How about an elementary simple solution with minimal moving parts and failure points! A previous post suggested the toilet flapper valve concept. About as simple as it can get and pretty well mature as a technology!
Now, instead of using the flush handle to actuate it, how about some chain and a float. Set the chain length so the float will actuate the valve when the tank is almost full. Elegant? Of course a float valve would have to be fabricated to match the pipe size of the penstock, but that would not be much of a chore. This concept requires no special sensors, electronics, or other sophisticated components and would almost never need maintenance. Have fun, Jay ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nando" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 9:36 AM Subject: Re: [microhydro] Re: Intermittant flow with a siphon. How? The solution for sporadic charging is to have a pressure detector to determine a full tank, then an auto valve to open to charge, then detecting the pressure empty tank level to close the valve. What is needed is the Banki nozzle size and the water usage at good water flow -- and the low water available to see what type of nozzle maybe needed to run the Banki under these conditions-- for possible full time usage and not sporadic use. Regards Nando ----- Original Message ----- From: "ReadFamily" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 9:26 AM Subject: Re: [microhydro] Re: Intermittant flow with a siphon. How? > > > I think that the replies to this thread are > getting away from the original question. > > My understanding of the situation is this: > When the water flow is adequate the Banki can > be run full time (no problem), but during dry spells the water flow is not adequate so a scheme was designed to store water in a 500 gallon tank which would provide intermittent full flow to run the Banki. > The question is how to make this work. > Initial attempt with a flexible pipe running > into the side of the header tank did not produce intermittent full flow, but constant low flow. > I dont have an answer - it sounds a bit like > the solution could be along the same lines as the flushing of a toilet. The key thing is to have two distinct states - no flow and full flow. If this could be done with a periodically fired flapper valve then that would work, but maybe there is some way to make a syphon system work where there is no valve. Any ideas? > > Dominic Read > Georgia, USA > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > > > > Does your company feature in the microhydro > business directory at http://microhydropower.net/directory ? If not, please register free of charge and be exposed to the microhydro community world wide! > > NOTE: The advertisements in this email are > added by Yahoogroups who provides us with free email group services. The microhydro-group does not endorse products or support the advertisements in any way. > > More information on micro hydropower at > http://microhydropower.net > > To unsubscribe: send empty message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Does your company feature in the microhydro business directory at http://microhydropower.net/directory ? If not, please register free of charge and be exposed to the microhydro community world wide! NOTE: The advertisements in this email are added by Yahoogroups who provides us with free email group services. The microhydro-group does not endorse products or support the advertisements in any way. More information on micro hydropower at http://microhydropower.net To unsubscribe: send empty message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Does your company feature in the microhydro business directory at http://microhydropower.net/directory ? If not, please register free of charge and be exposed to the microhydro community world wide! NOTE: The advertisements in this email are added by Yahoogroups who provides us with free email group services. The microhydro-group does not endorse products or support the advertisements in any way. More information on micro hydropower at http://microhydropower.net To unsubscribe: send empty message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/microhydro/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
