karimwassef
Active member
I use large flow pumps to feed by surge chamber, and I can change the number of valves and how open those valves are also.
So, I can change the flow significantly as well. The only real constraint is the display tank overflow being overwhelmed, or the sump being overwhelmed. The size of the surge tank is technically a constraint also, but with 100gal reservoir, the other constraints are more significant.
The difference between a pump feeding a surge chamber and the pump directly feeding the display tank is volume flow x time.
For example, I use a jebao 15000 at ~4000gph ~ 1.1gps (gallon per second).
I can turn that on to full flow for 30 seconds and achieve a flow of 33 gallons in that period. Sounds great! I can run it for 15 seconds and achieve 17 gallons in that window.
Or I can fill up the surge tank and open up the valve to release 40 gallons in 15 seconds. So, with the same pump, I can change the flow from 17 gallons in 15 seconds to 40 gallons in 15 seconds.
It's converting steady flow rate to a burst flow. The overall average flow rate is the same.
As far as force. The high pressure, high flow from a pump outlet isn't the same as low pressure, high flow from a surge. Personally, I'm converting the surge chamber into a refugium/surge source. That matters because pump impellers kill most life that would be cultivated in the refugium. That's a secondary effect, but it matters in my system.
So, I can change the flow significantly as well. The only real constraint is the display tank overflow being overwhelmed, or the sump being overwhelmed. The size of the surge tank is technically a constraint also, but with 100gal reservoir, the other constraints are more significant.
The difference between a pump feeding a surge chamber and the pump directly feeding the display tank is volume flow x time.
For example, I use a jebao 15000 at ~4000gph ~ 1.1gps (gallon per second).
I can turn that on to full flow for 30 seconds and achieve a flow of 33 gallons in that period. Sounds great! I can run it for 15 seconds and achieve 17 gallons in that window.
Or I can fill up the surge tank and open up the valve to release 40 gallons in 15 seconds. So, with the same pump, I can change the flow from 17 gallons in 15 seconds to 40 gallons in 15 seconds.
It's converting steady flow rate to a burst flow. The overall average flow rate is the same.
As far as force. The high pressure, high flow from a pump outlet isn't the same as low pressure, high flow from a surge. Personally, I'm converting the surge chamber into a refugium/surge source. That matters because pump impellers kill most life that would be cultivated in the refugium. That's a secondary effect, but it matters in my system.
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