PREVIOUS EPISODES Part 1: Power Available ua-cam.com/video/S6oNxckjEiE/v-deo.html Part 2: Alternator BUILD ua-cam.com/video/YLb4enCgnP4/v-deo.html Part 3: Testing Turbines ua-cam.com/video/vify0k2sHlQ/v-deo.html Part 4: Charging a Phone ua-cam.com/video/amu5LJaDUPY/v-deo.html A huge thanks to my super awesome Patreon supporters who made this video possible. To become one of them visit: www.patreon.com/QuintBUILDS If instead you prefer a one-time donation option, here's a PayPal address you can use: BUILD2LRN@GMAIL.COM FUTURE EPISODES Enclosing the turbine in a shroud, Trying a Tesla turbine Explaining how the diameter of the pipe has no effect on pressure or power Demonstrate how a ram pump can raise water back up to the gutter but at a loss (no free energy) Showing how to BUILD your own alternator without a lathe! Thanks for watching!
for your overflow side, why not just have the old toilet tank stopper attached to a float on a chain that will lift it up just enough to keep the gutter full but not overflow. So once the level drops back down, the float will drop and seal off the overflow.
@@TheLightningStalker Water in the bottom pipe will drain automatically. Water in the Siphon will either have a large pocket of air or it will have emptied from being too full. Water in the gutter can expand upwards. So where do you see this water bursting things?
@@TheLightningStalker interesting theory, so why would it choose to try to break things when it has the option to expand into the air. You know, the path of least resistance.
As an experienced engineer I can say this is quite an awesome little project. I see two requirements you don't seem to quite directly address. ... In order to get the Bell siphon started the outlet pipe must completely fill with water across its cross section. That is how it draws the vacuum up at the top to get started and operate. Then, the diameter of the exit pipe must be large enough to support the maximum flow. That first problem could be solved with a small valve at the bottom of the drain tube that opens when the height of the drain tube is full that would rob the least amount of pressure from the starting condition. If your generator can only support so much flow and it varies too much during maximum rain, you're going to need an additional reservoir to hold that extra water, or as you have done, provide an additional overflow to simply dump that extra water. ... .. .. It also seems like your paddle wheel turbine is rather inefficient. Since you've got 3D print capability, you might be able to manufacture a more efficient turbine to extract more energy out of that head of water from the gutter down to the generator. Anyway, I hope these suggestions can provide some help. You have a very unique solution to using something that sits there all the time with no purpose other than to keep water from dropping on the lawn. Cheers I just stumbled upon your video and I'm pleased to have done so. Also, the drawing animation is quite impressive as well.
There's no real need to have a valve in the system. Having a funnel as the outflow pipe make it much easier to start the siphon. The circumference of the top of the funnel can be considerably larger than the pipe it's feeding into. This effect is then compounded by the increased speed of the water entering the outflow pipe, which makes it easier to draw the slug of air along. Combined with a properly designed p-trap with a few add-ons you can get a decent size siphon to start at quite a low rate of flow. The p-trap with add-ons, if you're making it from DIY store parts would be 2 90 degree bends as the inflow, to make a 180 degree turn. That feeds into the bottom of a T-joint, with the top capped off as a small air trap. The horizontal branch of the T-joint then feeds into 2 45 degree bends so there is a small drop, which then feeds into another T-joint, placed horizontally. The second T-joint has the branching opening pointed up into an open stand pipe to vent the air. It's kinda hard to explain without a picture, but I'm sure you get the gist of it. And while not important in a prototype like this, the smaller diameter pipes in the siphon would ideally be made of brass or copper to prevent clogs from organic growth. I don't have any engineering training in this matter, but that's just my experience building ebb-and-flow hydroponics systems. The reason to use bell siphons there is that you want as few moving parts as possible. Starting a bell siphon with the low rate of flow that a pulsed geyser pump delivers, is mostly flux calculations with a wee sprinkling of black magic and voodoo.
@@fermitupoupon1754 Why a P-Trap, rather than an S-Trap? The benefit of a P trap over an S trap is that the P trap maintains the water seal... but that's no a concern here, so wouldn't it be simpler to just use an S-Trap?
@@Londubh In my experience, so n=1, a p-trap has the benefit of triggering more of a flushing action. It takes a bit more to reach the critical pressure in the bell and down tube, but once that pressure is reached, the p-trap will flush and suck the slug of air with it. So it's more reliable to start, especially with a lower flow rate to start it.
@@fermitupoupon1754 but that doesn't make sense to me. The triggering of the traps is going to be purely a function of the relative heights of the top of the second curve/horizontal-ish but. Indeed, I would go so far as to assume that it would trigger faster with an S because it wouldn't require as much water to fill the top of the S compared to the (not quite) horizontal pipe of the P. Indeed, the reason we've moved to P traps is that S traps tend to "flush" the "trap" out, thereby allowing sewer gas into the house.
As a college student, I hope a professor somewhere is using this video in their class, because this is more interesting to demonstrate functional information than easily 80% of my classes lmao
I legit think this is a kids channel. It doesn't take that long to explain a bell siphon unless you are explaining to kids, or people who have no functional knowledge about the physical world they live in. Practical Engineering did it way better, and much more concise. You want to confuse people? Add fucking balloons to a bell siphon explanation.
@@madscience6283 I often feel like that too trust me, but then you gotta understand this is not a registered media company with a crew and office building and studio creating content for millions of people on some national Television network with hired experts, writers, presenters and a budget. And even then they pretty much always fuck it up, and land short of perfection. Its a guy, at his house, on UA-cam. Just do what I do. Double tap right side of screen a few times. I just about got done explaining the most basic shit to partially convinced younge people like how lightyears work on a video on astronomy and cosmology in the comments section. I guess some people need those balloons. Also practical engineering is hard to watch these days. It used to be very inspired and you can tell because the content holds your attention. Then like pretty much every successful youtube channel ever created, they blow up, optimize and streamline and maximize revenue. Which is exactly what I would do if I were them but then the content is no longer inspired. Its boring! I can't watch it anymore its like reading wikipedia, but from start to finish. Listening to practical engineering is like somebody reading you a textbook on the history of engineering whilst you're tucked in bed, as he interjects here and there with a clarification or two, before suddenly and without warning he reaches in his pocket and without breaking stride pies you right in the fucking face with a buttload of advanced maths (atleast the me). We didn't all do math and engineering after highschool. Some of us didn't even finish highschool. I suppose wikipedia does that too. But there it fits. The maths thing is kinda ridiculous. Its like saying halfway through, "oh btw I forgot to mention this video is for people who know calculus and went to college, sorry about the rest of you. And im not even saying I never ever understand the maths part. Just almost never. Edit: sorry I mixed up practical engineering with real engineering. All good channels though
Not sure, the explanation works with three concepts, communicating vessels (can work within limits in near vacuum), siphons (can also work within limits in near vacuum) and pressurized systems ( like here a siphon with an air pocket) . I had to check internet to get the explanation right, as one idea doesn't explain the others. The plus is by checking internet I learned something. (edit the () parts)
to solve your rain gutter overflowing in heavy rain, just add a weir around the overflow drain opening. so when your gutter is about to overflow, it will drain according to your weir height.
@@QuintBUILDs Should be able to do it on your other gutter outlet. I would think a collar around it with the height you want for overflow, then if you want to help keep debris out of it, you could just put a cap over it. For the other issue with the dribble, I thought maybe a tipping weir might work. Basically making a dam that has a section (L shape) that would tip over when the height of the water overcame the weight of the section. When the section tips over, the lower section would be 'pushed' by the flowing water keeping the top section down, then when the flow decreases, the lower section drops back down and holds the dam closed. You can adjust the weight of the lower section to meet the minimum and maximum flow.
