bruno motta

Hello everyone,

I'm working on a modular and low-tech solution to pump water off-grid using solar panels and components that are easy to find and maintain.

The idea:
Use 3 or more ULKA-type espresso machine pumps (the kind used in coffee machines) in parallel, driven in sequence using a shift register or PWM controller. Each pump would be powered directly by a 24V or 36V solar panel, without batteries or inverters.

Why this matters:

I need to pump water from a hydraulic ram pump's waste outlet uphill (~40m head).

Flow rate needed is low (around 4–8 L/min), just enough for grazing livestock.

Redundancy: if one or two pumps fail, the others keep working.

Using small piston pumps avoids expensive high-pressure brushless pumps.

Cheap solar timer or vibration sensor could sync the pulses with the ram pump cycle.

I've tested ram pumps and even considered a Pelton wheel turning a gear pump, but this ULKA idea could be simpler and scalable.

Questions:

Has anyone tried something similar?

Are there better compact piston pumps for water (durable, 15+ bar)?

Do you think this is more efficient than a second ram pump?

Happy to hear any feedback or improvements. I’m known online as “udos46” and love mixing old analog tech with modern low-power ideas.

Thanks!

Hello everyone I recommend the videos in French on youtube by cristof48. Yes and had a great experience with the turbine and batteries

In weaving and spinning, ceramic eyelets are used for the passage of textile thread. They are almost indestructible and you can insert them into your worn injector. You can find them with different hole diameters and invitations

hello
for your doubts about the turbine, there are some cheap and programmable electronic circuits, which I use, and they are under/overvoltage with 10A relay output. program them slightly below the maximum voltage of the bms, and via its relay, drive an ac load from your inverter. the power will be sufficient to avoid over-revving the impeller. the load will be disconnected, when it reaches the UVP voltage. Furthermore, for greater safety, use another equal one, but which opens a solenoid valve on the pipeline, so as to discharge the incoming flow and still let the Pelton rotate
 best   greatig
udos46

Another site currently interesting and on y ..... e
Cristof48 and Pelton Energieeag

hello if you search with go ... video micropelton you find many DIY (even with my nickname))
I'm for the pico hidro with any height and reach (to start. and then we'll see?)
 the most important thing is the water intake at the source that does not cause turbulence and few clogging. do not save on the diameter of the duct, avoid corners and bottlenecks such as false slopes <which create an air bubble which reduces efficiency <
uses three-phase industrial brushless servomotors, which you can easily find at affordable prices
and a good MPPT solar regulator the biggest expense is not the turbine but the piping done well