Spring Valve for Inverted 5 Gal Plastic Can

Mark,

A metal budgie feeder? Do they still make ones out of metal for feeding chickens? I seem to recall them in a dusky corner which passes for a memory!

Good Luck

Norm

Ive never seen a metal budgie... was that the terminators pet? IGMC

Dave

I've been thinking about this most of the day, but can't think of anything that would provide both the self sealing action, and the gravity feed bit. The self sealing could be done with a simple tilt valve (ball that falls against a seat when inverted), but it wouldn't open when inverted and pressure behind it. Could possible be done with a snap (hose burst) valve approach, so that it only shuts under high flow (held of it's seat with a (light) spring, and when flow of oil reaches a set amount, it shuts, and is held shut). But it won't shut immediately, and will always leak a bit oil till the valve shuts. Plus, the amount of pressure/flow will vary quite a bit depending upon the amount of oil in the can, so reliable operation may be a problem.

The gravity feed bit is simple enough though. Just make sure the can is totally sealed above the level you want to maintain the oil, and oil will only flow out, when air can get in. Off course, with the initial tilt, the oil will flow until the weight of oil and level of vacuum at the top of the can balance out (the less air, the less oil that will flow out initially).

Looking good.

Your memory isn't that bad. There are animal (moslty poultry) waterers that work on the vacuum principle as I've just mentioned in my other post. Old metal ones contained an inner/lower section (like a bucket with a water trough added at the bottom) with holes around the base so water could flow into the trough. Over this was a sealed top section (like an upside down bucket!), which was then held about 1/2" of the base inside the trough. Water would flow into the trough, until it covered the base of the top section, which then stopped any more air getting in, so the water stopped flowing once the vacuum/water weight levelled of.

Modern ones have a plastic top section, which you turn upside down, fill with water, and then a shallow base (just high enough to contain the trough, and a locating area to fit in the top section) is placed on. You then turn it the right way up, and it works the exact same way as the old metal ones. And a quick googles shows this -

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mmmmmmmm right idea Murray ....but think will make one myself.

as i need a filter inside of the thing as well.

ummmmmmmmmmm despite my best efforts to describe what i wanted ...seems like no one as heard of what 'm talking about (moray has sort of it )

i should not have mentioned bird feeder ...as it chucked everyone off couse ..

and they must not be available for a five gallon drums or someone would of said by now ..me thinks

suppose I'm going to have to build one myself

Below.... pics of and old paraffin heater one ... this device is both the filler and outlet of a paraffin heater ...

When you fill it .the tank has this thing removed and the tank hole faces up to-wards you

Then you screw it back in ..invert the tank and lower the tank into heater.

last pic is of me squeezing between fingers to simulate what happens to it when it's in place.

All the best..mark

Well, Dave, he could suck seed or use Polyfilla!

No use looking for budgies in the sparrow flock or do anything parrot fashion.

Cheep solutions!

Norm

You could of said it could have something push against it to open the valve!

Doubt if anything like that exists for 5 gallon drums though. Should be simple enough to make though (thread to fit the drum will probably be the trickiest part, but you could just use the original one), just need to make sure the breather hole for letting air in is suitable placed, and a simple tapered valve will provide a good enough seal to stop the oil pouring out when inverted.

SORRY moray thought i had covered the lot :)

no need for breather ...when reservoir drops ... air goes glug glug into can and oil comes out. that's how it happens on the paraffin heater one .

so filter will be self cleaning ...air will push out any sludge around it .

and filter will be about 3 inches into the can ...sludge will be disposed at the oil recycling vat at the tip

planning to make one of these as well.

any idea what rpm the motor should be .

all the best.mark

Mark,

Have you seen the design of the water inlet valves used in washing machines? There is a tiny hole, which is opened by the magnet/solenoid, which equalises the pressure on both sides so that the valve can open under pressure and water can flow. The solenoid does not open the main seal, just the tiny hole.

I'm a bit too drunk now (partly because I like being drunk, but mostly because I am in pain - carrying a BCE jig borer weighing considerably more than I do, even in my somewhat portly condition, up a flight of stairs at 2 am this morning was not a good idea ...) to design something based on that principle, but it should give you some ideas.

I do think you need a valve of some sort though, relying on the partial vaccuum in the tank would probably not work, as changes in room temperature will change the pressure and unwanted flow may occurr.

Hmmm ... Would a cistern valve, as used in toilets, do?

No worries :-)

That's what I meant by breather. You could have a smaller hole above the bottom of the outlet, which I'd think would make for a smoother controlled output of oil, rather than a big glug when the bottom of the outlet lets air in.

I'd doubt if it would be that self cleaning. Once sludge has settled onto a filter, it takes a little bit more than a little air movement to dislodge it.

Now that looks nice! I'm sure a google search should through up the relative centrifugal force equations, to work out the minimum speed needed to get the oil up the side of the centrifuge, but faster would obviously be better. Personally, without working anything out, I'd of thought a 3000rpm motor would do the job good enough.

Depends on the diameter - angular acceleration is given by omega squared

• radius.

So if your bowl was 150mm dia the acceleration (as a multiple of g) would be

((rpm*2*PI/60)^2*0.075)/9.81

or about 84g at 1000rpm

or about 754g at 3000rpm

Construction of the rotor is a big safety consideration in commercial centrifuges.

As far as cleaning the oil goes it depends on the size of the particles you want to remove.

The page referenced by the you tube video has a FAQ which claims

1269.76g at 3450 rpm.

That implies a radius of about 95mm

HTH

Russell

my centrifuge will have this as a base for it ...bowl; diameter 300mm across at the top.

a very thick plate will be attached to the bottom ... this will house the motor mounts and central rotor and seal.

I'm still looking around the scrap yards for something suitable for the central rotor ... maybe aluminium brake drum . turning it from solid will be too expensive .. something will turn up

I guess it will be about 150 to 200 mm to fit within stainless sink bowl I have both single phase 1200 ish rpm motors to 3400 ish rpm motors ..here somewhere.

all the best..mark