DIY VENTURI, DIY NEEDLEWHEEL IMPELLER, DIY AIRSTONE contest!!!

I want to see if anyone is using this technology for hydroponics. These topics are very popular in aquarium forums and commercial/industrial applications.

If you have an idea for aeration and it is a DIY (do it yourself) please post it. Lets make this a popular spot for making DIY aeration that superoxygenates your root zones!!! This will be a popular thread and winners get the creative recognition they deserve.

 

I want to introduce you guys the best aeration method known.

THE VENTURI:

what it is:

The fluid velocity must increase through the constriction to satisfy the equation of continuity, while its pressure must decrease due to conservation of energy: the gain in kinetic energy is balanced by a drop in pressure or a pressure gradient force. An equation for the drop in pressure due to the Venturi effect may be derived from a combination of Bernoulli's principle and the equation of continuity.

in simple terms:

When you force water that is travelling through a tube through a constriction (make the tube narrower) the fluid increases its speed to get through the narrow part. This in turn reduces the pressure of the fluid so when it travels through the narrow part in the tube there is a net vacuum there, and with a small hole it will suck air into the tube mixing it with water.

This technology is used in everything from Rocket Science to Aerodynamics. Please review the video links below before proceeding-

Venturi Nozzle mixing air and water:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CC0Cs0Gpu8]YouTube - Venturi transparent[/ame]

Venturi being used in a small aquarium:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9U5kI5MFgE]YouTube - AirDuck venturi aerator[/ame]

Technology implemented by the Venturi used in commercial aeration for lakes:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Iaqx-b4VLU&feature=related]YouTube - Pond & Lake Aerator OASE Aqua Air[/ame]

Giant Venturi:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHiLoZIjJ-0&feature=related]YouTube - Ventus Aerator-single head big frame[/ame]

DIY VENTURI:

take a 3/4" ball valve
unscrew bolt holding spigot
drill hole or screw into the center of the spigot hinge holding ball in place
connect 3/16" air hose to top of spiqot

congratulations

now attach an air valve to control your bubble size- recommended pump at least 400gph for good flow. put the venturi after your water pump on a verticle plane or downwards angle and make sure it draws a vacuum in the airline. the water being pumped to all your beds will now be a superoxygenated foam. this device is like using 10 air pumps.

you can use the venturi airline to draw in nutrients and mix them in the throat of the venturi. run a slight angle after the venturi so the mix is augmented through a vortex motion as demonstrated by bubbles when the venturi is drawing in air. the venturi is used to mix fluid and gas in industrial and commercial applications.

the venturi works by drawing in air from the narrow point in a waterline
this works because the water speeds up as the waterline narrows, and
when the water passes through the valve it has to speed up through the small hole. when water speeds up, it loses its pressure and creates a negative pressure (vacuum) inside the narrow area. the vacuum draws in air and mixes it with the water very efficiently. depending on adjustments made to the shape of the airhole, power of pump, gravity, length of line, and angulature of line there is a greater degree of efficiency (finer bubbles, more air mixed with less water resistance). This fitting is very easy to make and is worth the time.

If you have any question please post, I would be happy to explain any details...


The Venturi effect may be observed or used in the following:

• Cargo Eductors on Oil, Product and Chemical ship tankers
• Inspirators that mix air and flammable gas in grills, gas stoves, Bunsen burners and airbrushes
• Water aspirators that produce a partial vacuum using the kinetic energy from the faucet water pressure
• Steam siphons using the kinetic energy from the steam pressure to create a partial vacuum
• Atomizers that disperse perfume or spray paint (i.e. from a spray gun).
• Foam firefighting nozzles and extinguishers
• Carburetors that use the effect to suck gasoline into an engine's intake air stream
• Wine aerators, used to infuse air into wine as it is poured into a glass
• The capillaries of the human circulatory system, where it indicates aortic regurgitation
• Aortic insufficiency is a chronic heart condition that occurs when the aortic valve's initial large stroke volume is released and the Venturi effect draws the walls together, which obstructs blood flow, which leads to a Pulsus Bisferiens.
• Protein skimmers (filtration devices for saltwater aquaria)
• In automated pool cleaners that use pressure-side water flow to collect sediment and debris
• The barrel of the modern-day clarinet, which uses a reverse taper to speed the air down the tube, enabling better tone, response and intonation
• Compressed air operated industrial vacuum cleaners
• Venturi scrubbers used to clean flue gas emissions
• Injectors (also called ejectors) used to add chlorine gas to water treatment chlorination systems
• Sand blasters used to draw fine sand in and mix it with air
• Emptying bilge water from a moving boat through a small waste gate in the hull-the air pressure inside the moving boat is greater than the water sliding by beneath
• A scuba diving regulator to assist the flow of air once it starts flowing
• Modern vaporizers to optimize efficiency
• In Venturi masks used in medical oxygen therapy
• In recoilless rifles to decrease the recoil of firing
• Ventilators
• The diffuser on an automobile
• Large cities where wind is forced between buildings

