Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis of a Variable-Length Pendulum Water Pump

Abstract

Due to the long-term problem of electricity and potable water in most developing and undeveloped countries, predominantly rural areas, a novelty of the pendulum water pump, which uses a vertically excited parametric pendulum with variable-length using a sinusoidal excitation as a vibrating machine, is presented. With this, more oscillations can be achieved, reducing human effort further and having high output than the existing pendulum water pump with the conventional pendulum. The pendulum, lever, and piston assembly are modeled by a separate dynamical system and then joined into the many degrees-of-freedom dynamical systems. The present work includes friction while studying the system dynamics and then simulated to verify the system’s harmonic response. The study showed the effect of the pendulum length variability on the whole system’s performance. The vertically excited parametric pendulum with variable length in the system is established, giving faster and longer oscillations than the pendulum with constant length. Hence, more and richer dynamics are achieved. A quasi-periodicity behavior is noticed in the system even after 50 s of simulation time; this can be compensated when a regular external forcing is applied. Furthermore, the lever and piston oscillations show a transient behavior before it finally reaches a stable behavior.