.png "Powered by vBulletin")
No provisions for heat on this one. Who knows... Maybe next time.
As for bigger units, it's not the transducer that limits it. Even huge commercial cleaners use the same 50W transducer. They just add more of them and create a large array of transducers mounted to the bottom and sides of the tank.
They even make submersible transducers you simply lower into the tank, but now you're getting into big bucks. It's the generator that gets troublesome when going high power. You either need to add more generators or use a generator that handles much more power. All the transducers are simply wired in parallel and driven by the output of the generator. Think of the generator as a signal generator/amplifier combination and the transducer as a speaker. One problem you need to be concerned with when designing your tank and transducer array is standing waves that cancel each other out. Standing waves will reduce your efficiency and create dead zones. There's a test called the "foil test" that shows how effective the cleaner is. I'll be documenting that as well. Even if you have a commercial cleaner, it's a good test to make sure it's still working properly. Transducers do fail over time.
Here's where I am as of now. I'm gluing the transducers to the bottom of the tank. I know that JB Weld doesn't require clamping, but I figured it would make for a stronger bond. I first etched the bottom of the tank using 60 grit emery sand paper. I then cleaned the bottom surface of the tank and the transducers using lacquer thinner.
I then used an old battery on the inside of the tank to support the bottom and a board drilled to allow me to place a weight evenly across the transducers. Here's the scrap wood drilled.
I mixed up the JB Weld (50/50) and then placed an even mount spread over a small area of the tank and the bottom of the transducer. The transducers were mounted far enough apart to allow the generator board to be mounted between them. Note the deep scratches from the 60 grip emery paper and also that the tabs were mounted so the polarity was oriented in the same direction. It just makes wiring a little cleaner.
I then stacked a heavier battery on top to clamp everything together. The battery on the inside was used to support the tank bottom so the weight on the top didn't distort it.
Now I need to wait 6 hours for the JB weld to setup before I remove the weight. Then another 18 hours before I put it into use. From what I've noticed, the longer setup time epoxies seem to have higher tensile strength. JB weld is a SLOW cure epoxy with a tensile strength of 3960 PSI.
As for bigger units, it's not the transducer that limits it. Even huge commercial cleaners use the same 50W transducer. They just add more of them and create a large array of transducers mounted to the bottom and sides of the tank.
They even make submersible transducers you simply lower into the tank, but now you're getting into big bucks. It's the generator that gets troublesome when going high power. You either need to add more generators or use a generator that handles much more power. All the transducers are simply wired in parallel and driven by the output of the generator. Think of the generator as a signal generator/amplifier combination and the transducer as a speaker. One problem you need to be concerned with when designing your tank and transducer array is standing waves that cancel each other out. Standing waves will reduce your efficiency and create dead zones. There's a test called the "foil test" that shows how effective the cleaner is. I'll be documenting that as well. Even if you have a commercial cleaner, it's a good test to make sure it's still working properly. Transducers do fail over time.
Here's where I am as of now. I'm gluing the transducers to the bottom of the tank. I know that JB Weld doesn't require clamping, but I figured it would make for a stronger bond. I first etched the bottom of the tank using 60 grit emery sand paper. I then cleaned the bottom surface of the tank and the transducers using lacquer thinner.
I then used an old battery on the inside of the tank to support the bottom and a board drilled to allow me to place a weight evenly across the transducers. Here's the scrap wood drilled.
I mixed up the JB Weld (50/50) and then placed an even mount spread over a small area of the tank and the bottom of the transducer. The transducers were mounted far enough apart to allow the generator board to be mounted between them. Note the deep scratches from the 60 grip emery paper and also that the tabs were mounted so the polarity was oriented in the same direction. It just makes wiring a little cleaner.
I then stacked a heavier battery on top to clamp everything together. The battery on the inside was used to support the tank bottom so the weight on the top didn't distort it.
Now I need to wait 6 hours for the JB weld to setup before I remove the weight. Then another 18 hours before I put it into use. From what I've noticed, the longer setup time epoxies seem to have higher tensile strength. JB weld is a SLOW cure epoxy with a tensile strength of 3960 PSI.
Comment