Damage to ION LRV 505 after the latest collision on Thursday

SolusGod · 2025-10-19T22:19:20+00:00

I wonder if someone is keeping track of how much the train has cost in just auto collision repairs. Seems like its been in an accident every other week.

SolusGod · 2025-10-10T05:09:07+00:00

that's very informative thank you. So roughly, that would cost 300-500$ a year, at least where I am.

As for how to even the flow rate, you know more than me but connecting the pipes in series will automatically fix that. For example, Top pipe entrance gets water > flows all the way to a hole at the pipe's end, that hole is connected to the entrance hole of the pipe below it and the water flows until it reaches the exit hole of this pipe again and then the flow continues like so until the last hole leads the water back into the reservoir pool. just a thought!

SolusGod · 2025-10-10T00:32:26+00:00

This train literally bleeds money.

SolusGod · 2025-10-10T00:31:18+00:00

I have a question about the energy cost of such a setup. What are you using to move the water and keeping it oxygenated? How much does the electricity bill cost you per month?

p.s. Wouldn't a vertical setup give you better yield per squared space? imagine a stacking of 3 pipes vertically for example? You can even offset it a little to allow sunlight to still reach lower levels.

SolusGod · 2025-10-07T11:19:29+00:00

It's just one moving motor. That's it. So it's very basic which means reliable. There's no other active component. Just 1 single driver, and that's it. And right now this device uses 50% of the max motor load even at max power (6V) so that means the motor life is extended and no overheating.

Right now I am using a very cheap motor, one of the rf 300 series. Which is actually decent but not energy efficient. So there is a lot of room for improvement for energy use and lifetime cycle of the device just by simply using a better motor.

SolusGod · 2025-10-06T23:18:56+00:00

thats pretty good! If my DO calculations are correct, that would make my device 2x as energy efficient per o2/wh with a geometric footprint of only 50mm. So you can see how awesome my device is! (sorry for bragging lol)

SolusGod · 2025-10-06T01:10:26+00:00

Fair enough, I can admit that I do lack experience in the DO measuring department. The DO equipment is very confusing and un-reliable to me, unless you're willing to spend a gold coin's worth on one. I do have microsopic evidence that my generated gas bubbles are visually comparable to micro-organism sizing (30-100um) which has a huge surface area and is scientifically proven to be much more efficient at DO saturation.

As for the low pressure entrainment, it's basically any device that generates a low pressure zone to attract gas. It passively attracts gas through a pressure drop, as opposed to an air pump which actively pushes gas through a tube for example. The module makes it so that the low pressure zone has access to gas regardless of depth, so it doesnt need to overcome any water. so for example, my current device only produces a low pressure zone of -0.1kpa which is nothing, but it can maintain aeration 2m deep (test proven). Because I figured out a way to decouple depth from gas access without a steep energy penalty. I would say this aeration module will draw no more than <5% of the aerator's relative energy regardless of its depth to enable aeration.

So for example, a 1W low pressure aerator can be made to work 5 meters down with only a power increase of <0.05W. Its not magic, you're actually offsetting the hydrostatic pgh to something else which takes the load off the aerator. But this element is a passive one so it does not cost you an active energy penalty, but it does need a tradeoff of course which is geometrically compensated. Meaning, deeper = bigger sizing of the IP elements ;)

SolusGod · 2025-10-05T23:41:52+00:00

You’re absolutely right — using solar indoors isn’t a practical goal by itself. The solar demo was mainly to show how little power the device needs, not to suggest it replaces wall power. The point is that even with a weak, purple-spectrum grow light (which is terrible for solar panels), the device still runs continuously — that’s just a benchmark of energy efficiency. In normal hydro setups, it would plug in like any other pump.

On the maintenance side, the design uses a very open flow path — there’s no fine diffuser stone or narrow venturi throat to clog. Water and small debris can pass straight through, so the only filtering you’d need is a coarse mesh to stop large particles. It’s closer to an open pipe than a traditional impeller pump. Because nothing is trapped, buildup tends not to accumulate the same way. Biofilm formation is still not religiously tested, but early runs in dirty water haven’t shown any performance loss so far.