@@TheCapt I think it would be easier to use differential mathematics to describe the dynamic system to then engineer a pump, hose and valve system that measures pressure, water height and maybe flow to determine via a PID-Loop how much water to pump off to never have any overflow at all! I hope you understood the joke in this, I liked your enthusiasm in wanting to find a solution to this problem mechanically or better said ... failsafe without any extra energy needed to be put into the system.
Energy loss is one of the things that keeps me awake at night but also an incredible source of inspiration. Channels like this empower people and will 'in time' make many of us more self sufficient in their energy needs and not just the off-grid or remote pioneers in energy transfer.
your son definitely has his head in the right place; exploring the situation further to get more proof the concept works in practice and isnt limited in scope to only two glasses/one hose. awesome content.
A “water level” is a tool I’ve used every day for 3 years to set block piers across slopped foundations and what you showed with the glasses is exactly that. Cool to see the physics behind how it works.
You sure can! Theres even companies like GEP that have developed a in-home water purifier. Its just not known yet if drinking semi purified rain water is actually safe. But theres houses using pure rain water to fill toilets, and purified rain water to fill bath tubs, swimming pools and for showers. Im going to be in one of those homes next monday, going to put some stuff on my instagram: @tdmrkyle.
50% of water usage is toilet, and clothes washing. I did claim the water for my toilet. 275 gallons in a moderate 4 hour rain with 8 squares of roofing.
I follow and I'm subscribed to a number or science 3d printing and engineering type channels so I'm not surprised that I got the suggestion but I'm quite pleased with the content
Or add a reservoir at the overflow which dumps its contents when the flow into the overflow stops. Additionally you can add a small foam float valve on the intake to the syphon which gets buoyant once the water gets high enough. This should trigger a more sudden inrush, triggering the syphon to waste less trickle.
@@wilcoslegers8281 yea he could just fill a rain barrel with the runoff and open the hose on dry days to fill the main reservoir again and re-collect the water in the rain barrel again XD OMFG i think i might be an evil genius
The water level in the glasses actually has a practical use. It’s an old trick to establish level on sloped ground. Fill a clear hose with water, and have one end on a set point at the high point of the slope, then place the other at the low spot. Water level shows the total amount of drop in the grade
Such an awesome experiment! Now you could add a second siphon for those crazy storms (a little higher perhaps? So that it will trigger after the first)
@Jesus is LORD Jesus is Baal. 2 Kings 18:4 John 3:14. It's so sad you're in here calling out people and don't know their personal walk. What if they are righteous? Ez 13:22
@@Hebrew42Day The issue was the Israelites were worshipping the object. This speaks to me of superstition around the image of the cross and how this is misplaced faith. Salvation is in Christ, not in the symbols of His ministry. As a Christian I am not saved by having a cross in my house, or dangling from my dashboard. I am saved by turning to Christ in repentence and faith. For the Israelites, healing was in the act of repentence and faith exemplified by the looking to the serpent - the serpent held no power in itself.
I've built a few Bell syphons for aquaponics systems and I would recommend making the brim of the outflow pipe a larger diameter to give more flow faster and activate the syphon quicker and with more force. Basically you want some sort of a disc or washer on the top of the pipe. I use 20mm pipe for my systems and I just put a 20mm > 35mm adapter on the top of the pipe so there's a larger surface area that the water spills over from and it creates the airlock faster and triggers faster. Hope that helps with future projects, keep up the good work as you've just gained a new subscriber 😉
Reminds me when I worked in construction and we set up foundation walls. We used a clear hose instead of a fancy expensive lazer to level posts height that are farther them our 6ft level. Works great! Many applications in the real world, especially in construction.
That’s what I should have done on my raised flower bed 80# manufactured decorative bricks. After very carefully leveling a couple at a time, after 50’ when I came back to meet the ends, I was an inch off and is noticeable. Looks great overall though. Many practical uses.
Those hose levels are good for short spans to level, the lazer level does not bow with the curbature of the earth. The hose level will take you around the world and the lazer level will shoot you out into space.
Yep, just keep in mind that if there is wind it could potentially push into one end of the tube, increasing pressure, and possibly even "pull" air out on the other end (Bernoulli's principle), decreasing pressure. That would affect the water level on both sides.
@@nelsonrothermel you will notice it moving a lot if wind blows in that strong. Just wait for it to settle out and you can always put your hand around it if the wind is that bad
If he did the math he could figure out total possible volume of water per minute for his roof during highest record rainfall and then know if he needed 1 or more extra downspouts with generators attached to each. But he might have to stagger the hights to prevent too high of a total threshold to start all the bell siphon if they were all at the same level during a slow rainfall. But he could test to confirm in next video :)
That sounds more like science than engineering. Engineers are supposed to simplify and keep things cost effective. If the first turbine is properly sized to max payback, it is not likely that the second would ever pay for itself as it would not be used as much as the first.
Just put an accurately dimensioned barrier near the second drain: with low rain all the water will be used in the turbine; with heavy rain the excess water will overflow!
Cool system, when you have this overflow, you can take advantage of it and make another parallel system that triggers at a high level. Good job, cheers.
Literally had an exam on fluid mechanics yesterday. Find it so interesting. People interested in this should read a little about Bernoulli’s principle. Also look up the Archimedes cup.
PS: we had the same idea. Just that i know it as the Pythagoras cup. Aka the Greedy Cup. This Professor from Periodic Videos.... is he wrong with how he calls it? Or are you? Im not trying to say i am right and you are wrong. Just that i find it funny to see we both have the same idea, and yet have a different name for it.
Hi Quint Builds. You might like to see the siphonic roof drainage system. It uses the siphon principle but in a simpler way than a Bell siphon. It generates higher pressure so your turbine can harness the energy. But you will need to connect the pipe directly to the turbine.
Don't even need two bells, 3 pipes in one bell. Use thick input and then a thin output for the generator and a thick output a bit higher for proper overflow!
Yes, also the siphon starting height is limited by the max gutter height. So the waterwheel bell siphon needs to be lowered so it could start earlier than the high throughout siphon. Testing would be a little annoying, can easily test each side of the system separately for functionality, but proving the system as a whole may require another heavy rain.
Would have to lower current one and add max one. Giving you high and low rainfall. May need to look at max rainfall per hr and roof area to size it to match worst conditions.
I remember helping my dad install a drop ceiling in our basement and we used a bucket of water with a long tube to get a water level line around the room to get a level line... This was long before laser levels were as common as today.
Man I Just want to say man I'm 14 years of age and I love these videos I'm in middle school and I haven't learn anything like this keep up the good work
To keep obstruction(leaves, sticks, etc) from clogging your gutter. You might want to install gutter guards. Get ones with edges on it so the water can push the obstruction over the edge. while it lets water sink into the gutter. continuing to watch... fallowing etc. keep it up.
Move to Seattle Washington if you want rain... its very depressing when it rains 200+ days out of the year. The suicide rate there is really high due to this fact.
It is great to see that your excitement, and enthusiasm is shared by your son. I guess this could be set up to “recycle” the water multiple times, depending on the overall height available, through multiple siphoning set ups before eventually running out of functional space, height, to continue before the water exits finally. Very interesting.
For better usable bandwidth you could always have multiple siphons set up at different heights. So it starts siphoning at a low level, then if that rises higher the next siphon also kicks in, so on and so forth.
I was going to suggest the same thing but have the second higher level one siphoning to a reservoir lower than the gutter but higher than the pump for use when the rain slows down.
That... right there at the end with your son, that's what makes this even more awesome! Great job sir! Also, the UA-cam algorithm has picked you up! Watching videos of Blender (the software) and you poppe dup as recommended, have to say I'm happy you did, great channel!
what if you placed the two cups on a rotating wheel so that they are constantly changing places... the water should flow back and forth through the tube and could be used to generate power
NICE JOB! Suggestion on outlet tube: Make opening horizontal and pinch to make less round (a little oval), will improve trigger in low-flow situations little impact to flow.
