Abstract

Hydraulic ram pumps utilize the kinetic energy of flowing water to pump a portion of that water to a higher elevation without requiring any external power source, making them an efficient and sustainable technology. They operate by the principle of water hammer effect, where a sudden closure of a valve creates a high pressure that drives water through a one-way valve into an elevated storage tank. This technology is particularly valuable in remote or off-grid areas, providing a reliable water supply using only the natural energy present in flowing water.  

Profile:

Mr. E. M. Ranathunga recently finished his PhD in Engineering from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ruhuna.  He also completed his M.Phil. degree in Applied physics, and a Bachelor of Science Honors in Physics at the University of Ruhuna. He has been working as a senior lecturer at the department of physics, UoR since 2010.

His research interests focus on designing and fabricating automated equipment for real world applications and developing underlying theoretical foundations. He has several international publications and owns a patent issued in 2008 for an automated Hopper Making Machine. He received awards from the President's Awards for the best invention in 2008 and the Vice Chancellors for the most outstanding inventor in 2009. His most recent invention was a solar-powered water distillation system with a parabolic trough reflector and a solar tracking system, whose theoretical foundation is described by computational fluid dynamics, is currently being considered for use in the commercial sphere.