Bidirectional tidal flow

[golf nut]

This is a standard revolution (albeit upside down)I dreamed this up to get more random flow with a 4 or 8 way, it indexes 8 times to 45 degree firings, each time the flow goes off it rises, or in your case would fall (by gravity) and part index, when pressure resumes it would be forced up and rotate again, you can see the 8 position cam in the pic below, you need a similar version to this that you might be able to build yourself.

You only need 4 position index, pump runs and water is sent to the right, pump turns off shuttle falls and partly indexes, 1 hour later pump turns on forcing spool up to the left output location and stays there till the pump turns off again.

If I get a moment I will sketch up a quick paint picture to make it clearer.

Paul

[golf nut]

and a quick sketch to show how it would work...

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by golf nut

This is a standard revolution (albeit upside down)I dreamed this up to get more random flow with a 4 or 8 way, it indexes 8 times to 45 degree firings, each time the flow goes off it rises, or in your case would fall (by gravity) and part index, when pressure resumes it would be forced up and rotate again, you can see the 8 position cam in the pic below, you need a similar version to this that you might be able to build yourself.

You only need 4 position index, pump runs and water is sent to the right, pump turns off shuttle falls and partly indexes, 1 hour later pump turns on forcing spool up to the left output location and stays there till the pump turns off again.

If I get a moment I will sketch up a quick paint picture to make it clearer.

Paul

thats not going to give you a left/right flow though.. to get that you would need a 2 position index and the angle would be to shallow requiring a huge force to switch it. with 4 positions it will rotate 90 degrees each time the pump starts.

Steve

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

thats not going to give you a left/right flow though.. to get that you would need a 2 position index and the angle would be to shallow requiring a huge force to switch it. with 4 positions it will rotate 90 degrees each time the pump starts.

Steve

You are looking at a cross section, there are four ports, 2 are not used and the drum has a port all the way through, it all works fine.

I could do it with just a 2 port switch you just change the approach angle and make the shuttle longer.

Paul

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by golf nut

You are looking at a cross section, there are four ports, 2 are not used and the drum has a port all the way through, it all works fine.

I could do it with just a 2 port switch you just change the approach angle and make the shuttle longer.

Paul

ok.. ya it makes sence, but you would need two units one for suction and one for discharge, how would you actuate the suction one? I could see it maybe working by using a self priming pump and installing it upside down, but now were talking a more expensive pump which will require more maintance and is supseptable to dammage from depris.

I think the simplest way still is by using two actuated ball valves. 5 second switch over ports are never blocked while switching over so even if there out of sync by a few seconds it will still work fine. one timer can seitch both. with two timers one for the actuaters and one for the pump you can get your 5 hours one way, 1 hour dead, 5 hours the other way easily and you can customize your flow very easily also.

but to get a true lamaner flow accross the tank its going to take a few holes in each end. I am looking at six 3/4" bulkheads on each end of a 30 gal tank a bigger tank would use bigger bulkheads but I would still use at least six on each end. so this could get expensive for drilling. then you can size your pump output so you get no more than 2 or 3 PSI at the output of the bulkheads so you don't blast anything. this combined with the suction on the other side will make the nice current through the tank.

If I had to I could dig out my fluid dynamic books and figure it out but it is a lot of calculations and sometimes FD makes my brain hurt thermal dynamics is a lot easier for me some times it is more easy to put a bypass to the sump on the outlet of the pump and just adjust it to get the strengh of flow your after.. I know its a lazy aproach but it works

Steve

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

ok.. ya it makes sence, but you would need two units one for suction and one for discharge, how would you actuate the suction one? I could see it maybe working by using a self priming pump and installing it upside down, but now were talking a more expensive pump which will require more maintance and is supseptable to dammage from depris.




Steve

Let's back up for a moment, this design was for Mitch to find an inexpensive way to redirect the flow for MitchM, he simply wanted to change direction every 5 hours from his sump return this will work for him.

I will answer your laminar flow questions in another post to avoid confusion

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

ok.. ya it makes sence, but you would need two units one for suction and one for discharge, how would you actuate the suction one?
Steve

You would need a blocker in the shuttle of course

Paul

[MitchM]

Paul,

So basically that unit that you show in the animation would be mounted in the display tank and the direction would change whenever the pump turns on after the rest cycle?
What type of GPH can that unit handle?

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by MitchM

Paul,

So basically that unit that you show in the animation would be mounted in the display tank and the direction would change whenever the pump turns on after the rest cycle?
What type of GPH can that unit handle?

This would mount onto the pump and be plumbed with 2 pipes back to the left and right hand end of the tank where you wanted them.

You make it as large as you wish to suit the pump, 1 1/2 shuttle for Hammerheads Ampmasters Darts etc, and make it out of 2" for pumps with larger capacity.

[MitchM]

Would drain back from the main tank affect it's operation at all?