The diagram illustrates how a hydram water pump works by using the energy of the flowing water to pump a smaller amount of water to a much higher level for irrigation.
Overall, the system works without electricity and relies on pressure created by moving water. While some water is wasted during the process, the pump is able to raise water from a supply head of two meters to a delivery head of sixty meters.
At the beginning, water from a low-level supply flows down through a drive pipe into a valve box. Initially, the waste valve remains open, allowing water to flow out as waste water. As the flow speed increases, the pressure builds up inside the valve box, forcing the waste valve to close suddenly.
This closure creates a pressure surge that opens the delivery valve. Consequently, a part of the water is pushed upward into the air vessel. The compressed air inside this vessel helps maintain pressure and forces the water to continue moving up through the delivery pipe.
Finally, the pumped water is delivered to fields used for irrigation at a much higher elevation. After the pressure decreases, the delivery valve closes and the waste valve reopens, allowing the cycle to repeat endlessly.