Help me build a DIY wavemaker

[BornHandy]

I want to try a DIY wavemaker, and I have a design that I am sure will work, but I want to control it with a servo connected to my Apex.

It is crazy hard to explain, but the video should clear it right up.

Spare me 2 minutes!

 

[virtual reality]

You would need a pretty good sized servo I would think. How big is the main pump you would use?

 

[BornHandy]

I am using a neptune cor 20. As for the servo, that is the easy part. High torque servos are out there, so if I can find a way to control one with an apex, I think I can make it work!

 

[Reefer Reboot]

Nice idea. Have you made the box yet? I like the simplicity of it and the ease of build. I'd like to see the working model when you get it done.
I see you are using SketchUp, have you posted this in the Warehouse?
I tried my hand at a wave maker also but with a different design.
(posted in the Warehouse under,,https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/dd9b3064-f891-40cd-93b2-fca9415eadb6/DIY-Wavemaker.)
One thing that caught me by surprise was the amount of force that the water flow was creating on it, wasn't expecting it to have such an impact.

(The actual picture was still in the process of building it, not the finished product)
Water enters through the top, is split in two by the rotating sleeve driven by a .5 rpm motor, then exits through the side, alternating flow from side to side in a two minute pattern. Like you, I have it in the sump so it doesn't have to be water tight.
P.S. There is also a thread for sharing SketchUp drawings on here if you're interested. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in sharing other "virtual reality ideas".

 

[BornHandy]

Nice idea. Have you made the box yet? I like the simplicity of it and the ease of build. I'd like to see the working model when you get it done.
I see you are using SketchUp, have you posted this in the Warehouse?
I tried my hand at a wave maker also but with a different design.
(posted in the Warehouse under,,https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/dd9b3064-f891-40cd-93b2-fca9415eadb6/DIY-Wavemaker.)
One thing that caught me by surprise was the amount of force that the water flow was creating on it, wasn't expecting it to have such an impact.

(The actual picture was still in the process of building it, not the finished product)
Water enters through the top, is split in two by the rotating sleeve driven by a .5 rpm motor, then exits through the side, alternating flow from side to side in a two minute pattern. Like you, I have it in the sump so it doesn't have to be water tight.
P.S. There is also a thread for sharing SketchUp drawings on here if you're interested. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in sharing other "virtual reality ideas".

Nicely done! I thought of doing something like that (machining a 3 way valve), but with pilot activated cylinders that used airline tubing, and dosing pumps, but I keep coming back to "as simple as possible".

Does yours restrict the pump at any point? I am planning to do the bean animal overflow, so I needed to be able to change the direction of flow without changing the volume of water per minute. If yours does that, and mine fails, I might want to get the specifics from you (if you were willing to share).

 

[crusso1993]

Bump...

I am not familiar with Apex so I cannot offer input on an Apex controlled servo. However, I like both ideas presented and either could be controlled with an arduino or reef pi (strawberry pi).

Perhaps one of the following DIYers can add some value...

@JDowns @dantimdad @Elder1945

 

[JDowns]

Intersting idea.

You could do this with a continuous rotation 24vdc servo. Most likely wouldn't require a ton of torque since the pressure will shift. I will most likely have to draw this up as it maybe difficult to explain.

The arm on the diverter will need multiple holes along the length to test the swing of the arc or play with the bend on the rod. Think of this horizontally between your two outlets. Much like a swing lever for a toilet.

You can then have a continuous rotation servo that has another arm that swings off axis. As the servo rotates one half of the 180 degrees of the rotation it would pull the arm up, as it rotates the other half of the 180 degrees of rotation it would push the arm down.

The distance of the hole off axis on the servo will determine the speed in which the arm is going up and or down.

You would then have a bent rod connecting the diverter arm and the servo. The bend in the rod allows the servo to fully rotate.

If that doesn't make sense I can model something up for you, or you can see if you can find some docs on how a motorized camera rotates. This would be the same principle.

You wouldn't necessarily need a 24vdc servo. It would be trivial to step that down to a lower voltage, and you could use an existing 24vdc outlet on the Apex to drive the servo.

