After seeing the thread about Knitel's Infinity Pump, I was inspired to do this...
My version completely eliminates the weight and piston, and is replaced by a diaphram and valve assembly.
1) The outlet solenoid valve opens up, to let out the water beneath the diaphram. The water above the diaphram then
acts as a weight and pushes down on the diaphram, causing the diaphram/valve assembly to fall as the water beneath
it drains out. At the same time, water is sucked in through a check-valve pick-up pipe.
2) Once the diaphram assembly reaches the bottom, the outlet valve closes in order to stop any backflow.
3) A solenoid opens up a valve in the center of the diaphram assembly, which in turn allows elasticity in the
diaphram, return the assembly to it's original posistion.
4) The valve on the diaphram closes, and the cycle starts over again.
This will not work,
as you open the left valve, air will come in and all of the water will run down the very right small pipe.
Your pronciple is very different to the Knitel´s pump
and if you rely on air pressure and siphon it just can not work this way.
(because your left exit height is higher than the right basic water level ( using the air pressure))
Quote from: hartiberlin on February 19, 2009, 01:57:16 AM
This will not work,
as you open the left valve, air will come in and all of the water will run down the very right small pipe.
Your pronciple is very different to the Knitel´s pump
and if you rely on air pressure and siphon it just can not work this way.
(because your left exit height is higher than the right basic water level ( using the air pressure))
It doesn't rely on air pressure, the water in the upper chamber acts as weight to push the diaphram down. The idea is, it's supposed to act like an elasticated water bag.
For example... If you were to hang-up a syringe and attach a weight to it, then it would pull the water up into it. If you imagine a much bigger syringe that was aleady half full with water, then the sheer mass of the water could act like a heavy weight.
OK, I know what you are about to say, "but syringes are like pistons, there's a lot of friction there !"... That's why I had the idea of the diaphram. It could stretch as the wieght of the water pushes it down, and pull in more water in the process, and increase the weight in the upper chamber.
Of course this will only happen if there was nothing in the bottom chamber to stop it falling, when under locked pressure, water is like a solid. That's where the outlet valve comes in. The valve is only open while the diaphram is falling, it closes as soon as it reaches the bottom.
Then comes the next part... There is now lots of water in the upper chamber, and it is locked under pressure, and it is also very heavy, and the diaphram cannot spring back because it's water tight. That's the reason for the other valve. When that one opens, all the water passes into the bottom chamber, and is also aided by the diaphram, just like squeezing a water bag.
So you may now realise that the idea of this system is, there must not be any gaps in the water, in order for it to work.
I do see what you mean about the possibility of air bubbling in through the outlet valve, maybe an extra check valve could be the solution.
As I don't live in the right kind of accomodation to have a workshop, I haven't experimented with it yet.
Stefan, you may be correct in saying it wont work, but I choose to say "might not work". But that's how the concept design stands for the time being. I can honestly say that I have had fun thinking-up the idea, and have had fun making the animation.
But even if it does look like a failure, it is open source, so feel free to play with it to your heart's content.
Peace to everyone ;)
If you open up the left valve, the water in the big center tank will run out of the very right tube.
It works then like a siphon.
Do you remember how you can pull out gasoline out of an car tank ?
Take a hose, suck on it and hold it lower than the tank.
The gasoline will come out of it, although it first has to go over the top,
but then it runs down lower than the tank and that´s it.
The same applies to your device.
Yeah, I remember trying to suck fuel from a car, and I got a throat full of it. I never try that again ;D
I only did that animation purely for fun though, but you can see where I coming from ?. I'm not very good at explaining theory.
I have got another idea that involves a fluid piston, and a pendulum. I will post that in another thread, when I can work out how I'm going to animate it.
P.S...
And again, it will be open source, as always 8)
The water will not move unless you add a magic weigh.
Quote from: brian334 on February 19, 2009, 11:39:33 AM
The water will not move unless you add a magic weigh.
As I already stated, the water above the diaphram is the weight.