You want to make sure the water never gets up to the nails. At that level, you are basically rotting your facia boards. That's about a 2000 dollar repair.
this is a very fair point and all, but at the same time he lives in oregon. gutters overflow all the time in oregon. his roof is probably pretty decently treated against rain over all, including a situation like you described
@@Templarfreak This is an interesting point. I know from experience that there are sometimes wildly different building codes in different parts of the country. For example the codes for framing and insulating in Texas are pretty standard, but in Maine, it is completely different than anywhere else I have ever been.
@@AaronAlso i dont really know about building codes or anything like that, but i do know that Oregon gets *a lot* of rain. It gets so much rain and overcast coverage that there was a legitimate fear that it was actually causing increased _suicide rates_ due to the lack of sun exposure, though im not so sure how true that actually is
Quint, I started out looking at random videos and ended up watching this. Your example of the application of simple school level physics to solve the most random of problems is just pure joy. With my kids at home off from school while we are in lockdown I now have some good ideas and experiments to share with them while having fun. Thumbs up'd and subscribed and looking forward to more like this.
@@billdar5325 I think you are missing the point of what Quint is doing. He clearly loves science and wants us to tag along for the ride. Not quite sure what your ultimate aim is saying he has no common sense.
My favorite part is the engineering paper editing, I can relate to spending too much time on something that I think will be cool. I always thought that siphons were initiated by gravity. Very good explanations. You got a new subscribe from me.
You could always add a reservoir to your overflow system to act as a buffer to avoid dumping too much excess, in the event that your overflow events are short lived :)
From experience working with low flow aquaponics, you're missing the equivalent of a sink trap just below the siphon so it has an easier time getting the initial seal.
The emergency overflow should be automatic, you can do this by simply making the overflow pipe's hole at a higher area so that the bell siphon can work at the same time
Theory: You can achieve much more head pressure by reducing the size of the downspout. On the opposite end, redirect the downspout, a 45 degree angle from the gutter towards your wheel. Every 4 feet, reduce the pipe size by one inch. You will generate way more speed. This is how they used to do hydro excavation during mining operations in the 1800's.
Disclaimer: no science or engineering experience just an intrigued person. For the overflow, would it be possible to have something like a second bell syphon but trying to change the height it triggers as to make it 2 cm below the edge of the gutter, this might be enough for rain coming in at set rate, also I'd adjust the Bell syphon to trigger at 4-8cm before the Overflow, depending on the flow rate of this first one. Note overflow syphon opening should be at least 75% times larger to be safe that the syphon rate would be sufficient for the rain fall. (Keep in mind that original syphon is operating but overflow should be designed for failure of the first (it should be able to drain as if it was the only one operating and at a heavy rainfall rate). Thank you for your time.
That does seem a brilliant idea. Or, for the sake of keeping it simple, notch out the gutter at the top, on the end or the front - then attach a downspout at that notch, so that any excess water just flows away, and doesn't rely on any systems which could fail, become easily blocked, or be overwhelmed.
I had another, even easier thought. At the other downspout, which is currently blocked off, extend the outlet up, so that it is below the top of the gutter, and at the top of the max water level you want to hold - job done.
I just wanted to say, the edit tricks you used on the clip board during the explanation of the pump, was genius and innovative, you did an amazing job using the tools at your disposal to do somewhat that would probably take way more effort with the "proper tools" ig thats what building and leaning is all about anyway
Nice demonstration of the bell siphon - and a good, simple explanation of how and why it works. It may be worth noting that guys who setup and level mobile homes have been using the water-tube level for decades. They use very long clear tubing filled with water. They clip one end where they want level to be and move the other end from support pillar to support pillar to level the house by jacking up and shimming each position until the level read the same at each pillar. I have seen (and used) some have 100' of tubing.
@@JoeWalker98 actually you are right but it is a man made drought 78% of snow and rain fall water in California is not collected and let run into the Pacific ocean this is becauses environmentalist say humans shouldn’t collect the water 🤔 california would have amazing amounts of water if we were able to build more damns and the Forest fires are man-made as well California doesn’t let anybody log out there dried trees that are dead and that makes it very easy for them to start
@@JoeWalker98 lots of controlled burns going on it's always 4:20 in California. California is in a drought except when it is flooding. Either it's 110 or it's 25 degrees. Either you love it or you hate it.
Thanks you for a great series of videos. Very informative, and also _fun_ to watch. A friend and I are going through very similar steps working on a micro VAWT. One thing i already discovered before seeing your videos was that replacing the ball-bearings in the cheap Chinese alternator we got makes a huge difference. I have two tips for you, regarding the bell-siphon: 1) give the drain-tube a slight narrowing, a venturi-like shape, at the top. Or maybe just flaring out the top of the tube into a slight funnel-shape might do it. And make sure the top edge of the tube is level, of course. 2) put a second bell-siphon, set to a slightly higher trigger-level, in the drainpipe at the other end of the gutter as an emergency overflow valve. Cheers! 🖖
Yes! I came here to post that water leveling using long tubes has been a real, serious civil engineering thing for many centuries. At least it WAS before easily available laser levels came available.
@@737smartin I was also looking to see if someone already mentioned that this is exactly how water levels work. No need for fancy expensive laser levels when you've got two buckets and some vinyl tubing.
@@freakstarrguy You can get away with just the tube for a water level actually. As long as you hold the ends up higher than the water levels out at. A longer tube means you can level over more lengths. I'm sure there's a video on the tube somewhere about that.
This was one of the most fascinating topics covered in my auto tech courses. Not sure if siphons are covered under Pascal's law or some other but the water leveling out in the two glasses makes sense because both sides are exposed to atmospheric pressure and are sitting level. As long as the tube to the bottom of glass A isn't raised above the height of the water level in glass B or vise versa the water level will continue to level out. A sudden change in elevation in either glass- like is achieved by raising one glass suddedly- will cause a change in pressure forcing the siphon to drain the glass accordingly. This is a similar concept to the one used to make a brake fluid pot work. You fill the pot with brake fluid, put the top on (it has a tube that runs to the bottom) then pressurize the pot with air. It pushes the fluid up the tube due to the difference in atmospheric pressure and the higher pressure in the pot.
I think it's time for a double level Syphon where one helps to trigger the second by rapidly increasing the water flow. The KISS option is to level the tube entrance 🤣
@@QuintBUILDs o ya the syphon, cant you just shorten the exit pipe(inside) but make it just higher than the inlet pipe(inside too) so it can cycle earlier? im just a kid dont mind me i aint smart :/ have a good day
Yep, that’s how it is done.. it uses Pascals theory of communicating vessels, the same principle is used in the Pythagorean Cup (Greedy Cup) and toilets
Great science explanation of atmospheric pressure. Old school brick layers use that trick in leveling with the water tube instead of lasers. Love the mechanical use of the water (maybe build another unit on the other side of the gutter as a secondary - catch the overflow). Love the notepad visusal animation, and your sprinkled in humor just made a pleasure to follow along. Your son was the icing on the cake, with his additional tests at the end - which is what I would have done too. Great stuff!
Id put a 2nd setup at your other drain, just a bit higher up than your main setup. Simple fix, and more power!!!! Rough rough rough (in my best tim Allen voice)
If you have all the water drain into a tank or 55 gallon drum and connect a fitting that connects to a hose and put in a mechanical pop- it valve that will pump water back up to the gutter you can keep the cycle or water ( recycled) so it will not run out! Now you may need 2 or more pop- it valves to keep the gutter to the right level! Just thought this would work with rain or just fill the system and use float valve connected to 1 of the tanks to add water from your water hose as needed! This will give you a continuous loop even if it isn't raining! I enjoy your channel and you seem to have ideas that roll around in my brain all the time and it's great to see them in action and then I take what I learn and add it to what I've been thinking! Thanks!
