Transfering Hydraulic Ram pump technology from the Philippines to Colombia - Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation

Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc.
International Technology Transfer of Hydraulic Ram Pump 1
Project Proposal -
Transfering Hydraulic Ram pump technology
from the Philippines to Colombia
 
 
Summary 
The project will transfer the technical knowledge of the Hydraulic Ram pump from the AIDFI
Foundation in the Philippines to the technology demonstration center Aprotec in Colombia. In
Colombia, the Hydraulic Ram pump has a great potential, both for drinking water delivery to
remote communities, and for increasing income for small farmers through water for cattle and
irrigation.
The goal of the project is to establish self-sustaining hydraulic ram pump manufacture and
installation capacity in Colombia, through a technology transfer programme with experts from
the Philippines, and the installation of 2 pumps as pilot models.
Contents 
Summary....................................................................................................................................... 1 
Contents........................................................................................................................................ 1 
Identifying Information................................................................................................................... 2 
Background and Rationale............................................................................................................ 2 
Brief description of proposing organization - AIDFI....................................................................... 3 
Experience in Afghanistan ..................................................................................................... 3 
Brief description of target partner - Aprotec .................................................................................. 4 
Project Description ........................................................................................................................ 5 
Business model of Aprotec ........................................................................................................... 5 
Water quality ................................................................................................................................. 6 
Expected Impact ........................................................................................................................... 7 
Project stages and Provisional Costing......................................................................................... 7 
Appendix A - Additional information on the AIDFI organization .................................................... 8 
Appendix B - Background of Hydraulic Ram technology .............................................................. 9 
Comparison to other models.................................................................................................. 9 
Awareness creation ............................................................................................................. 10

Identifying Information  
Project Title Transfering Hydraulic Ram pump technology
from the Philippines to Colombia
Target Country Colombia
Project Proponent Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc.
(AIDFI) in cooperation with Green Empowerment (GE)
Project Coordinator Auke Idzenga (AIDFI)
Proponent Address AIDFI Bldg., Murcia Road, Mansilingan, Bacolod City,
Negros Occidental, Philippines
Tel. No./Fax No. +63 34 446- 3629/ +63 34 446-2330
Email/Website aidfi@hotmail.com / www.aidfi.org
Project Partners Aprotec, Colombia, www.aprotec.com.co/
Total Project Cost € 38,500.00
Amount Requested € 38,500.00
Project Duration 12 months
Background and Rationale  
Many communities in the developing world lack easy access to clean, potable water for drinking,
cooking, sanitation and hygiene. In many upland villages in mountainous areas, the only access
to water for inhabitants is the river, a spring or a stream. As the water source is generally located
up to 200 meters below the villages, the access of water is extremely difficult as the water has to
be carried uphill. This situation leads to shortages in water supply and use, both for basic
household use and for vegetable and livestock production.
One of the solutions which can be used to provide upland villages with an adequate water
supply is the Hydraulic Ram pump, which uses the energy in water flowing down a hight
difference to power a water pump. The advantage of the hydraulic ram pump is that other than
the flowing water, no additional energy source is required. More information on the technology
can be found on http://www.akvo.org/wiki/index.php/Hydraulic_Ram_pump, and in Appendix B
to this document.
Following many years of research and development, AIDFI, based in the Philippines, has
produced a hydraulic ram pump design which is suitable in these particular situations, and which
has been applied with great success in many places in the Philippines. Many years of efforts
and doing hard work in serving the water needs of poor upland villages using the hydraulic ram
pumps have led to the result that AIDFI is now in a position to do technology transfer on the

