Low-Head Shower?

[kingkong]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bancherd I took this picture from one of Dr. Hubert Chanson's publications. Can we make something out of this? Shower with low-head?

Further limited reading about the demonstration shown lends me to believe it is an air-water mixture used in a high velocity water stream flowing homogeneously with a large quantity of entrained air bubbles being released upon static shear caused by steps. Hey guys, what does this have to do with filtering pond water?

[luke frisbee]

My Head hurts

[PapaBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingkong Further limited reading about the demonstration shown lends me to believe it is an air-water mixture used in a high velocity water stream flowing homogeneously with a large quantity of entrained air bubbles being released upon static shear caused by steps. Hey guys, what does this have to do with filtering pond water?

Adaptation potential If the same low head technique can be integrated into a "sideways" shower producing an oxygen super-rich feed to a BH it could prove useful. Less head means more water volume for le$$ pump and le$$ electricity. Le$$ for pump$ and utilitie$ = more for KOI .

[kingkong]

Who is this Dr.Chanson anyways? This thing has gone from homogeneous compressible air-water mixture testing to babbling brooks to 300 foot spray bars. My head hurts too.

[kingkong]

Quote: Originally Posted by PapaBear Adaptation potential If the same low head technique can be integrated into a "sideways" shower producing an oxygen super-rich feed to a BH it could prove useful. Less head means more water volume for le$$ pump and le$$ electricity. Le$$ for pump$ and utilitie$ = more for KOI .

I am going to stick my neck out here. I believe Bancherd was being facetious when he labeled that demo 'Low Head'. I think if you took the propelant hose system out of that tank, one could fill their next door neighbors pond with water over both houses.LOL

[Bancherd]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingkong I am going to stick my neck out here. I believe Bancherd was being facetious when he labeled that demo 'Low Head'. I think if you took the propelant hose system out of that tank, one could fill their next door neighbors pond with water over both houses.LOL

Actually this was after a smashing beer party the night before.

[PapaBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingkong I am going to stick my neck out here. I believe Bancherd was being facetious when he labeled that demo 'Low Head'. I think if you took the propelant hose system out of that tank, one could fill their next door neighbors pond with water over both houses.LOL

To me it is all a matter of scale. This example is obviously extreme volume, but lets not confuse volume with head and velocity. In a low head application high volume properly channeled creates high velocity. The same volume of water that rolls smoothly out of a 4" pipe will scream down a 6" chute, and it is velocity that creates the shear and turbulent air induction. In any case, it makes for interesting material to ponder over a bottle of good dark beer , which might just be the source of my random thoughts on the topic anyway . (But it would be nice to take that guys pump out for a test drive wouldn't it)

[junglegeorge12]

Why not just build shorter, longer showers to reduce head and power consumption? That cascade might make a good return from the bottom of the shower to the pond.

[bekko]

JG, I suspect that the amont of BH media the water flows over on every pass has something to do with the filter's efficiency. If you make long, low BS trays (like only one tray high), then the water will flow over less media with every pass. Instead of flowing through 3-4 trays of media with every pass, it only flows over one tray with every pass. Thus, to have the water make contact with the media as frequently, the water flow rate through the low, single-tray would have to be higher than it would through a rack of 3-4 trays stacked on top of each other. Seems like the water flow and pumping rate would have to be 3-4 times higher, doesn't it?


-s teve hopkins

[junglegeorge12]

That is a valid point steve, but I would look at it with a little twist. One, to get your pump head height down to say 30" from 5ft(60"), you could make three trays of 10", with 1" of gap. Giving you 33". Since you still have 3 trays of 10", you have 75% of the media you would in a four stack, with half of the head.Then you get two prop pumps like luke has running. The reduction in lift enables you to go to prop pumps, reducing power consumption by more than half in some cases. Size them for your system. Use one to pump the water up a large tube to 1'4" above the pond. Have a tube at the top level line that returns excess to the pond via a chute system like in the diagram. Use the other pump to go up the remaining lift and feed a spray bar or drip plate. So now you have a system using half the power, with 2-3x the gph, and 75% of the media for a normal system. You get more filtration now, since the water cycles faster it also remains more oxygenated. You can even add a step down plastic chute like the one in the diagram to get more oxygenation. Since you have longer showers now, you can bring the media volume for each pass to 125-150% of what it would normally be. Even double it. You will be passing more water over more media each hour that way. It will be less media each pass, 25% less, but passing 2-3 time more often each hour, which means 150%, more media it passes over each hour.



Since your volume of water is now more than double, and your media passes only have a reduction of 25% of the media. So you save on electricity, save on pumps, with a increased investment in media up front. You will quickly regain that due to power consumption reduction. Electricity in zones with oil based fules will be doubling then tripling over the next few years. You will make your money back in the media investment many times over.



The next thing you do is buy the pond monitoring control system I am about to start selling. Protects your living jewels and also reduces power consumption for heating and certain pump applications like this one.