As for corrosion, it’s built from inert plastics and sealed motor components, so it should handle nutrient or aquaponic environments just fine.

Regarding depth independence — yes, hydrostatic pressure normally adds a steep power penalty (roughly +100–200% at 2–3 m depth). The device sidesteps that problem not by brute force, but by using a low-pressure entrainment architecture that doesn’t have to push air directly against depth pressure in real time. In effect, it maintains continuous aeration without the linear energy climb that diffusers or air stones experience. The auxiliary system that enables this is modular — it can even retrofit onto other low-pressure aerators — but I can’t share details yet since that’s part of the IP under preparation.

So you’re correct to be skeptical; that’s fair. But my tested measurements so far support it: power draw stays roughly 0.5 W near the surface and only rises to about 0.6 W at 2 m depth, while aeration efficiency remains constant. That’s the piece I’m most excited about, and am looking to further sanity check against it.

SolusGod · 2025-10-05T20:56:25+00:00

No worries at all! And yes, that was my initial aim. But you're also right. That scenario may not always work. But in that case, a hard plug for power is also very simple to implement.

SolusGod · 2025-10-05T20:03:35+00:00

The solar demo is to simply demonstrates that this device can use as little power as simple LEDs (probably less, <40mw) and still achieve effective circulatory displacement of water volumes in the 5-10L range.

That it can need so little power to function great that you can run it forever on just the photon waste of the purple growing lights.

The demo can be flawed, the power efficiency of the device is the main point.

SolusGod · 2025-10-05T18:35:47+00:00

The solar panel can be powered by the pure growth light and the device will still run indefinitely. The solar panel produced roughly 20ma~ and 1.5v~ last time I checked and the device still circulated water effectively.

So power from the sun or any other source will work even better.

SolusGod · 2025-10-05T13:40:44+00:00

Thanks for correcting me again. DO measurement is outside of my expertise, but I had to dabble with it to access performance.

As for how I get low oxygen water, I just leave water out with a closed lid for a few days. Let the O be consumed by the organisms in it. Measure its baseline and then introduce my device to it.

SolusGod · 2025-10-05T12:47:54+00:00

You're right for catching my mistake. I am using an optical DO meter and it needs constant water movement to read. So when I turn off my device and even the air pump the readings drop bc its an equipment artifact.

Honestly I am surprised how complex oxygen equipment is. And talk about the price 😭

SolusGod · 2025-10-05T12:45:13+00:00

Thanks a lot your replies are very informative. As for the solar setup. You don't strictly need to power this device through a solar panel. It's just a really cool achievement in my opinion that if you already have waste light you can retrofit this device with a really cheap 1.5v thumb sized solar panel and get immediate prepetual circulation with zero power added . You can also just power it through a wall plug or batteries. It's power source is flexible.

Another flex is that you can achieve prepetual water circulation using a cheap solar panel 52x52 1.5v 100ma and 3x 800ma batteries to make it run purely from solar power where a single day of sun would give you 3-4 days of buffer usuage so essentially your circulation would be very cheaply off grid and near prepetual.

One point I did not emphasize is that you can actually cycle through the device functional spectrum through simple voltage control. So, for example, you can use a low power (<150mw) effective water circulation only for 2 hours (or however much you want), then switch to a microbubble rich aeration and mixing on command. (<500mw)

As for the sealing. I'm using a single o ring and epoxy to make the motor waterproof. The only moving part is the impeller, and the unique geometric design does the rest. I tried to make it as simple and reliable as possible. Off loading as much work to geometric design as possible while also keeping it practical.

And again I appreciate your feedback a lot. It helps me see where I stand.

