Hey guys,
Looking to build a new bench utilizing 3-4 Orifice sizes. I have looked at the "Mercdog" 68 flowbench page and I am intrigued by that bench. He has the orifices on a "wheel" that can be rotated. My concern is how to seal this wheel to prevent leakage between the chambers. Anyone know how to do this? I like wheel idea... but I'm also open to others!
Thanks!!
Changing Orifice Size
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by 86rocco » Tue Apr 13, 2004 2:12 am
It is designed and constructed to minimize any leakage and I think whatever leakage does occur is accounted for by calibrating each orifice using an orifice of a known fixed size. The mercdog bench is very similar to bench from the Popular Hot Rodding articles found here
- 86rocco
- Posts: 319
- Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2004 9:11 am
by 84-1074663779 » Tue Apr 13, 2004 4:55 am
My flowbench uses a two foot diameter wheel (turret) fitted with eight removable orifice plates.
My wheel is cut from melamine, that is the white coated particle board that they make kitchen cupboards from. It is very hard, flat, and as smooth as glass. It rotates against another sheet of melamine used as a bulkhead in my bench.
The centre bearing is a self aligning ball race, and light spring pressure of perhaps a couple of pounds on the shaft holds both surfaces flat together. A universal joint in the shaft allows the turret to sit completely flat. It is easy to rotate with the blower off, and air pressure clamps both surfaces together tightly without leakage with the blower going.
Eight holes were cut with a 3.5 inch hole-saw ( 88.9mm) through this turret. Some 90mm plastic stormwater end caps are a tight press fit into the turret holes. Various sized orifices were drilled or turned on a lathe.
Each plastic orifice plate can be levered out with a screwdriver and replaced without dismantling the turret assembly. An indexing system consisting of a spring loaded roller on the OD of the turret locates the orifice over a four inch hole located in the main supporting bulkhead.
The turret can be rotated by means of a car steering wheel at one end of the bench.
While the whole thing is pretty enormous, it does allow eight orifice plates of reasonable size, and I can change things around very easily.
My wheel is cut from melamine, that is the white coated particle board that they make kitchen cupboards from. It is very hard, flat, and as smooth as glass. It rotates against another sheet of melamine used as a bulkhead in my bench.
The centre bearing is a self aligning ball race, and light spring pressure of perhaps a couple of pounds on the shaft holds both surfaces flat together. A universal joint in the shaft allows the turret to sit completely flat. It is easy to rotate with the blower off, and air pressure clamps both surfaces together tightly without leakage with the blower going.
Eight holes were cut with a 3.5 inch hole-saw ( 88.9mm) through this turret. Some 90mm plastic stormwater end caps are a tight press fit into the turret holes. Various sized orifices were drilled or turned on a lathe.
Each plastic orifice plate can be levered out with a screwdriver and replaced without dismantling the turret assembly. An indexing system consisting of a spring loaded roller on the OD of the turret locates the orifice over a four inch hole located in the main supporting bulkhead.
The turret can be rotated by means of a car steering wheel at one end of the bench.
While the whole thing is pretty enormous, it does allow eight orifice plates of reasonable size, and I can change things around very easily.
- 84-1074663779
by Bill M » Tue Apr 13, 2004 4:37 pm
I built my bench based on the Popular Hot Rodding bench, which uses the disc with the different orifices. I created a seal by using a large "mouse pad" stapled around the opening in the bench and then orifice plate rests on top of it. It gives a good seal and also gives a slick surface for it to rotate on.
- Bill M
by rob hilton » Mon Jul 26, 2004 8:23 pm
What is a good size of orifice to start off with or how do you gague the starting size?
- rob hilton
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2004 12:40 am
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