A simple way to demonstrate the Venturi effect is to squeeze and release a flexible hose in which fluid is flowing: the partial vacuum produced in the constriction is sufficient to keep the hose collapsed.


Venturi tubes are also used to measure the speed of a fluid, by measuring pressure changes at different segments of the device. Placing a liquid in a U-shaped tube and connecting the ends of the tubes to both ends of a Venturi is all that is needed. When the fluid flows though the Venturi the pressure in the two ends of the tube will differ, forcing the liquid to the "low pressure" side. The amount of that move can be calibrated to the
speed of the fluid flow.[1]

 

stay posted for a DIY venturi design, newer one with less proprietary parts

here is a pic of one of the sea of green experimental plants I harvested

 

Check it out. Flowering pictures Blue Dream.

Cut down my first large plant.

 

they may. a lot do. You can easily make them out of various fittings. the main thing is to get the efficient flow and small bubbles which are either crushed or strained through a type of mesh screen or spun at an angle. If you get an efficient Venturi with good adjustable flow, on both the intake of the water pump and downline of it, you can pump super oxygenated water directly to your beds with a great degree of control.

If you do this and then modify your impeller you can give all the units in your system a fizzing solution that looks like seafoam and when it clears has millions of tiny little bubbles in it. I am in the process of refining this, and my bubbles don't hit the surface anymore because they dissolve fully. They pass through chambers which further dissolve the gas...

 

Ok the Basics are this:

you need a fitting that has a 3 major parts,
water in, air in, and water out

a T fitting is good example of this, because
water can come in one side and out the other in a straight line, and the
air can come in through the center

water in --> air in---> water out
now right in between water in and air in, we want the water to be constricted, either
by narrowing the tube or creating an orifice of some kind



easy way-you can have an obstruction such as a tube doubling as an airline inserted into the water line, this will create a narrow point and water will be drawn in from the airline inside the tube. orifice plate

hard way-for example, the waterline can get narrower, and right after it becomes narrower, that is where our air line comes in. venturi tube

you can have a narrow fitting which has smaller inlet holes than the size of the tubing you are using, you can then draw the vacuum from inside the fitting.

Take a look at the pictures of the venturi based on a simple T fitting, these are technically called orifice plate fittings and can be made with anything once you have the T. One of my Orifice plates is simply a needle with a pinpoint injector- used in air compressors. This draws next to no vacuum however the bubbles are very small and there is little efficiency lost due to drag so the small bubbles travel quickly and stay under for longer.

An airline with a shaped head is inserted in the center of the T which partially blocks the waterline, and creates a vacuum through it which is then connected to an airline and flow adjuster.


If your Venturi is made correctly it will draw a strong vacuum which will bite into your finger.

 

more pics, just figure random pictures may spark the idea better

 

Ok here we go.

Couple questions:

1. Water Temps - How much of an impact on temps is caused by aerating you solution this way?

Good question. The water pump may bring the temperature of the water up depending on what type it is and how much volume you are working with. Generally I run the air intake line outside so I bring in fresh cool air which actually cools the water several degrees. You want to be running around 69 to 70 degrees.

2. Variation/Calibration - I do not understand this part of the equation. What are the "beads"? I thought that was the airline. Also, where is your airpump? I'm simple minded compared to you in regards to engineering, anyway you have a simple diagram showing both the venuri valve in/out process, as well as one showing how the unit might be set up in a system from Rez to grow bucket/bin?