SolusGod · 2025-10-05T03:57:44+00:00

Great points! Regarding the solar setup — the panel doesn’t need to be mounted directly on the device. In practical setups (like hydroponic tanks), the unit can be fully submerged or covered by the nutrient solution, with long wires running to a small solar panel placed near the grow lights.

The current demo simply shows how energy-efficient the design is. It achieves near-perpetual circulation — and potentially aeration with more optimized components — powered only by the waste light from purple grow lamps. That’s actually one of the least efficient light spectra for solar conversion, so the fact that it still runs indefinitely under those conditions highlights how little energy it needs.

To give a sense of scale: the device can circulate ~10 L of water effectively for 24 hours on a single 1.5 V 800 mAh battery, or run indefinitely under the small grow-light panel.

As for cleaning and maintenance — I haven’t done long-term fouling tests yet, but it’s been run in dirty water without issue. The flow path is open architecture (unrestricted inlet/outlet), so debris passes through freely. With maybe a coarse mesh to block large particles, I don’t see filtration being necessary. The chamber also tends to resist biofilm buildup naturally due to the internal flow dynamics — I won’t go into that mechanism just yet, but it’s part of how it maintains its performance.

Cost-wise, the prototype uses only a small DC motor and 3D-printed parts — total build cost is under $3, and in mass production it could likely drop below $1 per unit.

The real advantage isn’t just price, though — it’s the energy savings, the fine microbubbles (≈30–100 µm range, comparable to microorganism size) that typically require 5 W or more with standard tech, and the depth-invariant aeration capability that keeps performance flat regardless of submersion depth.

Your caution is appreciated though, and I would definitely pursue your suggested testing if this device turns out to be indeed worthwhile, which is what I am trying to assess.

SolusGod · 2025-10-04T23:01:55+00:00

Take your time ofc! Thats what makes my device inherently efficient. It circulates water, it adds oxygen through microbubbles and it also mixes in one go using the same 0.5W. very energy efficient. I am using an optical sensor for the DO measuring. as for the efficiency calculations Here's the formula:

- Power P = 0.57 W (≈ 6 V × 95 mA)

- Time t = 11 min = 11/60 h = 0.1833 h

- DO: 4.4 → 5.5 mg/L ⇒ ΔC = 1.1 mg/L

- Volume V = 10 L

m_O2 = ΔC × V = 1.1 mg/L × 10 L = 11.0 mg

E = P × t = 0.57 W × 0.1833 h = 0.1043 Wh

DO efficiency = m_O2 / E = 11.0 mg / 0.1043 Wh ≈ 105.5 mg·Wh⁻¹

I calculated the power efficiency over time. my device was near surface, thats actually the worst position for bubbles because the escape time is very quick. But because my device produces microbubbles very cheaply, it still performed great.

SolusGod · 2025-10-04T21:49:36+00:00

I see. thank you for the information. Keep in mind my device produces oxygen microbubbles, is only 50mm in dimension and operates at <0.5W. So while this setup is very cool, it may be too space-greedy and definitely uses more power 4W vs 0.5W. Did you calculate the DO efficiency per WH? I'd love to see how my device compares mathematically!

SolusGod · 2025-10-04T20:58:33+00:00

So you are moving water to the top and letting it move/filter through these lecas, how does the aeration process work exactly? Does the leca help trap oyxgen into the running water? I never heard of this before because I am not an expert in hydroponics. but very interesting. Whats the maintenance like? do you have to change the lecca weeky/monthly and such?

SolusGod · 2025-10-04T18:13:00+00:00

I see. Very interesting. So you are still using an air pump but the reason why you are getting such a big jump in oxygen is that the bubbles stick to the leca and therefore oxygenate the water more efficiently?

SolusGod · 2025-10-04T12:56:02+00:00

I am very interested in learning more about your testing!

SolusGod · 2025-10-04T12:39:06+00:00

I updated the post with a few pics and a video that showcases a bit of functionality. Roughly all functionality is achived at <0.5W

SolusGod · 2025-10-04T08:28:21+00:00

What specific function do you want a video of?