Yeah the wole bell needs to be plumb or the outflow pipe needs cut at an angle parallel to the water level so water flows over the pipe's edge equally.
Pretty simple, get a long flexible tube, set the ends of the tube where u want to have your beginning point. Add water, when the water reaches the beginning point, the water on the other end of the tube is on the same hight (aka level) Greetings from a Stonemason
The whole time I was like "Ok, but what if there was more rain", nice to see it showing up at the end. An overflow is always needed for such a small tube.
@@stephenwhite1607 Actually it would work as David Unger says. The P trap would create an airlock that prevents the main syphon from dripping while the gutter gets filled because the air in between the main syphon and ptrap needs to be compressed while pushing water from the ptrap out down the discharge pipe. When the gutter water level rises high enough, the P trap air lock is broken and that causes a surge of water for the full flow of the main syphon. The P trap needs to have an air vent to prevent all the water from leaving because it does not self prime. A video of a ptrap in this use case ua-cam.com/video/5wZ9PQepQYI/v-deo.html
Great video, and a fun project. For the overflow condition, a simple fix would be extending your blocked downspout up into the gutter to a height just above the start height of you bell siphon and below the top of your gutters. That would act like an emergency spillway and keep your gutters from overflowing under heavier rainfall.
Instead of having an overflow going to nothing, could you set up a second bell valve at a higher level at that end to go into a reservoir or even a second battery bank?
@Bob Watters I guess my main concern is that water wouldn't then get into the gutter. I'd rather it was blocked slightly than just pissing over the edge. Leaves need much more density to block a gutter than cover it
PREVIOUS EPISODES
Part 1: Power Available ua-cam.com/video/S6oNxckjEiE/v-deo.html
Part 2: Alternator BUILD ua-cam.com/video/YLb4enCgnP4/v-deo.html
Part 3: Testing Turbines ua-cam.com/video/vify0k2sHlQ/v-deo.html
Part 4: Charging a Phone ua-cam.com/video/amu5LJaDUPY/v-deo.html
A huge thanks to my super awesome Patreon supporters who made this video possible. To become one of them visit:
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FUTURE EPISODES
Enclosing the turbine in a shroud,
Trying a Tesla turbine
Explaining how the diameter of the pipe has no effect on pressure or power
Demonstrate how a ram pump can raise water back up to the gutter but at a loss (no free energy)
Showing how to BUILD your own alternator without a lathe!
Thanks for watching!
for your overflow side, why not just have the old toilet tank stopper attached to a float on a chain that will lift it up just enough to keep the gutter full but not overflow. So once the level drops back down, the float will drop and seal off the overflow.
Until it freezes and then everything that isn't flexible enough to take the expansion will burst.
@@TheLightningStalker Water in the bottom pipe will drain automatically. Water in the Siphon will either have a large pocket of air or it will have emptied from being too full. Water in the gutter can expand upwards. So where do you see this water bursting things?
@@wvance0316 Any time it freezes inside something or freezes around something and squeezes from the outside
@@TheLightningStalker interesting theory, so why would it choose to try to break things when it has the option to expand into the air. You know, the path of least resistance.
The most impressive thing about this is UA-cam recommend me this and I don’t even have a gutter ... or a house
Have you ever thought that maybe YOU are the house AND the gutter?!
Same here (live in a van) but damn are bell siphons cool
but you have a device to watch youtube, so...
Shit, im homeless, lol.
Or rain
This gave me the motivation to own a house. Imagine having rain gutter problems, that's success right there.
nah gutters suck and can cost thousands and thousands of dollars
😂
@@Dargox59 They do! Which is why it's a sign of success to be able to afford them.
@@bubblinebeeYeah, "gutters suck and can cost thousands" is just a flex to me.
I don't know what is more impressive, the bell siphon or the editing with that paper notepad.
A surrealist animator hangs out in the engineering part of UA-cam. Neat to see you here!
Dang, I was not expecting to see Umami in the comment section!
I really did go to comments to see if anybody else was talking ab this 😂😂
you know the editing is verified when umami shows up.
I had the perfect photo reply for this exact thing
As an experienced engineer I can say this is quite an awesome little project. I see two requirements you don't seem to quite directly address. ... In order to get the Bell siphon started the outlet pipe must completely fill with water across its cross section. That is how it draws the vacuum up at the top to get started and operate. Then, the diameter of the exit pipe must be large enough to support the maximum flow.
That first problem could be solved with a small valve at the bottom of the drain tube that opens when the height of the drain tube is full that would rob the least amount of pressure from the starting condition.
If your generator can only support so much flow and it varies too much during maximum rain, you're going to need an additional reservoir to hold that extra water, or as you have done, provide an additional overflow to simply dump that extra water. ...
.. ..
It also seems like your paddle wheel turbine is rather inefficient. Since you've got 3D print capability, you might be able to manufacture a more efficient turbine to extract more energy out of that head of water from the gutter down to the generator.
Anyway, I hope these suggestions can provide some help. You have a very unique solution to using something that sits there all the time with no purpose other than to keep water from dropping on the lawn.
Cheers
I just stumbled upon your video and I'm pleased to have done so.
Also, the drawing animation is quite impressive as well.
There's no real need to have a valve in the system. Having a funnel as the outflow pipe make it much easier to start the siphon. The circumference of the top of the funnel can be considerably larger than the pipe it's feeding into.
This effect is then compounded by the increased speed of the water entering the outflow pipe, which makes it easier to draw the slug of air along. Combined with a properly designed p-trap with a few add-ons you can get a decent size siphon to start at quite a low rate of flow.
The p-trap with add-ons, if you're making it from DIY store parts would be 2 90 degree bends as the inflow, to make a 180 degree turn. That feeds into the bottom of a T-joint, with the top capped off as a small air trap. The horizontal branch of the T-joint then feeds into 2 45 degree bends so there is a small drop, which then feeds into another T-joint, placed horizontally. The second T-joint has the branching opening pointed up into an open stand pipe to vent the air.
It's kinda hard to explain without a picture, but I'm sure you get the gist of it.
And while not important in a prototype like this, the smaller diameter pipes in the siphon would ideally be made of brass or copper to prevent clogs from organic growth.
I don't have any engineering training in this matter, but that's just my experience building ebb-and-flow hydroponics systems. The reason to use bell siphons there is that you want as few moving parts as possible. Starting a bell siphon with the low rate of flow that a pulsed geyser pump delivers, is mostly flux calculations with a wee sprinkling of black magic and voodoo.
@@fermitupoupon1754 I was thinking a funnel on the exit tube would help.
@@fermitupoupon1754 Why a P-Trap, rather than an S-Trap? The benefit of a P trap over an S trap is that the P trap maintains the water seal... but that's no a concern here, so wouldn't it be simpler to just use an S-Trap?
@@Londubh In my experience, so n=1, a p-trap has the benefit of triggering more of a flushing action. It takes a bit more to reach the critical pressure in the bell and down tube, but once that pressure is reached, the p-trap will flush and suck the slug of air with it. So it's more reliable to start, especially with a lower flow rate to start it.
@@fermitupoupon1754 but that doesn't make sense to me. The triggering of the traps is going to be purely a function of the relative heights of the top of the second curve/horizontal-ish but. Indeed, I would go so far as to assume that it would trigger faster with an S because it wouldn't require as much water to fill the top of the S compared to the (not quite) horizontal pipe of the P.
Indeed, the reason we've moved to P traps is that S traps tend to "flush" the "trap" out, thereby allowing sewer gas into the house.