The beads are actually confusing. You see I made an injector type design so that I could not only aerate my solution, but I can inject nutrients right into the solution at a constant rate. I figured out that by letting air and water in at the same time, I could make "beads" in my transparent airline, so as to visually confirm my mixture rates. The only reason I create these beads is so I can see with my eyes how fast the nutrients are being sucked into the Venturi for mixture, and the beads tend to be constant in their size, speed, and spacing.


I'm just not quite understanding your exact implementation.

I am contemplating a setup which involved 3 big bins, 2 for plants with a control rez bin in between, and I am struggling to wrap my head around the best way to implement this method.

In general I REALLY would like to understand this enough to implement it.

Any extra help/clarification would be greatly appreciated.


Ok so lets approach this. I have many designs including Venturi fittings which are in the waterline itself aerating all of the water going to different parts of my system. I also have waterpumps with about 2 feet of tubing with a Venturi fitting on the end meant for stationary aeration of that particular bin. If I were you, I would purchase 2-3 30 dollar water pumps from the hydro store (should be around 400 gph with about 12 foot pump height) and put 1 water pump with a Venturi in each bin. You have your control Rez, which can be aerated but it is better to have the aeration and circulation occuring right under the roots of the plants.

All a Venturi is - is a fitting which draws air in through a vacuum and mixes it into the fast moving stream of water forming tiny bubbles. It is best to just prop the waterpump up, have about 2-3 feet of water tubing and then put your Venturi fitting on the end. Put the Venturi fitting about 4 inches underwater aimed downward, and angle it so it spins the water in the container in a circular motion.

Here is a diagram I drew for you. By the way the beauty is there is no need for an airpump. The Venturi draws air through a suction and this is what makes it so efficient. If you make your Venturi correctly it will suck air into it with noticeable PSI. When I refer to calibration I'm referring to adjusting the amount of air allowed to enter the fitting (controlling bubble size and flow rate). If you allow too much air to enter the bubbles will be big and noisy, if you allow too little your bubbles will be small and ineffective. You want fast moving small bubbles in large numbers.

 

Ok man I know how to make it safe. Just get a couple hoses or tubes, preferably one with a bigger diameter.

Lets say your containers are 2 feet apart.

Grab a 5 foot piece of hose, and fill it with water. You want to form a siphon. When it is filled open both ends under water in each of the 2 bins. Now you will have a siphon connecting your bins, when the waterline changes the bins will even themselves out through the hose. Just make sure not to blow bubbles into the hose or it will break the siphon. You can easy make redundancies like this and it does not seem like it will work but it will. I will draw a picture.

This picture features my Siphon Sump. Don't worry about it; it will still work with just the tube. Get like extra tubes for each bin, or just use a 1" PVC pipe to connect them, that will solve waterflow issues.

 

Ok I just got done with the rest of trimming. It looks like I hit 3.2 LBS of dried manicured medicine.

Thanks for your comments I'll respond momentarily.

 

halfdome:

thank you man I appreciate your interest and Venturis would surely overcome those problems and never need to be cleaned or replaced. Just to be safe I would put a small filter on the airline intake so it won't eventually clog with dust, although it probably would not be necessary.

buzzilla:

thanks and no problem it worked for me with a jungle grow although I did use 4 hydroxyl bulbs to destroy the odors.

bodybuzz:

I would not add an airstone in the suckit bucket because it would destroy the suction effect created by the bell siphon fitting. I have yet to do a proper DIY on the suckit bucket but when my video is released it will give more insight into how this thing works. Also you would need to open the bucket if the airstone gets clogged and the design really won't work with that. By the way making this bucket is a pain in the ass but well worth it. It will take quite some tinkering to actually get it to fill and flood on just 1 constant stream of water. You need to keep adjusting the bell siphon fitting so it is just right. Once it is set up it can be sealed inside the bucket and never opened again until harvest...

The flood drain times are subjective. I had my pumps come on 5 times during lights on for 15 minutes. My bucket would flood and drain about 5-8 times for each of those 15 minutes, creating about 30 suction pulsations per day. Because it is sealed the roots will not dry out due to 100% humidity in the aero chamber, however it is important to perpetuate the suction effect to draw fresh oxygen in so the dangling roots breathe...

Let me know if you have more questions this bucket's autosiphon fitting is ultra complex; I have been showing someone how to do this in person and they still don't understand it so do not get discouraged.

inmojo69:

I don't really get it either sometimes. But keep coming back and you will.