New Surge Method

Here is someone that uses a similar design, but with some differences of course. I'd be using about 300% more water in the surge than a 5 gallon bucket, and I'd incorporate the bubble settling chamber INTO the surge reservoir to be a safety overflow in case something went awry.

He uses a mag 7 and has never had problems with the siphon not starting or not stopping.

 

The problem with any siphon device is there will be bubble I always built mine using a flush valve and then an air trap .. Amazes me how you hobby guys always stick someones name to a idea thats has been in practice for a few hundred yrs and then think or assume they know what they are talking about from Carlson to the stand pipe guy This very principle was employed for many decades in all public bath houses and parks and for rest room toilet to automatically flush them every few miniuents of so to keep them flushed out at the base 6 ft in the ground Then came Vogel with its auto flushing seat and a flush valve get up toilet flushed .. Carlson I can only hope he knows more about fish then he does fluid dynamics Bottom line is using Carlsons idea you will always have a large amount of micro bubbles at the end of the siphon no matter what size pipe is used .. And with a flush valve there will be so but the trap will snag 90% of them and about all there will be is like when a vortex is pulled by a powerhead to near the surface and they gert gone fast as they are larger not the little micro types.

 

I never stuck anyones name on anything... And I realize that it's been in use in fisheries and bathouses as you say for eons, but in the hobby, we "hobbiests" know it as a Carlson Surge Device, so for simplicity sake thats what most people call it. Kind of like SPS LPS etc... The names, admittedly, can be deceiving.

As far as the bubbles go, the person who uses the 5 gallon bucket pictures has no micro bubbles and some larger bubbles that dissipate rapidlly however 80-90 less than a traditional CSD. He states that the bubble traps can even be run in series.

True, it's not the diameter of the pipe ... It's the combination of diameters. The water slows when it flows from a narrow diameter, to a wider diameter and allows the bubbles to dissipate. This happens slightly below the surface so no siphon is created in the second stage and no air will get added.

 

Build an air liquid separator and have no bubble at all no matter what size pipe you use..Then you will maintain strong flows and not have to worry about restricting the volume and then increasing the volume .

 

Do you have info on an air liquid separator? Sounds expensive. Trying to keep costs down is my main reason for utilizing the surge.

 

a short section of 3 or 4 "PVC two Tee's of the 3 or 4 x 2" and two simple test caps Pipe 2.00 Tee's 4.00 ea caps 89. or so

 

It's hard to picture what you're talking about. Do you have a picture or anything?

 

Its even harder to try and discribe one its a very simple concept and has been in use for yrs evety since the hot water and steam boilers came along , Chillers and even Car A/C use the concept for the refergiants that boil..
I would call it tangsters air purger but Bell and Gosset and a few others like McDonald Miller would not apperciate it

Try this link for a look see at a simple concept that will totaly remove all bubble's and air
http://www.bryanboilers.com/Bryanlit/Bys2049.pdf

 

Thats essentially the same concept as what I have diagrammed... But you could call it a rose for all I care, as long as it works! ;-)

 

Its nothing like what you have diagrammed really , That salt bucket you are using how high up is the water level going to get before the siphon kicks in ? On the top of what you now have on the 3" looks to be a slipxF.M C.O fitting and I don't see a Cap or is it reversed and the nub in inside the pipe ? and when you terminate the 2 " into the tank is it going to be above or below the water line ? If you set up what I see now above the flood rim of a tank then flush it You may find out how fast will seek its own level.. Have a plan for back pressure and a siphon not breaking ? and then you will need a vent at the very end where the pipe enters the water line in side the tank..