Product sheet
 
Motorised rope pump on a 20 m deep well

For shallow wells with a depth of no more than 7m, motorised pumping is usually done with suction pumps that are powered by a diesel or gasoline engine.  For pumping from deeper wells, submersible pumps powered by electricity are often used. However many small farmers in developing countries have no access to electricity and alternatives such as a generator set with a submersible pump or long-shaft diesel pumps are expensive (US$800 or more) and complex to operate and maintain.
The rope pump with engine is a low cost option. Where there is access to electricity the pump can be driven by an electric motor, or else it can be driven by a small diesel or gasoline engine of 1 to 2HP. To date there are over 300 motorised rope pumps operating in Nicaragua, Burkina Faso and Senegal. In all of the three counties, the pump is produced locally while the engines are imported. If combined with a Chinese 1.2HP petrol engine, the total cost can be reduced to half as compared with the long-shaft diesel pump or the submersible pump.

Technology
 

Model from Nicaragua 1.2 Hp gasoline engine	Model from Senegal 1.5 Hp gasoline engine

The pump part of a motorised rope pump is similar to that of a hand rope pump but the guide box is stronger and PVC tubing and pistons are larger. The pump structure is made of angle iron and galvanized tubes. The rotating shaft of the pump is connected with the shaft of the engine with V belts or a round belt of polyurethane. To adjust the RPM of the engine to the low RPM of the rope pump a double or single transmission is required. The latter is preferred so as to reduce friction losses to the extent possible.

Application
Most motorised rope pumps are used for irrigation purposes; in Nicaragua they are also used for domestic water supply. As in the case of the hand rope pump the basic model of the motorized pump cannot  pump higher than just below the pump shaft. To pump to tanks of 3 to 5m high an additional post must be added. Tests are going on with a combination of a suction pump and a rope pump whereby the centrifugal pump part is used for pumping to levels of 3 to 6m high. Motorised rope pumps can pump from depths of 60m. In Nicaragua some pumps are installed on wells with a depth of 86m.

Cost
The cost of a motor rope pump depends on the country of production. In Nicaragua, the cost of a model with a Spanish 1.2 HP engine is US$550. The cost of pump with a Chinese 1.5 HP engine is US$400 in Burkina Faso and Senegal.

Source: http://www.practicafoundation.nl/technologies/motorropepump.html