MICROFICHE REFERENCE LIBFUUW - Cd3wd.com

11engines, motors, transmissions, etc.). Likewise, England has some 200pump manufacturers (Pumping Manual, 1964). Deep well submersible pumpsare used to lift water hundreds of feet to supply high-pressure-sprinklersystems which irrigate miles of once "desert" land. Giant axial-flowpumps move hundreds of thousands of gpm through vast pipelinesof watersupply systems. Equally sophisticated motors, engines, and control devicesare used to drive and regulate these pumps.In these developed countries, the irrigator has usually been concernedwith getting the highest discharge possible out of his pump with littleworry over maximizing efficiency (Colorado Pump Council, 1975). However,with the rising cost of conventional energy forms (e.g., gas, diesel,electricity), the pump user is looking to improve efficiencies as a meansof reducing increased operating costs.Several users are also looking toward natural energy as a cheapersource of power. Until recently, conversion of natural energy, e.g. solar,to usable power was too expensive to compete with conventionalpower (i.e.,gas, diesel, electrj .-). However, shortages and the rising cost of theseconventional sources of energy are making the harnessing of natural energymore competitive economically, while technology is increasing theirfeasibility. As will be seen in Chapters 3 and 5, solar pumps and enginesare currently in use and being improved. Geothermal heat is being locatedand harnessed--although not normally feasible for direct agriculturalpumping, it can provide cheaper electric power. Many modern irrigators arereturning to prime movers of the "past"--the windmill and watermill-- toprovidecheaper power.Meanwhile, in developing countries, water lifting is caught amongthe inadequacies of ancient methods, the introduction of modern pumps, and