Skimmer Bubble Plate Vorticity

[PJtree23]

Given the no slip (fluid velocity at a wall is exactly zero) boundary condition.

If the bubble stream from a needle wheel skimmer pump encountered a "bubble plate" wouldn't total vortex formation and bubble quantity decrease?

What evidence is there documenting a bubble plates effectiveness?

Thanks,

PJ

 

[Gorgok]

Some Reef Dynamics guy in a video by LA Fishguys i believe said that bubble plates are basically a waste of space and actually make the skimmer 'smaller.' He did mention that there is a reason to have them in some really large designs or such, but i don't recall the reasoning.

Some things in every hobby seem to follow in the 'monkey see monkey do' pattern, where an idea that someone experimented with then discarded was adopted by everyone else until the original inventor was forced to use it again simply because the public now expected it.

I do not, however, have any real evidence one way or another.

 

[jcw]

I wonder if removing the bubble plate next skimmer maintainence is in order.

 

[Gorgok]

Speaking of removing it... I actually tried just a few days ago when i had my skimmer in my hands. But apparently it was glued in place (rather poorly i would say too, its all crooked), so no luck.

But! I think it would be real cool if someone got 2 Avast CS1 and simply omitted the plate in one and built the other as instructed. They should be identical in every other way that way so a fair comparison could be run. Maybe there are other skimmers you could do this to, but the CS1 jumped to mind first. Anyone got a little money to burn? Its for the greater good!