I have upgraded my simulation to allow different wall thicknesses for the Tank and the Riser rings.  I have also added the ability to specify the gap at the Pod and the Gap at the exit to have different values than the middle gaps.

I have put in some extreme ratios into the sim and got results that were close to, but not quite believable, so I must investigate the formulas some more. 

These modifications to the sim should help me match to actual build measurements for verifications.

@TK. Water exits a Zed and enters a convoluted rubber bag or bellows. This is mechanically linked to a second bag, so that as the first bag expands, it squeezes the second bag. Thus the exhaust of the first Zed helps to charge the second Zed . When equilibrium is reached, and the pressures in the two Zeds are equal, this expanding and squeezing would stop. But is then it is forced to continue by a hydraulic ram powered from the systems hydraulic accumulator . So the waters of the Two Zeds are kept separate.

Quote from: seamus103 on September 07, 2012, 04:49:59 PM

On another note, would I be the only one assuming that Red_Sunset and Mr Wayne are one and the same person?

Hi .. nahh .. Michel's enjoying red sunsets in Saudi Arabia.

http://hydroenergyrevolution.com/index.php/our-guest-book

Public Information - I guess that is what See3d's cryptic comment is about.

Quote from: seamus103 on September 07, 2012, 04:49:59 PM
So the foundations of the laws of conservation of energy along with centuries of experimental validation of those are not sufficient  logic for you?

On another note,would I be the only one assuming that Red_Sunset and Mr Wayne are one and the same person?

LOL - What a compliment - I am not nearly as smart as Red_Sunset....
Seamus - You really should listen to him - your credibility is tanking as you hold fast against what is clearly presented.
(well it tanked when you were moderated and you came back - now you make it worse)
As I said when you began this campaign against us - you are going to be embarrassed - please - for your sake - get your hands wet -
If you won't do your own work at least notice that Red Sunset can speak your language -
To be clear: Learning something new is not the "embarrassment" - it is your continued assertion that you have the authority of all knowledge of the universe with your incorrect conclusions, assertions and unwillingness to look.
Man can't fly - so that man in his flying machine must be a fraud - we have been through this before.
I will be very glad when you and the three others realize you have been wrong in your claims against me.
I see that a valuable resource has been given to you.
Until Then...... good day.

Wayne

Quote from: TinselKoala on September 07, 2012, 04:35:13 PM
I like your data set, but can you please describe in painful detail just how a "trial" is conducted and just how repeatable the start and finish positions are, etc. And yes, I believe we need the cross sectional area of your input cylinder rain gauge... or if it's one of those silly tapered ones..... some other means of determining the mass (or volume really) of the total water you inject and recover during a trial. (The mass is important to find the pressure but it's the volume, I believe, that does the work in the Zeds.) This, combined with the pressure computed from the elevation of the center of mass of the raingauge water, will allow an input work figure to be calculated.

Each "run" is started at a full lift and with FULL LOAD (+ ~ 2.5 lb weight) at a position in which the single ZED is at a witness mark (eyeballed from the Outer Riser rim) while under support from (I guess) the water pressure and "pre-load" that was previously introduced to that single ZED.

So I guess I must back up and explain the pre-load... 

I have introduced water and air (into the bottom of the Pod chamber) several times through the apparatus you can see in the pics (sorry I can't post vids).  I have learned that having too much air or too much water causes "skirt blows" as I try to cycle repeatably.  So I have lowered the stroke and adjusted the air and water until I can repeatably perform the same cycle without the above mentioned problems.

So, in other words, I have run this test cycle "up and down" too many times to count.  And if the amount of air in the system or the amount of stroke (Hi Wayne!) is too much, you blow skirts.  So I have repeatedly run this test while adjusting the air and water (in the outer most ring) until it will repeat without blowing bubbles (skirt blow), etc.

I have marked the input tube water height with masking tape and a fine "sharpie" when the ZED is at the top of it's lift (eyeballed, of course).  I then remove the ~2.5 lb free weight.  Then I vent water from the bottom of the "system" through the valve shown in the pics.  I vented that fluid into the "rain gage" for those gross observations that I posted earlier.

Without the the added mass of the 2.5 lb "load" I let the system vent until it has dropped the previously reported distance.  Again, I must let it drop a bit further than that and then cause the system to rise up to that data measurement line because stiction is an issue.  This is done by supplying some of the previously vented water back into the system prior to measuring that "volume."

Once everything is at "equilibrium" at the bottom witness mark (that I marked previously with another "sparpie" and have been trying to replicate with this "cycle") I make sure the vent valve that is allowing water (and pressure) to escape the Pod chamber is closed.

At this point the reverse is easy (thank God!).  I slowly (only because my gaps and input tube Reynolds friction forces may cause unexpected reactions if you don't go slow) reintroduce the collected (and measured in the rain gage) water that was required for the above described cycle.

Please let me know what else you might need.

M.