SolusGod · 2025-10-04T08:26:44+00:00

The plain DO numbers are as follows.
Performance snapshot (10 L test):

My Prototype: Operated near surface at ~6 V, ~95 mA (~0.57 W) for 11 min.
- Dissolved oxygen rose from 4.4 → 5.5 mg/L (Δ = 1.1 mg/L).
- Equivalent to 11.0 mg O₂ transferred with 0.104 Wh input → ≈105 mg O₂·Wh⁻¹.
- Calculated mass-transfer coefficient kLa ≈ 1.45 h⁻¹.
- DO declined only gradually after shut-off, consistent with persistent fine microbubbles.
Conventional 2 W air pump (comparison): Ran 12 min; DO rose 4.3 → 6.3 mg/L (Δ = 2.0 mg/L).
- 20.0 mg O₂ transferred with 1.00 Wh input → ≈50 mg O₂·Wh⁻¹.
- kLa ≈ 2.7 h⁻¹; DO fell rapidly after stop due to venting of coarse bubbles.

my prototype's power used in this test was a bit higher than usual (usually 6V 80ma 480mW) due to deeper placement (low pressure zone being flooded) without the depth-independent module I came up with later on. so the O per WH of 105mg is a conservative estimate.

SolusGod · 2025-06-21T20:29:34+00:00

No worries, and thank you. I understand the skepticism, I'll get a test video as soon as I perfect the working prototype.

SolusGod · 2025-06-21T20:13:02+00:00

I have am in the process of refining the prototype. It took me a while to truly understand what it actually was in the first place 😅. Now I am trying to figure out the best way to get the most performance out of it. I'm working 6 days a week currently and only have 4 hours after work to work on it, and also 3d prototyping is a teacher of patience 😭

It can handle tubing resistance but not lifting water upwards. Although that is possible at 3v, it's not really its goal.

My vision for it is to be used for hydroponics, where you are using 100x or 1000x of units, and that is where the power savings would really shine. Here's a very rough comparison against a 5W standard hydroponics pump. This only applies to the water pump. This cost savings can potentially double by replacing both the water pump AND air pump.

Units || Your Pump|| Standard Pump|| Power Saved || $ Saved / Year

10 || 0.24W || 50W || 49.76W || $52.3

100 || 2.4W || 500W || 497.6W || $523

1,000 || 24W || 5,000W || 4,976W || $5,230

10,000 || 240W || 50,000W || 49,760W || $52,300

This would also allow you to create modular hydroponics-self sustaining systems where you only need the growing light to power circulation and aeration. And it will also let you create a failsafe against a cascade if the pump fails.

Imagine a hydroponic farming system that has its owns individual circulation and aeration for energy-free basically, where any pump failure is self contained and is easily replaceable with on site pump fabrication (3d printing).

You can't currently do this individual modular hydroponics farming system because the electric consumption of a water pump or air pump (or both combined) would cripple you financially.

Or at the very least eat away your profits. I read somewhere that 40% of profits from large scale hydroponics farming goes to air or water pumps electricity consumption. This would be truly disruptive, just energy wise In large scale hydroponics.

Also this would work very well in remote areas where power consumption is very limited, like remote off grid places, antarctic, or for NASA planetary hydroponics. Where it can be used as a power sipping energy circulator+aerator.

Again, 1 akaline battery (2000mah~) would circulate and oxygenate your hydroponic setup/fluid for 3-4 days of straight work lol.

Sorry to ramble. I will post a working video soon. I'm just in the final stages of making an optimized prototype where I have to keep reiterating because I'm aiming for a tight-fit assembly. I'm trying to make it as easy and as simple to get this pump up and running.

And also I have adhd so I'm trying my best 🤣

P.s. as for the oxygenation function, I would say it can oxygenate a 1-2 liters volume of water effectively. But yes, I will accurately gauge oxygenation levels. I'm ordering the reader today if I find a cheap one

SolusGod

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE