diy wavebox with pic

[jwardana]

Ok. check this out.

http://www.geocities.com/jwardana/di...-wavebox03.gif

290Kb size. Please note that geocities limits the bandwitdh. So if you have problem, try the next day. Sorry.

Please advice if you have more sites where I can post the pic w/o Bandw limitation.

DIY wavebox:

done using airpump, solenoid valve, and a timer. Sorry guys this is late here. Assk me if you need more details.

BTW, may I sell this plan? for the research I've did for the last 3 months.

Jim.

[jwardana]

addition:

the tank is 240cm length, water is at 45cm height and width 60cm. using 133w airpump the diy wb produce 18 height of wave. (though I dont plan to use it at that height).

when the tank is full (65cm) the wave height is about 9cm. I think it due to the more water mass to be moved/pushed.

Jim.

[raskal311]

Dude those are big waves!!!!

incase you run out of bandwitdh

http://www.kevinsaquarium.com/Thread...Dwavebox03.gif

[foshizzle]

We need more details!

[TacoKing]

Using just an air pump? Yeah, you have to give us some details here. I'm interested.

[MinibowMatt]

try reefbucket.com for unlimited bandwith pic hosting..

[RandyStacyE]

Tagging along.

[gobygoby]

Originally posted by foshizzle
We need more details!

I'll say it again: WE NEED MORE DETAILS!!!

[hmott]

yes a lot more detail.

[H20ENG]

Doesnt the clicking solenoid drive you insane? Also, careful with the salt air blowing through your solenoid. I'm assuming its a three way solenoid- What kind?

His design (I'm guessing) is like the large water park wave pools- A blast of compressed air drives the water out to the tank, then the caisson is vented, allowing the water to rush back in.
Like an RCSD. Good effect if you can live with the noise

[jwardana]

OK. so no one is interested to buy the plan?

But still I can't help myself bragging out my diy wb. So here's the details.

If you fully understand how tunze wb works: it's just a box or chamber, a pump (or anything that will draw water from the box), and a timer to set every tank's frequency. Plase note that the main concern about wavebox is your tank stand. It must be very strong enough to handle the dynamic tank weight.


Main components:

Air pump: the power/size of the pump depend on how big your tank and how high you want your wave will be. I use 130w pump (listed as 100w pump) for that 8x2x2.5 foot tank, but later I think I would just go with 60w pump. This 130w pump is able to pump about 2.5 liters of air per second. And that 18cm high of wave you saw is produced by half of its power (half time to pump the air to the box then the other halftime the air just wasted to vented the chamber - caisson as someone mentioned). If later I'll be able to diy a 3 way solenoid valve, then with one more box on the other corner I'll be able to use 100% of its power.

The Box:
I'll try to explain it simply: this is a caisson (just learn about this word), you can use trash can and put it in one corner of the tank upside down. 2 to 5 liters size is more than addequate.

Timer:
using idustrial timer omron H3CR-A8, B2 mode (toggle on off mode). The timming is crucial, depend on the size of the tank, water height and whatever you put in the tank. But for a 8' tank with 2'water high, the delay time is set to 1.00 to about 1.25 sec.


DIY solenoid: 2 way ( I think it must be called as two way: one in and one out).

made out mainly from acrylic baffles to build the valve's container and a modified electronic relay/contactor (do I use the right word?correct me if Im wrong) as the driver of the valve.
my concern about DIY solenoid is: the solenoid valve need to let go a huge amount of air within a small given time (low pressure valve). Also I think that industrial solenoid wont be able to handle the salty air which go through it.
Sorry, I cant be more detail about this diy solenoid cause I have a lot of things to do right now. But for you who ask about the sound: yes it produced a fair noisy clicking sound, but after put the solenoid and the airpump in the tank cabinet (and later with sound proof material) I think the sound will be much silent.
And I have tested this diy solenoid for about 14 x 24hrs, but still cant figure out how long its lifetime will be. I also plan to activate the wavebox only during the photoperiod hours.

Sorry guys, got to go now. Nexxt time more details.

http://www.geocities.com/jwardana/di...y-solenoid.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/jwardana/di...ox/the-box.jpg

Yes raskal311, you may help me copy and post the pics to your site, incase out of bandw. My registering code from reefbucket hasnt come yet. Thanks all.

[ertuncererdi]

i am so sorry but where do we use the airpump and how? i thougt i knew the working style of tunze wave box but i saw this is a little different. i knew we need a good water pump to use in the box and a timer to open and close the motor as we wanted. can any one explain the use of air pump and how does this system work?

[jwardana]

ertu,
Ok, try to explain it shortly. Tunze WB use pump to PULL water out of the box, while my diy one use airpump to PUSH water out of the box. That's all. Only that you need to placed the box upside down.

Jim.

[foob]

Some questions:

1. Is this design of any use for a small tank? Like a 24" long tank?

2. Can't you put a bucket correct side up, drill a hole and attach a powerhead to the hole to push water out? And control with timer you used to achieve same results?

[shadofax69]

the only bad thing I can see with using a pump in this manner is burning out the pump very quickly. The Tunze can be controlled from a low % of it max power to max power very quickly so it is able to make the waves. A big pump that can do what the tunzes can cannot take the constant on and off.

[gobygoby]

Originally posted by foob
Some questions:

1. Is this design of any use for a small tank? Like a 24" long tank?

2. Can't you put a bucket correct side up, drill a hole and attach a powerhead to the hole to push water out? And control with timer you used to achieve same results?

1. No, the tunze wave wave box is recommended for a tnak no smaller then 6' but has been applied to a 4' tank. On anything smaller the wave action would have to be extremely small....and not even noticible....not to mention a smaller tank would require the pump to come on/ off even faster.

