Will,
I'm a little lost in this discussion as to what your design entails. If you=
email me directly through my webpage I'll help you out.
Basically if I'm following, you are correct that the diffuser should be at =
the bottom of the riser pipe to apply air lift dissolved oxygen principles.=
The best way to do this is with a 90 Tee at the base of each airlift and p=
vc parts configured so that the one side of the Tee interfaces with the wat=
er flowing out of the cone, the other side of the tee has a pipe extension =
and the diffuser inserted horizontally from outside the tank and the upward=
s side of the Tee is connected to your riser pipe which is returning water =
to your tank. Keeping the tank full within a few inches of the return nozzl=
es is critical. In this style the pressure exerted by the water in the tank=
equalizes (or almost) the back pressure exerted on the diffusers and pump,=
therefore the usual physics about back pressure stopping air flow does not=
apply but the physics of the air lift principle increasing your dissolved =
oxygen capacity of the pump by up to 10 fold does still apply. I think I'm =
correct, as my US patent for this process has just been approved.
Salutations,
Tim
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, Will Buck <willbuck76_at_...> wrote:
>
> Thank Bobbie for your input. I have seen most of your videos and I will =
review
> the link you have posted. Your work is largely what motivated me to go V=
ortex.
> Not so much that I am into biodynamics but I like the elegance of the mac=
hine.
> And who doesn't like staring into the vortex, it is like watching fire.
>
> While I have spent a fair amount of time researching this by reviewing yo=
ur
> videos and reading Tim Wilson's page among others. But I approached this=
> knowing that constructing Vortex brewer on a larger scale had its risks b=
ecause
> there is not much info relating to DO during the brew cycle. And yes I =
am
> trying to brew AACT.
>
> Back to the design. I can move the stones up and down the up feed tubes =
very
> easily. If I understand you correctly you are suggesting putting the sto=
nes
> near the bottom. I have about 8 feet of upfeed to play with. It also ap=
pears
> that I am getting slow flow and I want a better vortex. So any advise in=
terms
> of increasing flow would be appreciated.
>
> The pump I purchased is called the ecoplus 7 and it produces about 7 CFM =
however
> it is very hard to find any performance curve on this pump. I suspect it =
looses
> preformance with any back pressure. I think the sweetwater SL 170 or 190=
> produce considerably more air at depth but they are expensive. If I go w=
ith Tim
> Wilson's suggestion of .05 CFM of air per gallon of water I am looking at=
> needing at least 12 CFM
>
> thanks
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Bobby Grimes <biodynamichawaii_at_...>
> To: "compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com" <compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tue, May 24, 2011 10:25:42 AM
> Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Vortex Brewer.
>
>
> Bobby here. Imagine you cut your upfeed tube in half, while the tank and =
tubes
> are full of water. The water will flow out very aggressively until it equ=
alizes.
> Stones at the bottom slow the surface exchange. There can be no stagnant =
water
> in this tank. Please watch my brewer, 350 gallons, 10 min run time.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjXFh_ICxic&feature=youtube_gdata_play=
er
>
> Mahalo Bobby G
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On May 24, 2011, at 6:41 AM, "Stephen Steyn" <ssteyn_at_...> wrote:
>
>
>
> >Wrong again. Bobby is right on the money. Don’t go to deep with =
the air source
> >as all your doing is heating up your pump and reducing the amount of air=
it can
> >put out due to backpressure. Convection will oxygenate all the fluid. No=
real
> >point in going down more than a metre, just let the vortex tubes draw fr=
om near
> >the bottom.
> >Also be sure to keep your pump above the liquid level so that it doesn=
’t fill
> >with water when you switch off.
> >SS
> >
> >From:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com [mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com] On=
Behalf
> >Of soilfoodweb_at_...
> >Sent: 24 May 2011 16:40
> >To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> >Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Vortex Brewer.
> >
> >
> >Putting the air at the bottom of the tank is critical to get the water a=
t the
> >bottom of the tank to mix and not be stagnant.
> >
> >
> >Sent via DROID on Verizon Wireless
> >
> >
> >-----Original message-----
> >From: Bobby Grimes <biodynamichawaii_at_...>
> >To: "compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com" <compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com>
> >Sent: Tue, May 24, 2011 02:47:03 GMT+00:00
> >Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Vortex Brewer.
> >
> >Will, I would put the stones in the upfeed tubes right where the tank go=
esfrom
> >90 deg to your 45 or 60 deg angle. At the bottom the water flows of it o=
wn
> >accord and then you just pick up where that slows down and stones/air li=
ft it
> >from there.
> >I would use the Sweetwater SL170 or the next smaller linear air pump.
> >Bobby
> >
> >
> >
> >Sent from my iPhone
> >
> >On May 23, 2011, at 12:20 PM, "Will Buck" <willbuck76_at_...> wrote:
> >
> >>Hi, I am in the process of building a 240 gallon Vortex brewer.
> >>
> >>My first brew went anaerobic almost immediately. Clearly I have undersi=
zed the
> >>air supply and while I would appreciate advise on which pump I should p=
urchase
> >>(I used an Eco7 that allegedly provides7 cfm, it appears that I need to=
at least
> >>double that rate), my question is more about the properties of an air l=
ift pumps
> >>so I can maximize the amount of DO.
> >>
> >>My design is similar to Bobby Grimes. I purchased a cone bottom tank th=
at I
> >>mounted on a stand so the tank is about 4 feet off the ground (ideal fo=
r gravity
> >>filling the spray rig). The manifold is attached to the base of the sta=
nd and
> >>there are three 2 inch pipes that return water over the top of the tank=
via air
> >>lift from a 17 inch air stones.
> >>
> >>
> >>My question is at what depth should I put the air stones in the pipes? =
If I put
> >>the stones near the bottom of the pipe I thought this would be ideal be=
cause the
> >>air bubbles would be in contact with the water for a longer period of t=
ime as
> >>they rose up the pipe thus increasing DO. But of course the deeper the =
air stone
> >>the lower the performance of the air pump because the resistance pressu=
re is
> >>greater. In other words, is there any rule of thumb regarding the depth=
of the
> >>air stone?
> >>
> >>This question becomes very important as I look at purchasing a new pump=
as
> >>regenerative blowers loose performance very quickly the more pressure t=
hey are
> >>working under.
> >>
> >>
> >>I would really appreciate any help or ideas, thanks in advance.
>
Received on Wed May 25 2011 - 16:00:43 EDT