New Aero Concept

[MarquisBlack]

So I work in a restaurant and the other day I was eyeing the C02 components on the drink rack when I noticed this.

They are the pumps that power the beverage machines. They are powered by co2 and mix the viscous drink syrups and send them to the other side of the building in a heart beat.

So what I'm thinking is...

(A ways down the road.)

Get one of these pumps and a small medical oxygen tank/refill system and build like an 8 site aero tub using a solenoid to control misting. Does anyone know of any reason why this wouldn't work? If no one objects, I'll probably build a prototype system in a few months or so.

 

[who me]

O2 is highly explosive.....I for one think that is a bad idea

 

[MarquisBlack]

I realize this, but I have a large grow space and with adequate ventilation, there should be no o2 deposits in the room.

And as far as using a small cylinder of concentrated oxygen, well, alot of people use those for Ozone generators, don't they?

I understand there are inherent risks, but I'm asking for a rundown of the logistics of this venture. For example. What precautions should be put in place?

I mean.. Just telling me o2 is explosive is hardly constructive.

 

[Liam]

Hrmm... this could actually work.

BTW, gaseous O2 isn't explosive, not sure what hes smoking to think it was; shit even liquid O2 isn't explosive.

You can get your oxygen from a welding shop...

 

[SacredBreh]

O2 is absolutely not explosive.....

O2 is absolutely not explosive.....

O2 is a fire accelerant...... if there is a fire it will help things burn but will not ignite by itself. Anyone ever see someone smoking while receiving O2 from a tank...... of course they do. Now if the plastic caught fire ...... it would definitely make it burn better.

Shit our atmosphere is like 21% O2..... you can still light matches without the world burning up..... :0)

Peace

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

Remember the game "Mouse Trap"? --What makes this a beter way to get fog then just gettin a good strong pump and fine misters? Doin what your sugestin seems like makin 3 left turns to make a right.

 

[MarquisBlack]

Well I personally like to experiment. And I have the money to give it a shot in the not so distant future. Can you imagine co2 enrichment up top and an oxygen enriched root system?

 

[javtfs]

well , I have had the same idea, but I never found somebody that uses it .

I am sure you don´t need to run 100 % o2 which is very flammableand dangerous. I would start using a higher % 02 than the air. If air has 21 % o2 I would give a try to mixes under 40 % o2 .It is called Enriched Air ( Ean ) and it commonly used when scubadiving. and would be easier to get somewhere. Apart from that you need an air regulator like the ones that divers use. If you exceed ean40 which is more that 40 % o2 you would need to change some of the o-rings that are in the regulator and make a full cleaning of it avoiding for example silicon grease that is used , instead of that there is another kind of grease called christolube or oxilube that can be used whit this kind of gasses.

I would forget also a small tank and I would go definetly to a 80 cubic feet tank that I am sure you could get of second hand.

Very interesting that you give a try .

Regards and happy Diving

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

I still think its a bad idea. CO2 needs to be regulated into a room. While the co2's off, what will drive the pump? Even if you could work this out, youd still go threw tank after tank just to run the pump. No one needs to "imagine" co2 inrichment on top of an oxygenated root system. Those who want to, realize this by using aeroponics and runnin a co2 system allong with it. Why dont you run a conventional aero system before you go xperimentin? Believe me, youl have fun enoughf doin that. -Just my pinion. Whatever you do I hope you do well.

 

[Liam]

HairlessCaveApe: Quiet you, this is a good idea.

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

If it is, we'l see the results in the flower room. I just think its a sideways way of doin things. I COULD take my pump apart and put a hamster wheel there in place of my motor and if I get big enoughf Shwartzenhamsters itl prolly work. I just dont think its a good idea. Either way, I hope it works out.

 

[Sauron The Blue]

there is already a company doing this. they make research/medical grade growing environments and use an air compressor to power their aeroponic setup i believe. i found the link in the TAG thread on here if you want to check for it.

Id take apes advice and dial in a true aero environment before diving into bottled gases for the rootzone.

 

[MarquisBlack]

Ahh yes! This is how I wanted this thread to go. Keep it up guys! Even the nay sayers. Let's bang out these logistics and see how feasible this project will be. Hairless man ape, don't think for a second that I don't see where you are coming from. Right now I'm running 4 different strains in soil and dwc and plan on building a tag rig before spending a red cent on this project. However, if anyone gives this a shot I would love to be the man to do it. Growing is my passion and I will soon have the cash flow and flower power\space to throw a test tub in down the road. You're right to try to talk me out of what could be a somewhat fruitless project but where would we be without people to do just that? Probably using t12s or something.

 

[MarquisBlack]

I should also specify that my knowledge of the operation of these pumps is very limited (finding out as much as I can about them) but what I planned on doing was using O2 to power the pump (which I would assume would simultaneously incorporate 02 into the nutrient solution).