local manufacturing, repair and maintenance to other serious groups and individuals in
international communities.
This project proposes to transfer the ram pump manufacturing capacity to the NGO Aprotec in
Colombia. The project entails AIDFI to train the partner in the conduct of surveys, preparation of
technical studies, fabrication and installation of ram pumps intended for drinking water supply
and irrigation. We believe that through technology transfer, we can share and take part in
addressing water problems in Colombia. Moreover, this could create employment opportunities
through local manufacturing and installation of ram pumps and at the same time an enterprising
activity of the trained partner.
Brief description of proposing organization ‐ AIDFI 
Over a span of many years AIDFI developed a perfect working model of the hydraulic ram pump
and this became their flagship technology. The technical department of AIDFI has been
operating on a self-reliant basis for the past 8 years and has around 14 regular technicians and
engineers. Most of them come from the local communities.
Knowing that a perfect technology alone
won’t make a systems sustainable,
AIDFI has developed a complete
community involvement program in
different aspects of the hydraulic ram
projects: surveys, meetings, hauling,
actual construction, setting up of water
committees and training of local
technicians in operation, repair and
maintenance.
AIDFI has a lot of experiences in the
manufacturing of the pumps and also
with complete installations. It has done
over 100 installations. Some ram pumps
have been installed in Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Holland, France, Cambodia and Afghanistan.
An important part of the work of AIDFI is the training of the local beneficiaries in operating,
maintaining and repairing the ram systems. The selection of two-three ram technicians in every
project is vital for the sustainability of the systems.
AIDFI considers technology transfer on ram pump technology as their main strategy to cope with
the increasing requests for installations from around the world. The only only sustainable way to
cope with the growing interest in ram pump technology is to build local capacity for production,
repair and maintenance of hydraulic ram pump with our target partners.
Experience in Afghanistan 
AIDFI has carried out similar technology transfer projects in the past. For example, in the fall of
2007, AIDFI installed three hydraulic ram pumps in the Northern Afghanistan pumping water as
high as 150m. Pilot pumps installed in Afghanistan have generated considerable interest and
demand among Afghan farmers. In 2008, two Afghan engineers followed a 45-day training
course at AIDFI, covering all aspects of the ram pump: theory, surveying, system design, ram
View of AIDFI technology demonstration center

pump fabrication, installation, testing and tuning. The training
was very successful and the two shop owners now own a
joined shop for ram manufacturing in Taloqan (Northern
Afghanistan). They already have orders from German NGO’s
active in the area.
We aim to duplicate the same successful technology transfer
method to transfer the technology to Colombia. In due course,
the technology will also be transferred to other countries which
have shown interest, such as Nepal, Timor and many others.
The Afghan experience has shown that it is very important to
transfer the technology in a thorough way, in which the 6-week
training course is a main component.
Project coordinator for the technology transfer program to
Colombia will be the Dutch-born AIDFI engineer Auke
Idzenga. Idzenga is the head of the technical department and
has worked with the ram pump technology for over 18 years.
He has guided several organizations from Malaysia, Thailand,
Nepal and France in installation of ram pumps through the use
of internet.
Brief description of target partner ‐ Aprotec 
The Colombian NGO Aprotec has worked with different appropriate technologies for many
years: hydro power, windpower, biomass, water pumps and solar power. Head Engineer
Mauricio Gnecco has been there since the 1970’s. They have a well equipped shop in which
they will be able to fabricate the hydraulic ram pump. They also have good technical
connections in the region. The group is very excited in acquiring the technology and has already
identified areas were the ram model of AIDFI can be piloted. Because of their level of technical
skills, we think that building two pilot sites together will be enough.
Background in Colombia
In the period 1945–1980, hundreds of ram pumps have been
fabricated and installed by the big coffee farmers in Colombia.
The ram pumps were of the old over-designed model of heavy
cast iron and brass valves. A foundry shop in Armenia (a city
in the coffee region) fabricated them but ceased operation ten
years ago.
Many ram pumps stopped operation or were pulled out
because of the availability of cheap electricity and electric
pumps. Some of these rams have been rescued and are for
sale right now. High prices of fuel, and electricity and the
awareness of climate change, have led to a growing interest in
the re-introduction of the hydraulic ram pump.
The old models available are more complicated in operation,
repair and maintenance than the ones from AIDFI and are
more expensive. The pumps from AIDFI are more efficient and
can deliver more water to higher elevations. Micro-hydro system
constructed by Aprotec
Foto aprotec
AIDFI ram pump installation
in Afghanistan