As a college student, I hope a professor somewhere is using this video in their class, because this is more interesting to demonstrate functional information than easily 80% of my classes lmao
Aim higher my friend
@@Txepetxcc I think you missed his point my friend. Wait, could I be missing your point? *inception intensifies*
I legit think this is a kids channel. It doesn't take that long to explain a bell siphon unless you are explaining to kids, or people who have no functional knowledge about the physical world they live in. Practical Engineering did it way better, and much more concise. You want to confuse people? Add fucking balloons to a bell siphon explanation.
@@madscience6283 I often feel like that too trust me, but then you gotta understand this is not a registered media company with a crew and office building and studio creating content for millions of people on some national Television network with hired experts, writers, presenters and a budget. And even then they pretty much always fuck it up, and land short of perfection. Its a guy, at his house, on UA-cam. Just do what I do. Double tap right side of screen a few times.
I just about got done explaining the most basic shit to partially convinced younge people like how lightyears work on a video on astronomy and cosmology in the comments section. I guess some people need those balloons.
Also practical engineering is hard to watch these days. It used to be very inspired and you can tell because the content holds your attention. Then like pretty much every successful youtube channel ever created, they blow up, optimize and streamline and maximize revenue. Which is exactly what I would do if I were them but then the content is no longer inspired. Its boring! I can't watch it anymore its like reading wikipedia, but from start to finish. Listening to practical engineering is like somebody reading you a textbook on the history of engineering whilst you're tucked in bed, as he interjects here and there with a clarification or two, before suddenly and without warning he reaches in his pocket and without breaking stride pies you right in the fucking face with a buttload of advanced maths (atleast the me). We didn't all do math and engineering after highschool. Some of us didn't even finish highschool. I suppose wikipedia does that too. But there it fits. The maths thing is kinda ridiculous. Its like saying halfway through, "oh btw I forgot to mention this video is for people who know calculus and went to college, sorry about the rest of you. And im not even saying I never ever understand the maths part. Just almost never.
Edit: sorry I mixed up practical engineering with real engineering. All good channels though
Not sure, the explanation works with three concepts, communicating vessels (can work within limits in near vacuum), siphons (can also work within limits in near vacuum) and pressurized systems ( like here a siphon with an air pocket) . I had to check internet to get the explanation right, as one idea doesn't explain the others. The plus is by checking internet I learned something.
(edit the () parts)
to solve your rain gutter overflowing in heavy rain, just add a weir around the overflow drain opening. so when your gutter is about to overflow, it will drain according to your weir height.
Yup, I think that's the best solution.
Weir were you earlier?
@@QuintBUILDs Should be able to do it on your other gutter outlet. I would think a collar around it with the height you want for overflow, then if you want to help keep debris out of it, you could just put a cap over it. For the other issue with the dribble, I thought maybe a tipping weir might work. Basically making a dam that has a section (L shape) that would tip over when the height of the water overcame the weight of the section. When the section tips over, the lower section would be 'pushed' by the flowing water keeping the top section down, then when the flow decreases, the lower section drops back down and holds the dam closed. You can adjust the weight of the lower section to meet the minimum and maximum flow.
@@TheCapt I think it would be easier to use differential mathematics to describe the dynamic system to then engineer a pump, hose and valve system that measures pressure, water height and maybe flow to determine via a PID-Loop how much water to pump off to never have any overflow at all! I hope you understood the joke in this, I liked your enthusiasm in wanting to find a solution to this problem mechanically or better said ... failsafe without any extra energy needed to be put into the system.
@@LeRainbow As an I&C engineer, the humor is not lost on me. Thanks
Neighbours: ‘ mom that man is playing with the gutters again ‘
Plot twist: It’s the neighbours house.
Plot twist : it's his neighbour neighbour house
Please stop I’m dead I cannot stop laughing 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Way too much time on his hands
@@earth9258 plot twist, I'm his neighbour
He can’t keep his mind out of the gutter.
Energy loss is one of the things that keeps me awake at night but also an incredible source of inspiration. Channels like this empower people and will 'in time' make many of us more self sufficient in their energy needs and not just the off-grid or remote pioneers in energy transfer.
The bronco in the background and how enthusiastic this man is about his work makes me happy.
Not sure why part 5 got randomly recommended, but within 2 minutes… I realized this is insane and I need to watch more.
i think your kids are proud to have such dad! the passion to experiment...
your son definitely has his head in the right place; exploring the situation further to get more proof the concept works in practice and isnt limited in scope to only two glasses/one hose. awesome content.
I think he spends more time editing than making the builds.
Sure felt like it this time... but the response to the video is much improved!
Editing is not easy.
@QuintBUILDS thank you for the video man!
@@QuintBUILDs I got it in my recommended videos, had no idea what to expect and really enjoyed it, even though I have no use for this
Me : "i will go sleep earlier tonight"
Me at 3 am : watching this video
1:29 for me, but mood
Same
5 am for me
Turn off as many of your wireless devices you can and get some sleep. Reduce your exposure throughout the day as well.
I watched this at 830 and fell asleep
Charging something with rain is the most Oregon thing I have ever heard of
2nd only to letting antifa run your government and your streets...that's what Oregon is known for above all else these days.
@@dw-rh6fb ok
@@TheCrazykid439 "ok" how? That's horrible.
@@dw-rh6fb Hey better check under your bed for antifa
@@minkusmaz you think antifa is fake? Lolololol
A “water level” is a tool I’ve used every day for 3 years to set block piers across slopped foundations and what you showed with the glasses is exactly that. Cool to see the physics behind how it works.
Wonderful. Very impressive. Can you use this water to fill your toilet too?
You sure can! Theres even companies like GEP that have developed a in-home water purifier. Its just not known yet if drinking semi purified rain water is actually safe. But theres houses using pure rain water to fill toilets, and purified rain water to fill bath tubs, swimming pools and for showers. Im going to be in one of those homes next monday, going to put some stuff on my instagram: @tdmrkyle.
50% of water usage is toilet, and clothes washing. I did claim the water for my toilet. 275 gallons in a moderate 4 hour rain with 8 squares of roofing.
Nah. You’re better off using Brawndo for your toilet.
As long as the jet wheel generator is above the elevation of the toilet and you have a collection bin to capture the water then yes.
@@galenmarek8287 I already use it to water my plants...
No idea why UA-cam thought I would like this. I was watching some apex legends highlights. But here I am, subscribed and looking at more of his vids
"Mozambique here!"
Sounds like UA-cam was right...
I follow and I'm subscribed to a number or science 3d printing and engineering type channels so I'm not surprised that I got the suggestion but I'm quite pleased with the content
Should do a secondary power station for an overflow valve, that way you don't waste potential power making water
With higher flow rate at a higher trigger height maybe
Or add a reservoir at the overflow which dumps its contents when the flow into the overflow stops. Additionally you can add a small foam float valve on the intake to the syphon which gets buoyant once the water gets high enough. This should trigger a more sudden inrush, triggering the syphon to waste less trickle.
@@wilcoslegers8281 yea he could just fill a rain barrel with the runoff and open the hose on dry days to fill the main reservoir again and re-collect the water in the rain barrel again XD
OMFG i think i might be an evil genius
I was kinda thinking about a bucket filling with water, then tipping when full to give a powerful rush of water
Why bother? The amount of power being generated is pitiful - it wouldn't even keep his GoPros running.
The water level in the glasses actually has a practical use. It’s an old trick to establish level on sloped ground. Fill a clear hose with water, and have one end on a set point at the high point of the slope, then place the other at the low spot. Water level shows the total amount of drop in the grade
"Honey the guy next door is up playing with his gutter in the rain again"
😂😂😂😂
welcome to oregon
‘Just pretend we didn’t notice.’
😂
😂😂😂😂
Such an awesome experiment! Now you could add a second siphon for those crazy storms (a little higher perhaps? So that it will trigger after the first)
@Jesus is LORD Jesus is Baal.
