Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

interesting. I will definitely have to look more into that.

Hi Rass
It`s a nifty shape.
Here`s a few links to some oloid animations and also how to make one.. might save you some legwork

http://www1.ttcn.ne.jp/~a-nishi/oloid/z_ani_2.html
http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Oloid.html
http://members.home.nl/arie.brederode/olo3.html

Just got the price for the 200A from switzerland..Ouchy!
£1,720 GBP which converts to $4,252 AUD and $3,416 USD

Yeah, that's way the heck outta my price range! For that I could get about three airodyne style, and still have money left over.

This may be of some interest:
http://www.greenwindmill.com/

Trav.

Hi Trav
The same link is further back in the thread
I think it`s a great design, simple and economical.

Hex I was thinking about micro hydro, using the moving water to incorporate air, induction style.
Thinking this way NRG from pumping as a byproduct being closer to the system.
Less move parts and contained in the system.

The question is how much energy could you extract from it with the limited head and flowrate.
I guess if you could recycle even a small percentage it might be worth a try, depending on the cost/effort needed

I was thinking more of direct induction.

I think i must be on the wrong track, an outline of the plan might help to visualise it

My thought was rather like an impeller, though not to push water, but air.

something like impellors in the return pipe which spin as the water goes by them?
Not sure how much extra aeration you`d get but it`s a novel idea

When I have time I will try scketchup but not today!

I`ll have to try sketchup some time, normally the back of a fag packet gets the first draft

I ordered some bits on tuesday to build a small (7ft dia) greenwindmill, so much for their 3 day delivery.. now i`m stuffed until tuesday thanks to the bank holiday.

Well i finally got my finger out and made a start on the test windmill.

It`s 2.2m (7ft 2" approx) across the diagonal and cost next to nothing thus far as the materials are recycled..amazing what you can do with junk
I had some fibreglass tubes left over from an antenna project which are quite sturdy but lightweight, some 15mm copper tee`s, a bit of copper pipe and a load of polyester cord...oh and a lightweight kids scooter made of chrome alloy stuff for the mast mount and bottom bearing.

Got to work with the blowlamp and some solder.. 3 hours later and i`ve got the basic frame done. Tensioning the polyester lines to get the beast level and rigid took some effort.. but it spins slowly in a near zero breeze even without the sails!
Using the "strongarm" method of rotation at about 30rpm it`s perfectly stable and doesn`t make a sound, so the scooter bearings must still be in good nick.
Weight wise it`s about 4kg, the 4 ripstop nylon sails shouldn`t add more than a few grams.

Wait, wait, let me get the laundry, dear. Have you seen the clothes pins?



(What fun!)