My surge device idea

[Anonymous]

A closed, sealed container, with a partition inside that has a passive, one-way valve. The partition oscillates up & down. On one swing, the valve closes, drawing water in while pusing water out the other side, on the reverse swing valve opens & partition moves back without moving any water.

Pros:

a) Gives a nice surging action
b) Doesn't change water level of tank
c) Can be placed remotely (as opposed to having to be over the tank, for example)
d) Relatively quiet
e) Plankton friendly

Cons:

a) Moving parts
b) Pistons, or other mechanism to move partition,would make sealing container difficult
c) Bulky

 

[Anonymous]

Looks interesting.

But why the valve? It seems that without the valve you would have a back and forth intake/output flow between the two lines. With the valve, the top would always be output, the bottom always input.

Will the divider form a watertight seal with the edges of the container?

 

[Anonymous]

This is a wave2k. You can get a surge on both the up and down stroke.

 

[Anonymous]

That is sort of a wave2k. I would not worry about the swing valve to stop flow during the downstroke. Also would not worry about sealing the peremeter. Get it close and the little bleed by would not make that much difference.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with Wazzel re sealing the perimeter.

I put the valve there mainly because when I thought of this I was originally thinking of plankton-friendly pumping measures. Then I thought of surge devices, which sort of amplify pumps in that they give you more "bang-for-the-buck" of tank circulation for a given pump, so you could use a smaller pump & hence chop up less plankton. So I was thinking uni-directionality at the time, but that isn't necessary now that you mention it.

I liked how this device is external, and gives you surge without changing the tank's water level & withouth having to place it above the tank. Seems like it would be a technical challenge, however. Other ideas would be to put a driving motor submerged withing the container somehow, solving the piston sealing problem. Not sure how feasible that would be, though.

 

[Anonymous]

Just make the container taller than the tank and you do not need to worry about sealing it. Have you worked out the drive mechanism? A crank rocker should work.

 

[Anonymous]

Just make the container taller than the tank and you do not need to worry about sealing it.

That would cause fluctuations in the tank's water level.

 

[trigger0214]

...seems like the basic principle of a diaphragm pump.

Only bigger and operating on a lower frequency…

 

[trigger0214]

...seems like the basic principle of a diaphragm pump.

Only bigger and operating on a lower frequency…

 

[Anonymous]

Just make the container taller than the tank and you do not need to worry about sealing it.

That would cause fluctuations in the tank's water level.

I think if it was as tall or taller than the tank with large openings it would not be a big deal.

 

[Anonymous]

So MathGuy, when can we expect to see your prototype? Any ideas about what to use as the main body?

 

[Anonymous]

So MathGuy, when can we expect to see your prototype?

Probably never.

 

[sedatedforsafety]

a cheap small variable speed drive off ebay would help you slow down the surging at night or could be programed to increase and decrease the surge over the course of the day. I have been kicking around the same idea using a rod to drive the piston with the rod offset on a spool attatched to the motor. Sounds pretty simple and effective!