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  • Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast
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    Thread: Air-lift Components

    1. #21
      Norm Walsh's Avatar
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      Thanks for sharing all those photos and drawings of your air-lift research. Having assembled and used several of your kits I know the effort you put in to make them simple, effective and easily rebuildable.

      I'm looking forward to getting your "3-tube" lift running on one of my own tanks as well.


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    2. #22
      Kent Wallace's Avatar
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      I should have all the components up on my website this week. This is a shot of the two barrel system we have run at recent shows. It's a static pre-filter and an ADR cycling through each other.
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    3. #23
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      great stuff man, thanks for sharing... i wonder if could be possible to incorporate a air lift in a pond to feed a ff??

    4. #24
      Kent Wallace's Avatar
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      Yes, an air-lift is similar to an upflow foam fractionator. If a pond has a high DOC load foam will be produced in the purge chamber. Norm and I have discussed placing a foam fractionator on the discharge pipes at the top of the filter.

    5. #25
      Paultergeist is offline Senior Member
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      Kent,

      Looking at the photos of the "two barrel system" (from the show pictures, where the static and ADR cycle between each other), I am curious about the small hole (maybe 1") bored into the upper horizontal run between the two barrels? Can you explain?

    6. #26
      Kent Wallace's Avatar
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      That's the air purge hole. The air needs someplace to escape. Normally this pipe would leed to the pond and would be the same as the air purge port in the "tee" as shown. This is also where a foam fractionator could be implemented.
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    7. #27
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      Of all the designs you tested which moved the most water for a set amount of air? Which diffuser design worked out best for you?

      Also, thanks for doing this, airlifts are a pretty niche interest and all design info is extremely valuable.

    8. #28
      Kent Wallace's Avatar
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      My hubs all operate the same. The hub allows me to evenly distribute air between each tube. The total flow is a factor of depth and pipe efficiency. They all work and the only real difference is application. First you have to decide what the air-lift is going in. That determines the housing and hub type.
      All air-lifts are of course upflow but the terms down-flow and up-flow in my air-lift systems determine where the water comes from. In an upflow filter chamber you need to pull water from the top so you would use a down-flow tube in the center and the hub is designed to allow water to go around the outside of the hub and reach the bottom of the tube.
      As in all up-flow filters you need a seperation plate to keep the media off the bottom and away from the drain. You also need an inlet screen at the top to prevent media migration down the center tube. On the 4 inch down tubes I use a 4" basket screen as shown. I also have a basket with a six inch outlet and a PVC outlet screen assy for down flow units at the bottom of a submerged tank.
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    9. #29
      Kent Wallace's Avatar
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      In a down flow layout the center PVC screen would actually look like this with a top plate that allows the tubes to run through. I also have the balls that can be used in an upflow moving bed.
      In any down-flow hub tube you must seal the bottom of the down tube from the tank. In the pic above the two tube unit fits inside a 4" cap and rests on the lip inside just off the bottom.
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    10. #30
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    11. #31
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      You are turning into quite the pro when it comes to molding your own parts...Very Nicely Done!
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    12. #32
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      Kent,

      Thanks for answering my previous question. This is great workmanship and fantastic documentation.

      Another question, if that is okay: The "collection header" at the top of the airlift tube appears to create a pretty sharp turn of the water flow (from vertical to horizontal), and I am surprised that this angle is not a more gradual "sweep" type of turn?

    13. #33
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      In an upflow application the hub doesn't need to bypass any water because the water is being drawn from the bottom of the chamber. The hub is full circle in that case and in it's simplest form can be placed in a 4" basket scrreen which holds it off the bottom. These two and three tube units are upflow. The three tube will also be available in a down flow version shortly but will require a 5" or 6" down tube.
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    14. #34
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      is this where the air is supplied ?
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    15. #35
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      I love a good red.

    16. #36
      Kent Wallace's Avatar
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      Paultergeist;Kent,

      Thanks for answering my previous question. This is great workmanship and fantastic documentation.

      Another question, if that is okay: The "collection header" at the top of the airlift tube appears to create a pretty sharp turn of the water flow (from vertical to horizontal), and I am surprised that this angle is not a more gradual "sweep" type of turn?


      Hey Paul, that's a great question. Because air-lifts are a gravity flow concept, the air needs to be seperated from the upward column as soon as possible. A sweep at the top will allow the air to seperate before the horizontal flow starts as it will collect toward the top of the arc. As the water turns, the arc leaves water that is more dense at the bottom of the arc without the air to move it as much.
      In my original tests I noticed a dfference in measured flow and I even used upside down DWV tees to help seperate the water from the air at the top. Not really necessary though, just a good fairly sharp turn into a chamber that can allow the seperation.

      Yes, the air does go in through the center of the hub assembly.

    17. #37
      Kent Wallace's Avatar
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      In other upflow configurations where the filter chamber is downflow but has a seperation plate you can use a hub like this.
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    18. #38
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      Super cool. It always bugged me that airlifts were not very common.

    19. #39
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      Quote Originally Posted by Kent Wallace View Post
      Because air-lifts are a gravity flow concept, the air needs to be seperated from the upward column as soon as possible. A sweep at the top will allow the air to seperate before the horizontal flow starts as it will collect toward the top of the arc. As the water turns, the arc leaves water that is more dense at the bottom of the arc without the air to move it as much.
      In my original tests I noticed a dfference in measured flow and I even used upside down DWV tees to help seperate the water from the air at the top. Not really necessary though, just a good fairly sharp turn into a chamber that can allow the seperation.
      Kent,

      Thanks so much for the explanation. I would not have thought of this issue, but after reading your explanation a few times and thinking about it, I can understand what you are describing and it makes sense. Obviously I have an interest in airlifts, largely due to the high-cost of electricity here in Southern California and the desire to move water as efficiently as possible -- assuming I ever manage to get a pond in the ground! I really appreciate you sharing your observations with us!

      Paul

    20. #40
      Kent Wallace's Avatar
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      Thanks Paul, You're more than welcome.
      Goose, My intention is to make them more common.

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