Potential in Colombia
Engineer Mauricio Gnecco, who has worked with appropriate technologies for a long time
through Aprotec, has studied the potential of the ram pump during the past 15 years. His
investigations show that there is a very large potentials because there are around 3 million
displaced farmers who are coming back to their farms or new areas but who don’t have
water/energy infrastructure to live and food production. A second group is the traditional Indian
groups, farmers and cattle owners in the Plains who need water during dry season (December –
May).
At the moment, Aprotec already produces and sells some ram pumps, but they work with a so-
called ‘piston-design’, which give a lot of problems with maintenance and quality. Aprotec is
convinced of the AIDFI model of the ram and is interested in getting the technology (including
manufacturing) transferred. Aprotec has identified many places to install ram pumps.
Project Description  
We propose a 12 month project that would establish self-sustaining ram pump manufacturing
and installation capacity in Colombia with a total of 2 operating pumps installed as pilot models.
Below, the different components of the project are listed.
1) Pilot installations
The project will start with a feasibility study and site visit in Colombia by an expert from AIDFI, in
order to identify suitable sites to install the first pilot pumps. Two ram pumps will then be
installed, serving 1200 people with access to water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene and
production of crops and livestock. An important part of the installation is the training of the local
beneficiaries in operating, maintaining and repairing the ram systems. The selection of two or
three ram technicians in every project is vital for the sustainability of the systems.
2) Building local manufacturing capacity
Secondly, two technicians from Aprotec, Colombia will travel to the Philippines, and receive a 6-
week hands-on training course on all aspects of the manufacture, installation, maintenance, of
the pumps. The training covers theory, performing surveys, designing, costing, pattern making,
ram fabrication, actual installation in the field and testing.
3) Licensing/Franchising Aprotec for manufacture of ram pump technology
Thirdly, a licensing/franchising process will be started, in which all the processes and information
regarding running a succesful pump manufacture organization, such as design drawings,
training manuals, and community involvment programmes, are transferred to Aprotec in
Colombia.
4) Follow-up mentoring, trouble-shooting and impact assessment
Finally, during the start-up of the production of ram pumps in Colombia, follow-up monitoring,
trouble shooting and impact assessment will be undertaken by AIDFI, through email.
Business model of Aprotec 
The goal of Aprotec is to sell a range of hydraulic ram pumps to communities and farmers, to be
used for drinking water and irrigation. The potential market for ram pumps is high, especially in
the plains of the Orinoco river, which has a dry season lasting 6 to 8 months, with many isolated

communities and cattle owners needing water. For the present Aprotec model, which does not
have a good design, there are already 15 to 20 requests for information per week, and they sell
0-5 per month.
Aprotec wants to sell products that are as simple as possible, with fast and good installation and
good post-sale service. With the AIDFI model, they expect to do 20 installations in the first year,
growing in the following, which will lead to an expected 200 installations after 5 years. A single
pump can supply up to 600 people with water, so if all pumps would be sold to communities, this
would lead to 120.000 people served after 5 years. Of course, a significant fraction of the pumps
are expected to be sold to farmers, which will serve fewer people, but which will lead to much
needed extra income generation, which will also benefit the community.
The expected price range for the pumps in Colombia is:
Size Price in
Philippins
(US$)
Price in
Colombia
(US$)
¾” & 1” 215,- 370,-
1 ½” 235,- 400,-
2” 275,- 430,-
2 ½” 290,- 480,-
3” 360,- 510,-
4” 405,- 550,-
5” 530,- 650,-
The difference in price is due to the higher cost of labour in Colombia. The cost of installation
and the drive pipe are additional to the cost of the pump.
This price range is expected to be quite easily affordable by cattle owners and medium-sized
farmers. For communities and poor farmers, access to credit facilities in important, and training
in the proper management for water. As access to water is a very important factor for increasing
income, the possibilies to fund pumps using credit are very good.
Aprotec is not a government organization, and in Colombia this means that it is very hard to get
government funds and support. That is why it is very important for Aprotec to be financially self-
sufficient. Therefore, they want to sell products that communities and farmers can afford without
subsidies.
Water quality 
There are two standards for water quality which Aprotec follows, one for drinking water and one
for cattle / fish / agriculture productive water. To test the quality of water that is used for
productive use, a field test kit is used which tests for iron, manganes, DQO-DBO, Ph, etc. No
bacteriological testing is performed for productive water, as this is not needed. If the water is not
of sufficient quantity, oxigenation is used to improve the quality.
For drinking water, samples are collected in sterilized bottles, which are tested by a water lab. If
the water for drinking is not of sufficient quality and needs treatment, Aprotec works with local
agencies (such as universities or health centers), which train the people in water treatment

