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beginning thoughts of my ballast system

 
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dizzyj
Soul Rider
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Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Posts: 485
City: Austin, Tx

PostPosted: Aug 26, 2005 8:26 am    Post subject: beginning thoughts of my ballast system Reply with quote

I'd like some suggestions. I've read every post I can find, but still have some questions.

I have a 2000 x-star and plan on improving the ballast with an all automated system.

Here are my requirements:
- As much weight as I can
- weight must be customisable from the drivers seat
- all ballast must be hidden
- each bag needs to have its own overflow/empy port

I already have a center ballast with its own raw water port. I plan on using that port instead of the engine port

I'd like to get:
- custom vdrive sacks for the back (measured to fit the full space in the back
- custom from sack(s). I'd like to find a place that can create a V shaped sack that would fit under the seats in the bow. if I cant do that, I'd like to put 2 sacks chained together somehow under each side of the bow.

Im planning on using a waterpuppy pump per sack.

so it would be:
> = 1 way spring check valve (water flows in direction of arrow)
Code:

raw water----manifold---->---------------pump---bag---->---------
                             |                                   |
                             |---------->--------------------------hull




filling: pump takes water from raw water, fills bag. When full, overflow goes through valve, cannot back into pump, so it has to go out the hull.

draining: pump pulls water from bag, cannot push it back to manifold due to valve, takes other path, through valve, cannot go down bag vent, so it goes out the hull.

Any issues with a setup like this? any way to reduce the number of valves?[/img][/code]


Last edited by dizzyj on Aug 29, 2005 11:05 am; edited 2 times in total
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holiday13
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Joined: 03 Jun 2004
Posts: 325
City: Flemington

PostPosted: Aug 26, 2005 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unless I grossly missed something, your system above will not drain, the spring valves will stop the water from coming back. Also, if you need to go with 2 sacks for the front I would go with 2 seperate pumps, will save time and also ensure both fill correctly.

Another possible issue (I used aerator pumps for mine with seperate drains so I am shooting from the hip), when you go to drain, lets say sack 1 is empty but sack 2 is still draining, when the draining water from pump 2 hits the manifold what will stop it from pumping into sack 1? Water will want to follow the path of least resistance which may be to the sack. Again, I am not familiar with these pumps so I am guessing at a potential problem
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dizzyj
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Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Posts: 485
City: Austin, Tx

PostPosted: Aug 26, 2005 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think you might be missing tha the pumps are reversable. so to drain, the water would move from the bag, through the pump, then take the lower path.

The reason I have a valve after the manifold would be to isolate each pump bag system. That keeps water from going from one bag to another while draining one/filling another.

im also only showing 1 leg of the 4 that would come off the manifold, but all would be identical.
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holiday13
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City: Flemington

PostPosted: Aug 29, 2005 8:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are these valves open/close or are they check valves? This may be what I missed, I assumed (and we all know how to spell assume) that they were check valves, which would not work, would only allow water flow one direction regardless. If they are open/close valves then you would be OK.
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dizzyj
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City: Austin, Tx

PostPosted: Aug 29, 2005 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

they are check valves, but I dont see why it wouldnt drain. All the check valves allow the water to flow from right to left.

so why wouldnt the water drain out the overflow while emptying? The check valve at the manifold will prevent the water from going back out the raw water input, and the check valve after the bag will prevent the water from going back into the bag through the vent, but the last valve is positioned such that it wont stop the water from taking the lower path out to the overflow.
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bremsen
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 168
City: Charlotte

PostPosted: Aug 29, 2005 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like it would work to me....I saw a similar setup somewhere before. Maybe change your little schematic so that '>' is your check valve in the direction of flow...might help the others will get a better idea.
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dizzyj
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Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Posts: 485
City: Austin, Tx

PostPosted: Aug 29, 2005 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bremsen wrote:
Looks like it would work to me....I saw a similar setup somewhere before. Maybe change your little schematic so that '>' is your check valve in the direction of flow...might help the others will get a better idea.


done. > is now a check valve with the arrow showing the direction of the flow.

Thanks for the feedback.
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holiday13
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Joined: 03 Jun 2004
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City: Flemington

PostPosted: Aug 29, 2005 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got ya now, I see what you are saying. The part I missed and got confused on is that the lower line cuts in. Sorry for the confusion. I thought you were trying to drain back out the pick up. Now I am with you. Looks like it should work, good luck with it
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