New Pump Design Could Benefit Reef Aquariums

EcoTech, Hydor et al - take note - an industrial design student has created a patent-pending pump design based on the mechanics of a basking shark that produces 40 percent more power than traditional prop pumps thanks to incorporating pressure differentials. "The water enters the turbine through the first opening and the second nozzle – like the shark’s gills – compresses the water and creates a low-pressure zone to draw the water through and generate more energy." Way to go Anthony Reale. Do you like aquariums?


Photo Credit: Gizmag.com


Photo Credit: Gizmag.com


Photo Credit: Gizmag.com



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WHOA!!!

good ol' mother nature and her awesome designs!!!

 

very very cool, im wondering what the price would be on something similar!?

 

That would be awesome to have

 

I am sure there are other creatures on this planet from whom we could also learn a great deal.8) Very cool.

 

Looks similar to a turbofan jet engine. Not a new concept, but cool to apply to water pumps.

I also believe Dyson did something with a fan that employed a similar low pressure area and airfoils to make a "fanless" fan.

 

Very cool idea. I wonder how long it will be before something like this hits the market?

 

It does look pretty cool, and damn I wish I had thought of it, but isn't this the same principal as an eductor or penductor?

 

I dont know if it ever would ever work in an aquarium setting as a main powerhead. Most aquariums require a pump to handle several if not many feet of head, and turbine designs are efficient at high speed and low loads. Put some pressure at the back of the output (a couple feet of head), and the low pressure area is lost, losing all that efficiency.

It still would work for powerhead in the DT moving water around... wheeee!

 

I actually don't know how well it'll work as a powerhead, TBH. That highly optimized secondary vent is going to be ruined by any crud that settles on any surface in there (even precipitate calcium carbonate), and would probably be quite hard to clean unless it was a very large powerhead.