How to design a funnel to push water pump output into a "sheet" of water?

JoeinLA · Mar 3, 2022

OK, I'm clearly no engineer and I'm guessing this is a really easy thing to do if you actually knew what you're doing...

What I'm hoping to do is to funnel the stream of water coming from a water pump into a 2mm x 90mm "sheet" of water. When I tried to just divert the flow of water from the tubing into a "triangle" type shape, nothing happens and the water still comes up in essentially the same "circle" as the tubing (and doesn't get diverted/distributed throughout the 2/90mm opening.

The end goal here is to try and build a wall within my sump that can force a sheet of water to tumble my cheato...

I'm using Tinkercad so if you're able to design in there so I can access it, I'd be immensely grateful. Or otherwise if there's a way to explain how to set it up, that would be very much welcomed. I tried googling it, but I'm pretty sure I'm not even describing it properly b/c I can't seem to find anything that covers what I'm trying to do...

Thanks in advance!

Poseidon03 · Mar 3, 2022

Eww, metric numbers, lol.

One thing that would help is ribs inside of the design. Look up turbulent vs laminar flow. If the water coming out is turbulent, it is less likely to act like a "sheet." Are you able to put a nozzle on the tubing? Have any pictures of the area?

JoeinLA · Mar 3, 2022

It's for the filter media basket section of a CADE 900 sump, which is approx 100mm wide by 294mm long.

I've tried creating a funnel where I tried to squeeze the water from the tube into a triangle funnel which exits through a 2x90mm outlet. But all i got was a stream of water that was essentially the same length as the tube itself - so I wasn't very good at diverting the flow...

As a crazier possibility, i was thinking I could use the water flow to push a propeller like a pseudo gyre, but that seems like a helluvalotta work to design that... But I may end doing that if the nozzle idea doesn't work. It just seems like designing a nozzle wouldn't be that hard, considering you can essentially do it with your thumb covering the end of a garden hose

edit: I may try and pilfer a paddle wheel design off tinkercad and use that as the start of my gyre idea, but if anyone has any better thoughts, I'm all ears

Snoopy 67 · Mar 3, 2022

How about this--- a pipe with holes drilled in a line the length you need?
It would not be a single stream but a series of them that could be angled towards the baffle creating a wide flow.

laverda · Mar 3, 2022

Snoopy 67 said:
How about this--- a pipe with holes drilled in a line the length you need?
It would not be a single stream but a series of them that could be angled towards the baffle creating a wide flow.

That is the easiest way to go. Otherwise you would need dividers inside your funnel to spread the flow out.

JoeinLA · Mar 3, 2022

Perfect. Will try this today. Thanks so much!

dantimdad · Mar 3, 2022

Was going to suggest a spray bar... beat me to it.

Tenecor Aquariums · Mar 3, 2022

Trickle/drip plate? Would not be a sheet but might get you your results

JoeinLA · Mar 4, 2022

IT WORKS! I used the spray bar method and got a nice "jet" of water! I'm quite pleased with my new tumbling Cheato. Now if I can only keep it alive.

if anyone is interested in this, I made the design public since y'all helped

It's titled "Cade 900 Refugium Wall with Spray Bar" on Tinkercad.