 

[JDowns]

If you google "DIY Sea Swirl". There are a few examples of how you would do this.

 

[User1]

Nice idea. Have you made the box yet? I like the simplicity of it and the ease of build. I'd like to see the working model when you get it done.
I see you are using SketchUp, have you posted this in the Warehouse?
I tried my hand at a wave maker also but with a different design.
(posted in the Warehouse under,,https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/dd9b3064-f891-40cd-93b2-fca9415eadb6/DIY-Wavemaker.)
One thing that caught me by surprise was the amount of force that the water flow was creating on it, wasn't expecting it to have such an impact.

(The actual picture was still in the process of building it, not the finished product)
Water enters through the top, is split in two by the rotating sleeve driven by a .5 rpm motor, then exits through the side, alternating flow from side to side in a two minute pattern. Like you, I have it in the sump so it doesn't have to be water tight.
P.S. There is also a thread for sharing SketchUp drawings on here if you're interested. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in sharing other "virtual reality ideas".

I've read similarly a couple articles about wave makers, their use, and the force they can place on the tank(s) walls. I'm sure you have already considered that but this was one of the reasons why I stopped considering their use.

 

[BornHandy]

Intersting idea.

You could do this with a continuous rotation 24vdc servo. Most likely wouldn't require a ton of torque since the pressure will shift. I will most likely have to draw this up as it maybe difficult to explain.

The arm on the diverter will need multiple holes along the length to test the swing of the arc or play with the bend on the rod. Think of this horizontally between your two outlets. Much like a swing lever for a toilet.

You can then have a continuous rotation servo that has another arm that swings off axis. As the servo rotates one half of the 180 degrees of the rotation it would pull the arm up, as it rotates the other half of the 180 degrees of rotation it would push the arm down.

The distance of the hole off axis on the servo will determine the speed in which the arm is going up and or down.

You would then have a bent rod connecting the diverter arm and the servo. The bend in the rod allows the servo to fully rotate.

If that doesn't make sense I can model something up for you, or you can see if you can find some docs on how a motorized camera rotates. This would be the same principle.

You wouldn't necessarily need a 24vdc servo. It would be trivial to step that down to a lower voltage, and you could use an existing 24vdc outlet on the Apex to drive the servo.

Thanks for the heads up. I will look into that servo.

 

[BornHandy]

Bump...

I am not familiar with Apex so I cannot offer input on an Apex controlled servo. However, I like both ideas presented and either could be controlled with an arduino or reef pi (strawberry pi).

Perhaps one of the following DIYers can add some value...

@JDowns @dantimdad @Elder1945

I have reached out to dantimdad since we both live in the same area. Thanks!

 

[BornHandy]

Ok, so I like the idea of a raspberry pi. There are a handfull of choices, so any advice on what the best one for servo control would be is my next question. I am sure I can find help programming it!

 

[Reefer Reboot]

Nicely done! I thought of doing something like that (machining a 3 way valve), but with pilot activated cylinders that used airline tubing, and dosing pumps, but I keep coming back to "as simple as possible".

Does yours restrict the pump at any point? I am planning to do the bean animal overflow, so I needed to be able to change the direction of flow without changing the volume of water per minute. If yours does that, and mine fails, I might want to get the specifics from you (if you were willing to share).

Your idea of going pilot activated certainly set off a few idea light bulbs in my head. What a convenient way of being able to control the dwell time of hardover flows while minimizing the sweep time.
Since this is just a hobby, I am very willing to share any specifics that I know of.
As far as the flow rate goes, it does change a little bit as it shifts from one side to the other. This does create an oscillation of water level in the overflow and in the sump. But it is a constant up and down change. I am running a Herbie style drain and it stays within certain level limits. (I have been tinkering with a self regulating overflow drain design to counteract this effect.)
As far as forces on the tank walls, I could see if it was set to create a harmonic oscillating wave it could do some damage over time, but with slow directional changes, it's less of a wavemaker and more of a "surge maker".

 

[BornHandy]

As of now, I am looking into low cost PLC's because the one I have requires some high priced software. I am cheaper to get a whole new PLC, and start from there.

Anyway, I think this is going to be a working model in a few weeks.