2. No, This is Key...thats why Tunze has the monopoly on this concept. It has do do with thier controller and the motor in the stream pump. a regular PH motor cant turn on and off as fast as needed to create a wave action...it just cant happen and second if you did turn the pump on/off continuesly the pump would fail very quickly.

also, the bucket would have to be upside down in this current application to work.

[jwardana]

foob:
1. yes, it will allow it. actually it's not depending on the design, but due to the timer used. Afaik, tunze's timer shortest period is 0.45 sec. So if you have a tank 'shorter' than 0.45sec wave speed then with tunze wb you'll never be able to set the frequency right. (my Omron is starting from zero).
AND PLEASE NOTE: wb is actually not very impresive for tank under 6 ft. I've tried to a 4 ft tank and the timer need to be set to 0.75sec per wave. There, all the corals look like being in a gymn, too fast IMO.
2. Yes, if you followed my thread on January I've done it the way you say, but as shadofax mentioned, I lost an impller after about 36hrs. that time then, I am starting to seek for 'soft starter' for the pump with zero result.

Jim.

[dvanacker]

great out of the wave box thinking.

[jwardana]

testing upload images:


the wave



the main components





the timer

[onetrickpony]

Jwardana
Great work on your setup
I have a few questions
Is there a formula to use?
For the size of caisson to use for different tanks
As timers go how you figure out the frequency of you tank
How do you know what size air pump to use?
For an 8’ tank would you be able to dial in different size waves
Thanks for spending your time on this
Ken

[dvanacker]

Also where did you get your soleniod?? do you have a part #. How long do you think this part should last since it is going off and on very quickly??

[jwardana]

onetrickpony,

> Jwardana
> Great work on your setup

Thanks,

> I have a few questions
> Is there a formula to use?

Actually no, just from trial and error experiments, and some logic thinking in advance.

> For the size of caisson to use for different tanks

smaller tank means smaller pump and smaller caisson, etc. Since I use 100w airpump which can push 2.5 liter/sec of air and the wave delaying time is predicted between 1.00 to 1.25sec, I wouldnt built a caisson smaller than 2.5 x 1.25, right? I would go with al least twice of it to avoid bubble escaping from the caisson.

> As timers go how you figure out the frequency of you tank

I read tunze WB manual. from there I can guess the frequency of every certain tank length. but still it depend on many factors, tank's width, tank's depth, everything inside and (I guess) water density (saltwater will make the wave go slower than freshwater). From the pics you saw I still use freshwater to do the experiments.

> How do you know what size air pump to use?

actually not, but on January I've done a diy wvebox using submersible pump (though it failed). This submersible pump is 80w and able to pump about 700ml (0.2gal US) per sec. Using this pump I was able to make wave about 7cm (about 3") high (at water depth of 30cm/12"). From there I do the math that if I want to make the same high of wave to water depth at 65cm/26" then I need about twice of the power. That's why I choose this 100w airpump which can deliver 2.5liter/sec air at zero resistance (this pumps ability will go lower if you put it under the pressure of water, which I cant do the math).

> For an 8’ tank would you be able to dial in different size waves

according to tunze manual, Yes. But personally I havent tried this.

> dvanacker:
> Also where did you get your soleniod?? do you have a part #.

As I mentioned before, this is a DIY solenoid. Built using acrylic and eletronic relay/contactor.

> How long do you think this part should last since it is going off
> and on very quickly??

Well, I am not pretty sure about its lifespan. But I have tried it for about 14x24hrs.
JFYI, I have made the second diy solenoid (just in case).



Jim.

PS: the previous pics are uploaded at geocities which have bandwidth limitation. On the next, I'll try to upload it from reefbucket, hopefully there'll be no problem.

[jwardana]

Ok, trying to upload the pics from reefbucket:


The wave:


Caisson water level, before the diy wb starrting to work. It has the same level as the tank water height. Zeroed at 55cm (22") from the bottom of the tank.


This is the pump, diy solenoid, and a ballvalve to control the height of the wave. Controlling the wave height is by opening the valve, the wider it opened then the smaller wave produced.


This is the left of the tank. The caisson I built is integrated with one corner of the tank (maybe you'll still have problem seeing this pic). Return pipe is at the most left, next one is the air pipe in which the air go thrugh and back in it. To the most right side is the overflow made from glass. I still havent protected it to avoid fish go to it.


The caisson from other angle of view.


The timer.


The water in the caisson, goes up and down at about 3.5cm (1.4") high. the caisson is 35cm (14") long and 8cm (about 3")wide, means the air pushed in and out is 35x8x3.5cm = .980 liter (about 0/25 US gal). That's all done within 1.06sec (this tank's frequency at water depth of 55cm (22").


With that 0.98 liter of air per 1.06sec pushed in and out, the wave produced is about 15cm (6") high. please note that the water is zeroed at 55cm high. The highest peak of the wave is 9cm above it and the lowest peak is 6cm below it. This is its full power (the control valve is closed fully).


Sorry, I cant explain how I built the solenoid at this time. Next time when I have more spare time I'll take the pics of it.

Jim.

[foob]

How does the air leave the caisson? I thought you were using the solenoid to control when it's vented, but looks like you control when air is pumped in.

[jwardana]

foob,

> How does the air leave the caisson? I thought you were using
> the solenoid to control when it's vented, but looks like you
> control when air is pumped in.

take a look at the 3rd pic. The lower part of the diy solenoid (that circle look) is the valve. Yes it is so big, about 3" in diameter.
So it works like this: when the valve is closed, air from the airpump will be pumped to the caisson above (all of this located under the tank). when the valve is opened, air from both of the caisson and the airpump (which is still running) will be vented through it.

That's why I dont use industrial solenoid valve which rarely has diameter bigger than 1.5" and of course to save some $$$.


Jim.