2 Kings 18:4
John 3:14.
It's so sad you're in here calling out people and don't know their personal walk. What if they are righteous?
Ez 13:22
@@Hebrew42Day Baal is no where to be found in 2 Kings 18 and it speaks of Hezekiah. John 3:14 mentions Moses and not Hezekiah. You speak heresy.
@@Hebrew42Day The issue was the Israelites were worshipping the object. This speaks to me of superstition around the image of the cross and how this is misplaced faith. Salvation is in Christ, not in the symbols of His ministry. As a Christian I am not saved by having a cross in my house, or dangling from my dashboard. I am saved by turning to Christ in repentence and faith. For the Israelites, healing was in the act of repentence and faith exemplified by the looking to the serpent - the serpent held no power in itself.
Your son came in and said “prove it” lol his experiment broke it all the way down for anyone who couldn’t grasp it.
I've built a few Bell syphons for aquaponics systems and I would recommend making the brim of the outflow pipe a larger diameter to give more flow faster and activate the syphon quicker and with more force.
Basically you want some sort of a disc or washer on the top of the pipe. I use 20mm pipe for my systems and I just put a 20mm > 35mm adapter on the top of the pipe so there's a larger surface area that the water spills over from and it creates the airlock faster and triggers faster.
Hope that helps with future projects, keep up the good work as you've just gained a new subscriber 😉
The sheer lengths this guy goes through just to put out one vid is amazing.
Toppest notch quality!
Reminds me when I worked in construction and we set up foundation walls. We used a clear hose instead of a fancy expensive lazer to level posts height that are farther them our 6ft level. Works great! Many applications in the real world, especially in construction.
That’s what I should have done on my raised flower bed 80# manufactured decorative bricks. After very carefully leveling a couple at a time, after 50’ when I came back to meet the ends, I was an inch off and is noticeable. Looks great overall though. Many practical uses.
Those hose levels are good for short spans to level, the lazer level does not bow with the curbature of the earth. The hose level will take you around the world and the lazer level will shoot you out into space.
Yep, just keep in mind that if there is wind it could potentially push into one end of the tube, increasing pressure, and possibly even "pull" air out on the other end (Bernoulli's principle), decreasing pressure. That would affect the water level on both sides.
@@nelsonrothermel you will notice it moving a lot if wind blows in that strong. Just wait for it to settle out and you can always put your hand around it if the wind is that bad
It's called a water level, in case anyone was wondering. Lol
You could build the exact same system on the other end for when it rains super heavy! More power!
My thoughts too.
Perhaps even adding it to the same wheel but have it at a 90 degree angle from the other.
Perhaps that makes it sound faster?
If he did the math he could figure out total possible volume of water per minute for his roof during highest record rainfall and then know if he needed 1 or more extra downspouts with generators attached to each. But he might have to stagger the hights to prevent too high of a total threshold to start all the bell siphon if they were all at the same level during a slow rainfall. But he could test to confirm in next video :)
My thought almost exactly tony
That sounds more like science than engineering. Engineers are supposed to simplify and keep things cost effective. If the first turbine is properly sized to max payback, it is not likely that the second would ever pay for itself as it would not be used as much as the first.
Just put an accurately dimensioned barrier near the second drain: with low rain all the water will be used in the turbine; with heavy rain the excess water will overflow!
Cool system, when you have this overflow, you can take advantage of it and make another parallel system that triggers at a high level. Good job, cheers.
Literally had an exam on fluid mechanics yesterday. Find it so interesting. People interested in this should read a little about Bernoulli’s principle. Also look up the Archimedes cup.
Tried to build one this summer, ended up making a mess instead, lol
Archimedes cup? Or Pyythagoras Cup?
ua-cam.com/video/ISfIT3B4y6E/v-deo.html
Periodic Videos
Which is it?
PS: we had the same idea. Just that i know it as the Pythagoras cup.
Aka the Greedy Cup.
This Professor from Periodic Videos.... is he wrong with how he calls it?
Or are you?
Im not trying to say i am right and you are wrong.
Just that i find it funny to see we both have the same idea, and yet have a different name for it.
@@bertjesklotepino ye actually u are right just realised I said that!!
This is how engineers have fun.
Trust me i am engineer.
What kind of engineer does this type of work, my brother became a civil engineer but i doubt he does this kind of experiments
Engineer: Atomic bombs are cool and all but bet we can make them bigger
I’ve lost count how many times my wife has asked “Why?”. I always ask “well do you know anyone doing this?”. Yup I’m an engineering dork.
ua-cam.com/video/rp8hvyjZWHs/v-deo.html
I don't knows if I could trust you as engineer . .. but you must haz epic gear, no?
What kind of editing magic is this. I had to take a closer look to see if it was actually a tablet lol. But damn good editing
Hi Quint Builds. You might like to see the siphonic roof drainage system. It uses the siphon principle but in a simpler way than a Bell siphon. It generates higher pressure so your turbine can harness the energy. But you will need to connect the pipe directly to the turbine.
“Gotta work out an overflow” TWO SYPHONS!
Said the same. More than one siphon. Oughta handle all that water..
Small diameter siphon outlet for light rain. Larger for heavy.
Add in parallel, more water means more generators. Faster charging or multiple battery charge.
Or a weir at the oveflow...
Don't even need two bells, 3 pipes in one bell.
Use thick input and then a thin output for the generator and a thick output a bit higher for proper overflow!
Just add another, higher-flow bell siphon with a greater column height for when the little one can't handle the rainfall!
agreed @Quint BUILDs
I was thinking the same thing.
Yes, also the siphon starting height is limited by the max gutter height. So the waterwheel bell siphon needs to be lowered so it could start earlier than the high throughout siphon. Testing would be a little annoying, can easily test each side of the system separately for functionality, but proving the system as a whole may require another heavy rain.
Would have to lower current one and add max one. Giving you high and low rainfall. May need to look at max rainfall per hr and roof area to size it to match worst conditions.
He could probably solve it easier by just widening the tubes. Or putting a nice rounded edge to increase flow rate.
*sleeping
wife: honey what's wrong?
husband: my bell siphon needs help
..... TO THE LADDER MOBILE!!!
😄
🤣
@chester and brad 🤣🤣🤣
I remember helping my dad install a drop ceiling in our basement and we used a bucket of water with a long tube to get a water level line around the room to get a level line... This was long before laser levels were as common as today.
This is probably my favourite youtube series. Very well made, edited and all of the science is explained in a simple way. Keep up the good work!
Man I Just want to say man I'm 14 years of age and I love these videos I'm in middle school and I haven't learn anything like this keep up the good work
Have I told you lately that I love you?
This is just one of the best engineering channels that I've found.
Thank you. God bless you and your family!
Wow this guy and practical engineering's channel. These guys are insane. I love it! Dudes son boutta be the smartest kid ever 😂
I’ve funneled enough beers to fully understand these concepts.
Sounds like you had just as much fun in college as I did 😂😂😂
Sometimes i forget how smart humans can be. Im glad UA-cam recommended me this. What a great video!
I love the new engineering paper!
I'm glad! It was tougher than anticipated! 😁
I can imagine that it’s not electronic 🙃
To keep obstruction(leaves, sticks, etc) from clogging your gutter. You might want to install gutter guards. Get ones with edges on it so the water can push the obstruction over the edge. while it lets water sink into the gutter. continuing to watch... fallowing etc. keep it up.
Solution too simple, not enough clickbait
@Jesus is LORD hail Satan
for a overflow you could youse a second bell syphone with a higher start triger that stops below the first sypone
Agreed,i think is gonna make more power
I'm so jealous how he gets to witness rain so many times because living in a country where it's rains once or twice every year sucks
Fahad: You’re welcome to move here and enjoy!
