipe primed with water. Current pumphas a 300L/h capacity and can push up to 42m of Head. It has no ability to suck uphill.
The submersible pump idea would be a possibility but placing it in enough water without it getting damaged and thrashed around would be the net challenge plus providing it will a safe electrical connection in a constantly wet environment would be difficult. A protective cover of sorts?

However, ideally, the pump should be within easy reach and close to the electrical point.
Thanks again
Best regards

 

[hacksaw]

You might try using your pump to deliver water under pressure back down to the sea where you have an eductor set up to deliver water back up to the tank in closed loop fashion.

 

[1503-44]

Your 25mm pipe should be large enough to flow 300L/h through it with that pump.
Can you feed the pump from some kind of tank, or barrel located closer to the sea. At least it wouldnt be such a long walk uphill to fill the turtle pool.

 

[3DDave]

15m > than the vacuum limit, what barometric pressure can move; the actual limit is about 10m, the practical limit is less - I believe Littleinch's 7m.

I agree with 1503-44 that a holding tank about half-way in altitude which would allow the pump to function and lower the bucket carrier effort.

I'm less confident that any location that far above sea level will have a good long-term solution if only because of colonization and blockage of the water path by various small animals. Even local river intakes have a constant battle with fresh-water mussels and that's a few feet with huge intakes.

 

[itsmoked]

Recommend you completely avoid electricity unless you stick with 12VDC. Your application's limitations make using mains power extremely life-threatening and risky.

You are trying to avoid carrying pails so don't carry painfully heavy water and instead carry a hand pump down and back. Put its pickup in the little tank and plug it's output into the exiting pipe. Hand crank the required amount then disconnect and return to the high ground with the pump.

You'd need to find a pump locally that will pump a 25m head or so and will "draw" a few meters too. That way you'll have no troubles on either end.

You'll want a pump that is either all plastic or bronze. If you use bronze don't let the water you're pumping to Mr. Turtle and friends soak in the bronze or undesirable copper may appear in the pumped water.

Here is an example which I have no idea will fit your needs, it is only an example.
Example Page 1
Example Page 2

In this case you'd want the "B" version as it is: COMPLETELY MADE OF BRONZE WITH STAINLESS STEEL SHAFT, NITRILE RUBBER SEALS.
It's for marine service. I have no idea what the price is. Possibly too much.


Alternatively look for a boat or marine "12Vdc wash down pump". Something like:
Washdown Deck Wash Pump KIT 12v 70 PSI 5.5 GPM

You would then lug down the pump and a charged 12V battery of the car size (preferably a deep discharge version). Hook up the hoses and clamp to the battery. Watch the time and stop when the correct time has passed. Disconnect and haul both back up. Immediately put the battery on a small charger that will fully charge it by the next day's use.




Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[1503-44]

Maybe the battery won't be heavier than the water.

 

[Damien.d]

Thank you foryour input. 2- stage setup is working now. Best regards

 

[1503-44]

Great.
Good luck to the

 

[Damien.d]

Hi. I have gone through all your replies and must say a big thank you. We going to use a bit of everyone's advice and see what we can do for the future long-term solution. We have installed a second tank 50m down and its height above sea level is 9m. Barometric reading is 1011 hPa presently. A plumbing company donated a 1100w two-stage stainless steel pump with a 50m Head capacity...biggest on the shelves here. Electricity is a BIG concern due to the damp environment, however, we have installed waterproof plugs and sockets and will test the pump with an electricity/voltage meter before touching. 4mm 3 core extension cable...hopefully not too much voltage drop. Have a great day further everyone! cheers

 

[LittleInch]

9m lift is still problematic.

Really try and get it 7m inlet lift or below if you can.

Or do you have two pumps? I couldn't make out what your new scenario is.

Also make sure you don't run the pump with too much flow otherwise you'll use more power and possibly burn the motor out.

So find out what the max flow or rated flow is and try and keep it below that.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[Artisi]

All this is for 1 injured turtle?
Couldn't have been housed closer to the water source.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

 

[1503-44]

If 1 is not important, how can a 1000?

 

[Artisi]

No dispute what so ever on 1 turtle being cared for, but surely a better solution could be arranged than what is currently being, or trying to be engineered.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

 

[1503-44]

Undoubtedly. However a design must always conform to time, economic and technical limitations of the project.

They should start a Go Fund Me" account, then perhaps we could consider more options. But we'd probably have to get an engineer on site for installation supervision and the turtle might not still be kicking by then.

 

[Artisi]

Along with environmental impact study cultural heritage, OHS, and probably a few other studies.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

 

[1503-44]

Wind, wave and tides. Soil borings on and offshore. Access control and security. Guest and parking center. Observation tower...

 

[Damien.d]

Hi. Thanks for the further comments and input. Turtle in intensive care so proximity to be constantly accessed is a priority. Plus only a jungle between structure and beach. It is the closest we can get, unfortunately. Serious poaching going on too...as Petroleum said...time economics and security playing a role here.

But great news. Something was not adding up. The staff on hand insisted the other day that the difference in height was 15m. They used their cellphone app I had walked up and down the stretch so many times these last few days and it just didn't seem like 15m difference. I checked with a calibrated GPS and it was only 5.5m!! The thick jungle and no line of sight make it difficult to see the topography. Foot valve also hampered flow so after priming and pump on, removed foot valve and filled a 4000l tank in 2 hours.

Thank you again to all. Take care. Cheers