systems such as SODIS, low speed sand filtration, boiling, ceramic filters, etc. Sodis and
ceramic filters are the prefered methods.
Expected Impact  
The project will install two ram pumps in Colombia. Assuming a similar condition or level of
supply to project in the Philippines, this will results in nearly 1200 people receiving the benefits
of accessible water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene and production of crops and livestock.
More importantly, the project will establish self-sustaining manufacturing and installation capacity
in Colombia, which has the potential to replicate the success of AIDFI in the Philippines with in
the end serving thousands of people with either drinking or irrigation water. Aprotec estimates
the market potential to be sufficient to reach 200 installed ram pumps within 5 years.
The community involvement program developed by AIDFI will be used by Aprotec to ensure a
sustainable assilimation of the technology by the communities. The program involves community
involvement in different aspects of the projects: surveys, meetings, hauling, actual construction,
setting up ofwater committees and training of local technicians in operation, repair and
maintenance.
Project stages and Provisional Costing 
In the table below, the different stages of the project are listed, together with a budget estimate.
Stages Budget
1. Pilot installations – to build awareness and train local
installation teams
a. Feasibility study and site visit (2 weeks – 1 person – travel and time)
to Colombia
b. Ram Pump System Installation (2 sites) by AIDFI in Colombia.
Includes materials, freight, travel.
€ 1,000.00
€ 21,500.00
2. Building local manufacturing capacity – training course in the
Philippines (6 weeks “hands-on” training with AIDFI for 2
persons)
€ 10,000.00
3. Licensing/Franchising for manufacture of technology (US$
3,000.00)
€ 2,500.00
4. Follow-up mentoring, trouble shooting through E-mails € 0.00
5. AIDFI Management Time € 3,500.00
Total Project Cost € 38,500.00

Appendix A ‐ Additional information on the AIDFI organization 
The AID Foundation was founded in 1990 by four people who worked in the socio-economic
program of a labor union for sugar workers. They felt that opportunities for development were
not maximized. Many of their ideas for organic farming and the use of Appropriate Technologies
didn’t get a chance.
AIDFI started working in Agrarian Reform areas using Appropriate Technologies. Around 15
technologies were further developed and are presently being manufactured and installed. These
technologies are all centered around basic needs such as water (for drinking and irrigation),
sanitation and renewable energy (wind and biogas).
AIDFI has received several awards for their work,
such as a Green Energy Award from the
Philippine Department of Energy, and in 2007 the
Ashden Award from the hands of Al Gore. In May
2008 AIDFI was one of the nominees of the
Energy Globe Award in the European Parliament
in the category water. AIDFI was also one of the
few NGO’s who were invited by former US
president Clinton to his Clinton Global Initiatives
(CGI) in Hong Kong on December 2-3, 2008.
AIDFI did a personal commitment to President
Clinton for technology transfer of its unique ram
program to other countries.
After the Awards, AIDFI received a lot of inquiries
from over 25 countries. What was clear from
these inquiries is that imported hydraulic ram units from commercial producers give a lot of
headache, that local models are not fully developed, and that the same mistakes are repeated
everywhere.
AIDFI therefore wants to share its experiences with other groups and individuals. This also
includes technology transfer of the manufacturing. However, AIDFI would only like to work with
serious groups from which it has the expectation that the technology will really spread. There are
thousands of sites in the world where the ram pump can tremendously improve the lives of
hundreds of thousands of people.
AIDFI has technical staff with enough capacity to carry out technology transfer. It has two
engineers, who are well experienced in surveys, design and the theory of the ram pump
technology. Furthermore, all the AIDFI technicians are highly skilled in carrying out actual
manufacturing of ram pumps and installations in the field including tuning and training of local
technicians. AIDFI also has a very experienced R&D person who carried out the manufacturing
training to the Afghans.
Relevant links:
- Youtube movie on AIDFI ram pumps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ovPSSOs76U
- Ramp pump installation in Afghanistan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIJoowE2tz0
- Information on AIDFI from Ashden Awards:
http://www.ashdenawards.org/winners/aidfoundation
Installing a set of ram pumps for
irrigation with local technicians, on the
island Negros in the Philippines.