*cries in germany*
We hate the rain so its a trade-off.
Move to Seattle Washington if you want rain... its very depressing when it rains 200+ days out of the year. The suicide rate there is really high due to this fact.
It is great to see that your excitement, and enthusiasm is shared by your son. I guess this could be set up to “recycle” the water multiple times, depending on the overall height available, through multiple siphoning set ups before eventually running out of functional space, height, to continue before the water exits finally. Very interesting.
For better usable bandwidth you could always have multiple siphons set up at different heights. So it starts siphoning at a low level, then if that rises higher the next siphon also kicks in, so on and so forth.
I was going to suggest the same thing but have the second higher level one siphoning to a reservoir lower than the gutter but higher than the pump for use when the rain slows down.
I didn't know at the Bell's siphon, but this looks like a pythagorean cup
I believe the name "bell" is a reference to it's shape and not a person but the mechanism found in Pythagorean cups are exactly the same mechanism.
Its only a Pythagorean cup if its from the Pythagoras region of France.
Is it the cup that may help alcoholic people?
Nah looks more like a Tantalus cup
@@tzisorey ah yes, Champagne joke
That... right there at the end with your son, that's what makes this even more awesome! Great job sir!
Also, the UA-cam algorithm has picked you up! Watching videos of Blender (the software) and you poppe dup as recommended, have to say I'm happy you did, great channel!
The glasses balancing themselves out is like how batteries in parallel will equalize their voltages
Actually water flow and current flow are fully analogous with the right units you can use the same equations.
@@repairengineer you meant the only acceptable unit. The other ones are quite retarded.
And how the Eiffel Tower self-levels.
what if you placed the two cups on a rotating wheel so that they are constantly changing places... the water should flow back and forth through the tube and could be used to generate power
@@Shadowmaster625 that would be like using a motor to turn a generator
As a sales engineer for a pump company I can really appreciate this.
NICE JOB!
Suggestion on outlet tube: Make opening horizontal and pinch to make less round (a little oval), will improve trigger in low-flow situations little impact to flow.
Or hacksaw teeth like cuts to the pipe.
You want to make sure the water never gets up to the nails. At that level, you are basically rotting your facia boards. That's about a 2000 dollar repair.
this is a very fair point and all, but at the same time he lives in oregon. gutters overflow all the time in oregon. his roof is probably pretty decently treated against rain over all, including a situation like you described
@@Templarfreak yeah, probably true, I just wanted him to avoid a costly repair, one that I recently had made, so know what the cost is.
@@FelonyVideos yeah, its a prudent sentiment, but im sure the roof can take a little bit of extra abuse
@@Templarfreak
This is an interesting point. I know from experience that there are sometimes wildly different building codes in different parts of the country. For example the codes for framing and insulating in Texas are pretty standard, but in Maine, it is completely different than anywhere else I have ever been.
@@AaronAlso i dont really know about building codes or anything like that, but i do know that Oregon gets *a lot* of rain. It gets so much rain and overcast coverage that there was a legitimate fear that it was actually causing increased _suicide rates_ due to the lack of sun exposure, though im not so sure how true that actually is
Quint, I started out looking at random videos and ended up watching this. Your example of the application of simple school level physics to solve the most random of problems is just pure joy. With my kids at home off from school while we are in lockdown I now have some good ideas and experiments to share with them while having fun. Thumbs up'd and subscribed and looking forward to more like this.
Not really! He needs new guttering not a siphon. I don’t call that being smart at all! He has no common sense!
@@billdar5325 I think you are missing the point of what Quint is doing. He clearly loves science and wants us to tag along for the ride. Not quite sure what your ultimate aim is saying he has no common sense.
My favorite part is the engineering paper editing, I can relate to spending too much time on something that I think will be cool.
I always thought that siphons were initiated by gravity. Very good explanations.
You got a new subscribe from me.
You could always add a reservoir to your overflow system to act as a buffer to avoid dumping too much excess, in the event that your overflow events are short lived :)
8:53 It is also impossible not to imagine those sounds coming from a person sitting on a toilet.
only since I read this...
Ever had Mexican? lol
i'd go see a doctor
I honestly flinched at that thought. Well done it was actually an apatite destroying comment. Im impressed
@@guyh3403 Jaja no aguantan nada
I'm so happy for your growing success. Quality wholesome content. It was only a matter of time.
That was really fun to watch. Should be used in schools.
the stickman’s scream when he went up the straw😂
he's got the short end, so good luck to him
From experience working with low flow aquaponics, you're missing the equivalent of a sink trap just below the siphon so it has an easier time getting the initial seal.
The emergency overflow should be automatic, you can do this by simply making the overflow pipe's hole at a higher area so that the bell siphon can work at the same time
have it feed into the overflow past the bell siphon for better efficiency
Either raise the height of the inlet for the downspout by inserting a sleeve tube, or add a float valve.
Theory: You can achieve much more head pressure by reducing the size of the downspout. On the opposite end, redirect the downspout, a 45 degree angle from the gutter towards your wheel. Every 4 feet, reduce the pipe size by one inch. You will generate way more speed. This is how they used to do hydro excavation during mining operations in the 1800's.
I think a 1/48 (1 inch every 48 inches) cone is unnecessary, a 1/5 is also ok
Disclaimer: no science or engineering experience just an intrigued person. For the overflow, would it be possible to have something like a second bell syphon but trying to change the height it triggers as to make it 2 cm below the edge of the gutter, this might be enough for rain coming in at set rate, also I'd adjust the Bell syphon to trigger at 4-8cm before the Overflow, depending on the flow rate of this first one. Note overflow syphon opening should be at least 75% times larger to be safe that the syphon rate would be sufficient for the rain fall. (Keep in mind that original syphon is operating but overflow should be designed for failure of the first (it should be able to drain as if it was the only one operating and at a heavy rainfall rate). Thank you for your time.
That does seem a brilliant idea. Or, for the sake of keeping it simple, notch out the gutter at the top, on the end or the front - then attach a downspout at that notch, so that any excess water just flows away, and doesn't rely on any systems which could fail, become easily blocked, or be overwhelmed.
I had another, even easier thought. At the other downspout, which is currently blocked off, extend the outlet up, so that it is below the top of the gutter, and at the top of the max water level you want to hold - job done.
@@mikehealy74 this. Typical overflow valve used everywhere. Even in your toilet tank.
Ah yes, the highly coveted "electronic engineer paper"
I just wanted to say, the edit tricks you used on the clip board during the explanation of the pump, was genius and innovative, you did an amazing job using the tools at your disposal to do somewhat that would probably take way more effort with the "proper tools" ig thats what building and leaning is all about anyway
Nice demonstration of the bell siphon - and a good, simple explanation of how and why it works.
It may be worth noting that guys who setup and level mobile homes have been using the water-tube level for decades. They use very long clear tubing filled with water. They clip one end where they want level to be and move the other end from support pillar to support pillar to level the house by jacking up and shimming each position until the level read the same at each pillar. I have seen (and used) some have 100' of tubing.
I came across this video in under a minute of uploading! Thank you for the new video!
i live in California...we are basically in a damn drought...yet this fascinates the hell out of me
You should try the notepad paper editing stuff , i think it'll work in california
Isnt cali like, permenantly in a drought? Always seem to hear theyre in a drought and getting bush fires
@@JoeWalker98 actually you are right but it is a man made drought 78% of snow and rain fall water in California is not collected and let run into the Pacific ocean this is becauses environmentalist say humans shouldn’t collect the water 🤔 california would have amazing amounts of water if we were able to build more damns and the Forest fires are man-made as well California doesn’t let anybody log out there dried trees that are dead and that makes it very easy for them to start
@@JoeWalker98 lots of controlled burns going on it's always 4:20 in California. California is in a drought except when it is flooding. Either it's 110 or it's 25 degrees. Either you love it or you hate it.
