Semi-Aspirated Ballast System

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

THIS is good stuff, Scott. I got a full work-day ahead of me, but when I kick-back tonight I'm going to embrace this idea of yours and work up some hardware. Damned good stuff!

David

[MFR1964]

Good stuff indeed, i think that the micro solution will work, due to the room on my V80 size wasn't a issue, as long as you keep the priciple the same it will work.

Greetings Manfred.

[Scott T]

Here is another experiment someone might try on a vent valve.
It has always bothered me that in pictures I have seen the ballast
vent valve hangs outside the ballast tank. I'm not sure if the arrangement
in the attached picture will seal well so thats why this concept is
still a experiment.

1) Start with one of the ballast end caps that has the rotating acuator for a gas ballast system.
2) Make hole in top of chamber and glue and seal a o-ring centered on the hole for valve seat.
3) Make a valve with a zip tie end molded into it.
4) Attach a partial zip tie (spring-tie) into the ballast end cap at proper position for acuation and seal pressure.
Length from end cap should affect spring-tie pressure for sealing.
5) Make attachement of valve and spring-tie with a full zip tie using the zip action for adjustments.
Seal zip tie end in valve after adjusting with silicone seal to make air/water tight.
6) Make a Cam on rotating acuator shaft that will press upward on spring tie to open vent valve.



Call me crazy but I needed to share the idea. You may ask why doesn't he try this himself.
My best excuse is I ran out of peanut butter. My other excuse is I have a mental block
about spending money as you can see the idea calls for things that don't cost alot except
for the endcaps.
Also there is a liquid clothes soap dispensers that has a nicely shaped valve that might be
usable with some disasembley and modifications.

Scott T

[redboat219]

Nice illustration. I believe we already tackled this in another thread here. The problem with using a vent valve that's seated outside the ballast tank and goes up is that during a vigorous blow the impluse from gas would lift it off it's seat leaking gas and you get going up is bubbles not the sub. BUT, But this could work well with a snort/LPB.

[Subculture]

The vent valve on Dave's cylinders are designed to seal tighter as pressure increases in the ballast tank. I guess this is to prevent pressure from the gas causing the valve to creep open when blowing the tank.

[Scott T]

OK flip the vent valve to the underside.
Do you think a 0-ring would make a good sealing surface?
They are cheap and easily replaced. Rip it off and seal
another on.
Would a o-ring work in the float valves Mr. M is perfecting?

I guess I haven't seen the latest revision of the sub driver vent valve.




Scott T

[Subculture]

If you flip it round it will stick outside of the tank. o-rings can seal a valve like this, yes. Probably best to use a silicone o-ring, they tend to be softer than nitrile.

[redboat219]

Hmmm. No response from HWSNBN. Must be cooking up something in his cave.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

He's .... BUSY!

[trout]

Don't crowd the wizard, just leave your offerings and drinks at the door and walk backwards away from him bowing. Can't wait to see what is next!

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

diet Mountain Dew... and cold .... and don't make eye-contact ....and get out quickly! And I may let you live.

[redboat219]

What!? No processed animal byproduct sacrifices?

[Kazzer]

OK flip the vent valve to the underside.
Do you think a 0-ring would make a good sealing surface?
They are cheap and easily replaced. Rip it off and seal
another on.
Would a o-ring work in the float valves Mr. M is perfecting?

I guess I haven't seen the latest revision of the sub driver vent valve.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]12474[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]12475[/ATTACH]

Scott T

I think Scott has something here. It reminded me of those modern flushing units inside toilet cisterns. The float runs up and down around the main tube.

Which compacts the entire design and minimises the size of the float.

Like this -


The pink foam has a hole in it through which the Snort tube fits. The foam moves up and down depending on the water level. The rubber seal is simply a flat piece of soft rubber (design would need a tweak) . The foam could be cylindrical and only a 1/4" or so larger than the tube.
NTS :-)

[Reckless]

might be over designing in my head.. but I would add a brass or plastic tube where the float rides the pipe .. just to prevent the foam from being worn down and misaligning with the seal to the pipe head opening, and add a little weight to help drop the float when as the water drains.

silly people like me might even want to attach periscope, etc to the top of the float ...

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Good stuff, Mike and Recless. Add this to Redboat, Tom's, Manfred's and others input here and elswhere, and we're onto something!

Good stuff.

David