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Plasma Water Bed Setup *PIC* Hey guys, designing my water table right now and I want to make sure I'm not overlooking anything with this setup. I'm going to be using three 55G drums laying on their side under my table. They already have fittings on the top and bottom that I will be using to run the PVC lines.
To fill the table I would close valve 2, open valve 3, open valve 1. When full, close valve 1, close valve 3.
To drain the table I would open valve 2, open valve 3.
Hopefully my professional drawing makes sense.
Last edited by tof1; 07-02-2009 at 06:50 PM.
Most water tables use a chamber in the bottom.
Bend a steel plate and put some notches on one end.
Weld it to the floor(notched end) and the other to the wall. this chamber will fill with water.
Put a pipe in about 1-2 inches below the top of the chamber. Add air to the pipe and it will force the water out the lower slots and raise the warter level. Vent the pipe and the water level will drop down.
Much simpler than piping and 55 gal drums.
Alan Bradford
www.plasmatechnologies.com
I like this idea but not the welding of all the seams that would have to be water tight...Originally Posted by Alan Bradford
So does the layout look like it will work to you guys?
It is exactly the same concept....displacing water with air. I think it will work...however you may want to ensure (with blow-off safety valves) that you do not exceed mmore that 2 or 3 psi in those barrels.....especially after they get rusty in a few months.
Most steel air bladders (like the one Alan Bradford describes) are made from 3/16 to 1/2" steel.....with reinforcing plates every few feet.
If valve 1 is open...and vales 2 and 3 accidentally remain closed....expect the end to blow off one of your barrels...could be dangerous...and could dump water on the shop floor!
Jim
You have more valves than you need, and in the wrong configuration.
You do not need to have a valve between the water table and the storage tank/bladder, though it won't hurt anything.
The connection from the bottom of the water table should connect to the bottom of the storage tank / bladder as you have it.
The top connection to the storage tank / bladder does not need to connect back to the water table at all.
The top connection from the storage tank / bladder needs to connect either to two valves or a 3 way valve in such a way that there are three possible states: Add presurized air to the tank / bladder, no air flow, and vent air from the tank / bladder.
When you add air to the tank / bladder it will displace the water up into the water table. When you shut off the air supply the water level in the water table will hold constant (ignoring evaportation, thermal expansion, etc.). When you vent air from the tank / bladder the water will flow from the water table back down into the tank / bladder.
I have a similar setup on the table I built, only I used a 100# LP tank (new) for my storage tank / bladder.
A filter on the connection between the bottom of the tank and the water table is a good idea to help keep sludge out of the tank. I used an inexpensive inline strainer intended for RV use.
Additional thought: Use plastic 55 gal drums and you both eliminate the tank rust issue and should be able to visually see the liquid level in the tanks.
WP1: Thank you for your insights. I'm using plastic 55G drums.
I'm working on a revised design and will post it when finished.
OK, much simpler this time around. Close valve, add air till full. Open valve to vent air and the water drains back to the drums. Here's the revised drawing. Let me know what you think.
Presumably you have a valve on the air input to control that side since you need to be able to shut it off to hold the water level constant?
An inline filter / strainer on the connection from the table to the tank would be good.
Yes, there would be a valve and filter. Other than that, it looks good?
It looks reasonable to me. Pretty much how I have my small table setup.
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