8:55 - That is awesome! I'm a manufacturing engineer who loves to build things and I have similar reactions!
Thanks you for a great series of videos. Very informative, and also _fun_ to watch. A friend and I are going through very similar steps working on a micro VAWT.
One thing i already discovered before seeing your videos was that replacing the ball-bearings in the cheap Chinese alternator we got makes a huge difference.
I have two tips for you, regarding the bell-siphon:
1) give the drain-tube a slight narrowing, a venturi-like shape, at the top. Or maybe just flaring out the top of the tube into a slight funnel-shape might do it. And make sure the top edge of the tube is level, of course.
2) put a second bell-siphon, set to a slightly higher trigger-level, in the drainpipe at the other end of the gutter as an emergency overflow valve.
Cheers! 🖖
The water level is how I re-leveled my rent house. Thanks science!
Yes! I came here to post that water leveling using long tubes has been a real, serious civil engineering thing for many centuries. At least it WAS before easily available laser levels came available.
@@737smartin I was also looking to see if someone already mentioned that this is exactly how water levels work. No need for fancy expensive laser levels when you've got two buckets and some vinyl tubing.
@@737smartin I was about two hundred miles from the nearest hardware store and I had the necessary materials. Why waste money on a one use product?
@@DavidLopez-po7kg Not meant as a criticism, my friend. I’ve used a water level more than once myself-most recently less than three years ago.
@@freakstarrguy You can get away with just the tube for a water level actually. As long as you hold the ends up higher than the water levels out at. A longer tube means you can level over more lengths. I'm sure there's a video on the tube somewhere about that.
quality build and design can wait to see more m8, also imma about to take my Circuits 2 exam wish me luck.
Good luck!
Another m8 of my creed
Fantastic work!
I second this comment
👍👍👍😜🏴🦄🎣😁🤞✌️
This was one of the most fascinating topics covered in my auto tech courses. Not sure if siphons are covered under Pascal's law or some other but the water leveling out in the two glasses makes sense because both sides are exposed to atmospheric pressure and are sitting level. As long as the tube to the bottom of glass A isn't raised above the height of the water level in glass B or vise versa the water level will continue to level out. A sudden change in elevation in either glass- like is achieved by raising one glass suddedly- will cause a change in pressure forcing the siphon to drain the glass accordingly. This is a similar concept to the one used to make a brake fluid pot work. You fill the pot with brake fluid, put the top on (it has a tube that runs to the bottom) then pressurize the pot with air. It pushes the fluid up the tube due to the difference in atmospheric pressure and the higher pressure in the pot.
I think it's time for a double level Syphon where one helps to trigger the second by rapidly increasing the water flow.
The KISS option is to level the tube entrance 🤣
Bro how did you all of the sudden jump to 4.5m views?! That's crazy and I'm so happy for you!! Keep up the great videos
I have no idea other than I edited that video until my brains were about to pour out my ears! We'll see if it was a fluke or if I can repeat it! 😁
@@QuintBUILDs o ya the syphon, cant you just shorten the exit pipe(inside) but make it just higher than the inlet pipe(inside too) so it can cycle earlier?
im just a kid dont mind me i aint smart :/
have a good day
I think that’s how a washing machine get the soap “detergent” into the machine.
Yep, that’s how it is done.. it uses Pascals theory of communicating vessels, the same principle is used in the Pythagorean Cup (Greedy Cup) and toilets
In what way is it not really a detergent?
Yeah and Steve Mould did a vedio on that.
Great science explanation of atmospheric pressure. Old school brick layers use that trick in leveling with the water tube instead of lasers. Love the mechanical use of the water (maybe build another unit on the other side of the gutter as a secondary - catch the overflow). Love the notepad visusal animation, and your sprinkled in humor just made a pleasure to follow along. Your son was the icing on the cake, with his additional tests at the end - which is what I would have done too. Great stuff!
I just love the face of the girl thinking "when can I stop sucking this stupid straw?"
You should add a month to month plan on Patreon! I always love you videos and would love to support the channel.
Wow... I'll see if it will let me! 👍
Id put a 2nd setup at your other drain, just a bit higher up than your main setup.
Simple fix, and more power!!!!
Rough rough rough (in my best tim Allen voice)
I love your excitement! How awesome was it for you to be present at the very moment it triggered. So cool!
That kid of yours is gonna build something amazing in the future, I just know it. 😁😁😁
Great drawing edit!
This guy is like the real bill nye the science guy !!!!! Real as knows his stuff :)
If you have all the water drain into a tank or 55 gallon drum and connect a fitting that connects to a hose and put in a mechanical pop- it valve that will pump water back up to the gutter you can keep the cycle or water ( recycled) so it will not run out! Now you may need 2 or more pop- it valves to keep the gutter to the right level! Just thought this would work with rain or just fill the system and use float valve connected to 1 of the tanks to add water from your water hose as needed! This will give you a continuous loop even if it isn't raining! I enjoy your channel and you seem to have ideas that roll around in my brain all the time and it's great to see them in action and then I take what I learn and add it to what I've been thinking! Thanks!
I bet you'd get less "dribble fault" if the syphon tubes were level...
Yeah the wole bell needs to be plumb or the outflow pipe needs cut at an angle parallel to the water level so water flows over the pipe's edge equally.
You can fix it with a simple pee trap.
there are public toilet bellsyphons that use a smaller diameter "trigger" syphon to trigger the mainsyphon.
That siphon experiment with the glasses? Builders use that principle to level things around a build site. It's called a water level.
Yes! One of my coworkers told me about that. I've never seen it done but it's a brilliant idea!
@@QuintBUILDs ; The Romans new that trick. They documented it very well.
Spirit level?
Perfect application! Didn't know they used that, thanks.
Pretty simple, get a long flexible tube, set the ends of the tube where u want to have your beginning point.
Add water, when the water reaches the beginning point, the water on the other end of the tube is on the same hight (aka level)
Greetings from a Stonemason
5:06 for a minute I was like yooooo that’s sick before realising I’m a dumbass
The whole time I was like "Ok, but what if there was more rain", nice to see it showing up at the end. An overflow is always needed for such a small tube.
More power to your channel and more subs. Really love your content and way of explaining stuff
I appreciate that!
Be careful, you don't want water flooding around your foundation or down the walls rotting things away!
Would putting a “P” trap in the discharge line help it build up enough water to prime flow out quicker?
NO, It doesn't work that way.
@@stephenwhite1607 Actually it would work as David Unger says. The P trap would create an airlock that prevents the main syphon from dripping while the gutter gets filled because the air in between the main syphon and ptrap needs to be compressed while pushing water from the ptrap out down the discharge pipe. When the gutter water level rises high enough, the P trap air lock is broken and that causes a surge of water for the full flow of the main syphon. The P trap needs to have an air vent to prevent all the water from leaving because it does not self prime.
A video of a ptrap in this use case
ua-cam.com/video/5wZ9PQepQYI/v-deo.html
Great video, and a fun project.
For the overflow condition, a simple fix would be extending your blocked downspout up into the gutter to a height just above the start height of you bell siphon and below the top of your gutters. That would act like an emergency spillway and keep your gutters from overflowing under heavier rainfall.
Instead of having an overflow going to nothing, could you set up a second bell valve at a higher level at that end to go into a reservoir or even a second battery bank?
You're not an engineer, you're a genius!
to keep your gutters clean put a mesh over the whole gutter!
Wouldnt that just cause the leaves to sit on top eventually covering the gutter
@Bob Watters I guess my main concern is that water wouldn't then get into the gutter. I'd rather it was blocked slightly than just pissing over the edge. Leaves need much more density to block a gutter than cover it