Hydraulic ram

Have you ever played with a water hose and squirted the water really fast and far? It's fun, right? Well, a hydraulic ram works a little bit like that but on a bigger scale.

A hydraulic ram is a machine that uses water to do work. You need three things for a hydraulic ram to work: a water source, a pipe to move the water, and a valve to control the flow of water.

When water flows through the pipe of the hydraulic ram, it passes through a valve called a "clack valve" that only allows water to flow in one direction. Then it enters a chamber called the "drive pipe," which has a big metal weight called a "plunger" at one end.

When the water hits the plunger, it pushes it down and creates pressure in the drive pipe. This pressure forces water up a smaller pipe called the "delivery pipe" and out of the machine. The force of the water coming out of the delivery pipe can be used to do things like pump water uphill or generate electricity.

Once the plunger is at the bottom of the drive pipe, a valve called a "waste valve" opens up and releases the water out of the pipe. The weight of the plunger then causes it to rise back up to the top of the drive pipe, and the cycle starts all over again.

So, to sum it all up: a hydraulic ram uses water to move a plunger up and down, which creates pressure that can be used to do work. It's like squirting a water hose, but instead of just having fun, we're using it to do important things like pump water or generate electricity.