Cheap PVC canister manifold for two tanks

[Rbishop]

ks..will be nice to see..though not comparable to a real system.

Just think about it for a while...if the back pressure from one was 20 and the back pressure from the other is 17...but the pressure from the pump was 35...some would flow each way.

Yes, electricity likes to flow the path of least resistance....but it will flow in multiple directions Gunner..if it didn't, parallel circuits would never work. More will flow thru the path of least resistance, but some will flow thru the high resistance path.

Unless the back pressure from the one tank equals or exceeds the pressure from the pump, there will be some flow..simple hydraulic and fluid flow theory.

 

[nc0gnet0]

Gunner, you are partially right, the majority of the water will follow the path of least resisitance. However, some water will still go into the other tank as well, causing the overflow. Your self equallizing system will not allow for 100% of the water to flow in the tank that is the least full thus resulting in overflow. Even if 97% effective, you still have an issue with overflow. This is what RBishop and myself have been tring to tell you.

You are thinking correctly, however you are leaving out some critical elements that will lead to your demise. It is not only the backpressure of the tank that is fuller than the other tank that figures into the equation, but the accumalive backpressure of each branch of the discharge system.

Other factors are:

1) You are filling the pvc discharge chamber with 1" tubing. It then fills a 4" section of PVC pipe. After it is filled and pressurized it has the option of going out one of two smaller openings, again 1" tubing. Right here you have introduced more backpressure into the system.

2) Obviously, a fully plugged discharge hose on either tank will result in 100 % of the discharge water to flow into the other tank, it has no option but to...net result.....OVERFOW!

3) a Partially plug discharge will result in the same results as while the increased backpressure of the other tank being more full will result in "more" backpressure, it will not totally overcome the backpressure created in the system to give you a 100% of the water flowing in the path of least resistance. For example if you were to take a garden hose and plumb it to a y connector each with its own knife valve, fully open one valve and partially close the other, you will stall have water flowing out of each side of the valve, albeit alot more out of the side with the fully open valve. This is the scenario you need to work on it your mind....

 

[nc0gnet0]

Unless the back pressure from the one tank equals or exceeds the pressure from the pump, there will be some flow..simple hydraulic and fluid flow theory.

Exactly! I could not think of a way to word that...........

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

ks..will be nice to see..though not comparable to a real system.

Just think about it for a while...if the back pressure from one was 20 and the back pressure from the other is 17...but the pressure from the pump was 35...some would flow each way.

Yes, electricity likes to flow the path of least resistance....but it will flow in multiple directions Gunner..if it didn't, parallel circuits would never work. More will flow thru the path of least resistance, but some will flow thru the high resistance path.

Unless the back pressure from the one tank equals or exceeds the pressure from the pump, there will be some flow..simple hydraulic and fluid flow theory.

If you were using a simple Y gate or T junction in a fluid line with high pressure I would say yes it would flow disproportional and one tank would be half full while the other overflows. But you stumble on the mixing chamber which allows bi-directional equalizing flow and while 35 PSI is more then 20 PSI, the sum of both 55 PSI is proportionally greater then the difference of the two which should stop flow in that direction dead in its tracks toward the other side with less resistance just like the tumblers.

But I concur that only a real test will tell the whole and true story, so Im going to built it. If it works I guess that will be incentive to finally broadcast U-tube video, a techno experience I have been avoiding LOL.

 

[nc0gnet0]

In essence the only way for this to work without having a chance at overflow would be to fill the tanks to 3/4 capacity and have your intake at such a level that a clogged pipe could only fill one tank to full capacity and not overflow. For this I would recomend a discharge hose above the water level.

But, your going to have to ask yourself what level of filtraton will such a scenario lead to in the diminished tank, how soon will you catch it, and what will you have to sacrafice in terms of astetics?

 

[nc0gnet0]

If you were using a simple Y gate or T junction in a fluid line with high pressure I would say yes it would flow disproportional and one tank would be half full while the other overflows. But you stumble on the mixing chamber which allows bi-directional equalizing flow and while 35 PSI is more then 20 PSI, the sum of both 55 PSI is proportionally greater then the difference of the two which should stop flow in that direction dead in its tracks toward the other side.

Not at 100% effiency

 

[nc0gnet0]

Gunner, in essence your return chamber is nothing more than a pump. The fact that it is recieving its pressure from an external source is of little consequence. For that reason the scenarios we illustrated apply.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Not at 100% effiency

If the mixing chamber where on top or above the aquarium water lines which means no hydraulic gravity or pressure forces would be in play, yes I agree that their would be no efficiency and not predictability sine water would just flow randomly like from the top of a hill down a split stream bed.

But we are talking up hill under hydraulic gravity pressure, why the mixing chambers have to be below the water lines to work. In fact the lower the better, and since the out flow and in flow tubes are substantially below the water line (75%) and not just spilling inside from the top. Pressure is felt throughout the entire system hydraulically and has no choice according to the laws of physics but to seek equalization.

Theoretically Im confident that Im right, but practical application always has engineering problems that have to be overcome to apply it, in that respect I am unsure if it will work. But its worth a try for $20 worth of material if that.

 

[nc0gnet0]

These laws don't apply when you add an external source of pressure (pump). The only way you can achieve what your trying to do is to have it in such a way that the additional backpressure caused by one tank recieving a disproportionate amount of water accumulates to a point where its total back/head pressure is greater than that in which your pump (the fx5) can overcome. Otherwise, you will still have some waterflow, albeit diminished.

But to operate so close to this level is going to render your filtration marginal at best and really defeats the purpose.

Ask yourself this, don't you think someone would have come up with this system by now if it worked?

 

[nc0gnet0]

If you wanted to mantain level hydraullicly, you would have to add another hose that connected the two tanks that was not part of the pressurized system.