Hydraulic piston pumps, or hydrams, use water as a medium to provide power. They were popular in the 19th century but lost popularity with the advent of electricity. However, they have resurged in popularity due to the Back to Basics movement and the need for alternative energy sources. They are used for irrigation, land drainage, and providing clean water.
Hydraulic piston pump, or hydram, is a type of cyclic pump that works with the use of water as the medium to provide the power source for the unit. Fire hydrants have been around for a long time and, before the advent of electric cables in public buildings in the late 19th century, they were one of the main means of generating energy for use in the manufacturing process. Here is some insight into the history of hydraulic piston pumps, including their resurgence in use in today’s modern world.
The idram has its origins in late 18th century France. Joseph Michel Montgolfier created a design for a water pump which was inspired by a design for a small water and air engine which was in use in the UK. Montgolfier installed the new device at his paper mill in Voiron and found the hydram to be very effective. The English patent on the device was secured for Montgolfier by his friend Matthew Bolton in 18. The hydram was further refined in 1797 and the rights to the device were finally acquired by Josiah Easton in 1816.
The Easton family owned one of the leading engineering manufacturers in the UK and quickly made excellent use of the fire hydrant in their designs for municipal sewers and water systems. The hydram has also proved an asset in preparing custom projects for land drainage as well. Over time, applications have grown to include the creation of private systems for country estates, as well as irrigation systems for farming communities. The use of the hydram remained popular until the late 19th century, when the harnessing of electricity made the use of electric pumps more convenient.
During the latter part of the 20th century, the idram began to reappear in some localities. Part of the motivation for reviving the hydram had to do with the Back to Basics movement, in which individuals and small communities chose to simplify their lives by seeking energy alternatives considered more environmentally friendly. To this end, the idram has found increased use in a number of ways. Organic farming would often include using the device as a means of irrigating fields. Houses built from natural materials began to use the hydram as a means of creating a flow of water into the house from a spring or well.
Today, many people looking for alternative energy sources continue to create projects that include hydraulics. In some cases, this occurs in developed countries as a means of conserving limited natural resources. In other parts of the world, the hydram is an important part of the process of providing clean water which can be used for drinking, sanitation and cooking. While the hydram is unlikely to recover the status it enjoyed during most of the 19th century, there is little doubt that the pump will be around for many years to come.
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