Appendix B ‐ Background of Hydraulic Ram technology 
A hydraulic ram pump is a water pump
powered by water with a height difference.
In areas where natural flows exist with a
height difference of the water over a small
distance, hydraulic ram pumps can be
used to transport water to higher grounds
without using electricity or fuel. The
hydraulic ram uses the water hammer
effect to develop pressure that allows a
portion of the input water that powers the
pump to be lifted to a point higher than
where the water originally started. Apart
from the kinetic energy of the water, no
other source of power is needed.
The AIDFI model has been developed
since 1990 into a perfectly working model
at a relatively very low cost. In terms of
efficiency and pumping capacity, it can
easily be compared to imported
commercial models. The uniqueness of
the model lies in its spare parts which are ordinary door hinges and check valves made out of
belts or car tires. AIDFI has developed already 8 different sizes of the ram pump in order to
accommodate different flows at different sources. The ram pump is made from durable materials
with stainless steel for the important parts. Within AIDFI the ram became its flagship technology
and a lot of resources and time has been spent to keep on further developing the model till it
was perfected.
Comparison to other models 
Other hydraulic ram models can be divided into two types. The first is models developed by
Appropriate Technology groups and universities. The second is commercial models.
The models at AT groups and universities were mostly developed under short-lived
programmes, depending on limited resources and funds. Many of those models have never
been further refined and tested and have common maintenance problems. Most of these models
are of the so-called piston type, which are harder to repair than the hinge-type model used by
AIDFI. Although these models lack in quality of design, they play an important role in awareness
creation about the possibilities of hydraulic rams.
For commercial models, while usually of good quality design, there are a number of reasons why
they don’t easily spread:
• They are hard to find (from brochures and websites) and therefore not known
extensively
• They are very expensive
• They need to be imported, and transport is expensive
• They have to be paid for in foreign currency
• Importing pumps often leads to problems with customs
Components of a hydraulic ram pump:
1. Inlet — drive pipe
2. Free flow at waste valve
3. Outlet — delivery pipe
4. Waste valve
5. Delivery check valve
6. Pressure vessel

• Spare parts are difficult to get, and usually need to be imported.
• They often lack clear installation manuals and explanations on the technology
Awareness creation 
The hydraulic ram pump was invented in 1772 and widely used in the 19th century, but was
side-tracked by the advent of the coal-powered steam engine and later by diesel powered
pumps and electrical pumps. In recent years the hydraulic ram pump has seen a renewed
interest, because it is powered by sustainable energy, and can be produced locally. With high
prices of fuel, electricity and the awareness of climate change there is a huge potential for the
re-introduction of the hydraulic ram pump. But because of the technology is still not generally
known, a lot of promotion has still to be done for the technology.
AIDFI has developed working miniature sets which are displayed during, fairs, conferences, and
workshops. These miniature sets attract many people, and they have ended up in many other
countries. Also CD’s and brochures have been produced and distributed. The extensive
promotion has paid off, and private people, NGO’s, cooperatives and agencies find their way to
AIDFI.

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