Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

For my new indoor system, I wanted a way to automatically get sludgy water out of the bottom of my SUF after bubbling/backwashing. I first looked into an automated valve. Then I ran into a design for a peristaltic pump. Peristaltic pumps are self-priming positive displacements pumps usually used either for pumping exact (small) amounts of fluid or for pumping larger amounts of thick fluids that would be difficult to pump with centrifugal pumps (e.g. concrete). They handle solids really well.

Anyway, I scaled up the pump design that I found online, ordered a large diameter silicone hose and ordered my design 3D printed via 3dhubs. I ordered from two hubs; one pump printed in PETG and one in PLA. I haven't received all the parts yet, but here's a a rough sketchup overview and a picture that one of the 3D hubs just sent me of the PLA printed pump part:

I ran some calculations, but it's difficult to predict how much torque it will take to turn the rollers over the hose. I'm guessing that 10 kg-cm on the rollers is enough, at 100% efficiency that would give a pump head of 4.7m. The motor & reduction I chose should be able to get the rollers to 100 RPM with that torque, then the flow should be about 10L/min or 600L/h. Enough to empty my little SUF in a minute.

Let's see if it actually works!

Thomas,

That looks great!

Thanks for sharing those links. Can you share what you were quoted for delivery of those parts from your design?

That is so much easier than hobbing gears out of metal stock.





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Sam

Doesn't look like you've factored in the wall thickness of your tubing. In the design you pointed to, you can see that the diameter of the rollers changes to allow for the tubing. Maybe you've done this but it's not really obvious for me

Sounds like fun to me

Xzorby just catching up old stories.

How did this finish up? Dont be afraid to say 'work still in progress" at least you did more than most of us.