Also, these pumps seem designed to work for short periods of time at relatively high (TAG) pressure. And to be honest, they don't cost much more than any decent high pressure electric TAG pump.

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

Well thats just it MarquisBlack. If you got the resourses to do it then why dont ya get a pump suited for the task at hand? Your concept seems to be using a diaphram pump thats powered by gass. And your roots wont get anything outta co2 in theyr root zone but whatever displacin the oxygen thats suposed to be there causes. You dont want co2 in your root zone. You want it in the canope. Roots take in oxygen not co2. Even if you used oxygen to drive the pump, so what? You could get a diaphram pump that plugs rite into the wall to do the same thing. You dont need any oxygen inhansment in an aero system. The fine fog a big EcoPlus makes ashures your roots will get plenty of oxygen. Im glad youl be building an aero system first. I just dont see whats the big deal bout runnin an aero system off a soda pump. I just dont see why its desireable. Mabey if it was a mater of using whats around, I could see it. But in a situation where you have the resourses to do it rite, I just cant see this. Annyhow, regardless of what you do I hope you do good with it. All I can do to help is give my pinion.

 

[MarquisBlack]

I think you misunderstand the concept a little bit.

This is a pump that is powered by co2 (Or nitrogen or any other compressed dry gas), that mixes said co2 with the solution it is pumping.

So instead of using co2 AT ALL for the aero rig (aside from the co2 supplemented for the flower room, NOT the root zone) I would have a tank of compressed (enriched) o2 both pumping and enriching the aeroponic mist in my rig's root zone, eliminating the need for an electric pump. I would only need a solenoid. There would be short, 15 second bursts of the aeroponic mist every minute. 15 seconds on, 45 seconds off.

The pump is built for it.

We're looking $200 for the pump, tops. Maybe $100 for the solenoid. $150 or so for a good sized tank. And assorted PVC and misters.

I'm not trying to just ghetto-rig this to see if it's possible. I think it's the next logical step for true aeroponics.

 

[HairlessCaveApe]

Infusing oxygen into your nute solution in an aero system is not the "next logical step" in aeroponics. Any more oxygen than an aero system delivers to the roots on its own is redundant. Even if the extra oxygen would be a benifit to the root zone. Theyrs better ways of gettin it there besides driven your nutes with a soda pump. If I thought this extra o in the root zone was benificial Id be usin my wifes oxygen machine. Hope you have fun with it tho! Id realy like to see it work for you.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

Hrmm... this could actually work.

BTW, gaseous O2 isn't explosive, not sure what hes smoking to think it was; shit even liquid O2 isn't explosive.

You can get your oxygen from a welding shop...

wooo woo woo... stop that. it is too explosive...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_oxygen
some quotes ...

...
Due to its cryogenic nature, LOX can cause the materials it touches to become extremely brittle. Liquid oxygen is also a very powerful oxidising agent: organic materials will burn rapidly and energetically in liquid oxygen. Further; if soaked in LOX some can detonate unpredictably on subsequent contact. Petrochemicals often exhibit this behavior, including asphalt...

LOX also had extensive use in making oxyliquit explosives, but is rarely used now due to a high rate of accidents.

...now this dosent all fit together untill you realize your probably pumping the room full of CARBON DIOXIDE....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyliquit

An oxyliquit is an explosive material made of a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) with a suitable fuel, usually carbon (as lampblack) or some organic chemical (eg. a mixture of soot and naphthalene), wood meal, or aluminium powder or sponge; the material is capable of absorbing several times its weight of LOX. It is a class of Sprengel explosives.

id like to see some pics, thats alot of supplies, and expense, and effort. ontop of the usual, expense, and effort.

 

[DIGITALHIPPY]

there is already a company doing this. they make research/medical grade growing environments and use an air compressor to power their aeroponic setup i believe. i found the link in the TAG thread on here if you want to check for it.

Id take apes advice and dial in a true aero environment before diving into bottled gases for the rootzone.

this TOTALY works because its using room air.

 

[Liam]

Hiarlesscaveape, "Any more oxygen than an aero system delivers to the roots on its own is redundant." Umm, no you are mistaken, I've actually measured oxygenation, aeroponics while great at oxygenation, it is inferior to just a simple air pump and air stone in the res. Thats why we use BOTH. Seeing how oxygen injection into your nute solution has been proven to be superior to regular air injection at oxygenation, for what should be obvious reasons... then you should also see why compressed o2 aeroponics would be even superior at oxygenation.

Don't forget that the absence of other gases would even increase the oxygenation rate further more. Extra o2 in the rootzone air can't hurt either.


Digitalhippy, you fail at reading comprehension, the wikipedia article doesn't state that liquid oxygen is explosive, merely that it is highly oxidant... which should be obvious since its OXYGEN. Either way, thats off topic.