Hi all. Just to say that I've posted an album of build photos in the CV Max section. http://www.gallery2.clearvuecyclones.com/v/CV1800+and+CVMax/
I've found this site very helpful in resolving questions, and hope that my photos may contribute to stimulating somebody else's thinking. That said it's just my personal take on a system - there's no guarantees whatsoever offered that it is remotely optimal.
The system is a little unusual in several respects:
1. The cyclone was built locally from galvanised steel to Bill Pentz's drawings. It's not expensive to buy a basic cylinder and cone seamed together from a HVAC fabricator, plus the transitions etc. I built it up from this.
2. The blower and 16in impeller came from Ed just before the business was sold. It's impressively well balanced.
3. The Donaldson HEPA 15 Euro spec filters (a bit shorter than the Wynn sourced US units) are mounted in a cabinet which can accept the longer cartridges if needed, this enables outside to inside air flow, and should ease cleaning in the event of carry over as a result of forgetting to empty the chip drum. One downside is that without a diffuser (relatively easily arranged, but not yet done) the 200mm filter cabinet outlet causes some draughts in the office.
4. The cyclone and blower are mounted off a loft floor, and drop down through the ceiling to the room below which contains the filter cabinet and the chip drum. It's got the usual stud and rubber soft mount hanging the blower and cyclone from the mounting, and the mounting is in turn soft mounted to the floor using polyethylene packaging foam pads and rubber hose sleeves on the lag bolts. (see photo) This delivered a surprisingly significant reduction in noise level.
5. The blower is powered by a comfortably sized 4kW ABB 230V 3 phase motor driven by a VFD. This was chosen to (a) overcome the potentially very high start up amps of a single phase motor which would have overloaded my 60A supply (the VFD seems impressively to be holding the start up current down to only 140% of the steady state running amps on a 10 sec ramp), and (b) to make it possible to reach the design 3,450 rpm (with a 60Hz 2 pole US motor) on our 50Hz supply (ireland). Accepting the reduction to 2,850 rpm of a 50Hz motor would have led to a possibly significant tailing off of blower performance at the high pressure (12in WG +) end of the curve.
6. I used galvanised steel spiral ducting. Bill's PVC ducting by every possible measure seems to work just fine, and to even offer advantages; but over here there isn't the same cost saving with it vs. steel, plus I didn't fancy trying to prove to a know it all insurance assessor in event of a fire caused by something else that 'no, PVC is not a risk'.
It's running, and boy do these systems haul some air! It's definitely important to ensure that your ducting is very well sealed or the losses can be quite significant. (I used mastic backed foil tape, and have had no problems - but spiral ducting can leak quite badly on the joints otherwise)
Noise is definitely a factor on these systems too. Don't know how it would measure, but subjectively it's a bit lower pitched but not much louder than my old 1KW mobile bag filter.
That said it's worth planning for the possibility of enclosing the blower and cyclone in a sound reducing cabinet/enclosure as outlined elsewhere on this site. My plan is to run for a while and see how it goes, I can do so if needed. (but my blower is in the loft upstairs which no doubt reduces the noise a bit)
It's still to be tested in anger, but all the signs are that it'll be fine. The chip drum (a 35 gal fibre drum with a poly liner, fill level window and frame to ensure the liner isn't sucked up) is finished.
The remote switching (manual and a key fob operated/radio switches) remains to be installed.
My thanks to all on this site who knowingly or otherwise helped out, ditto to Bill Pentz and Ed Morgano whose expertise and commitment is greatly appreciated. Good luck to the new owners of Clear Vue too.
ian
I've found this site very helpful in resolving questions, and hope that my photos may contribute to stimulating somebody else's thinking. That said it's just my personal take on a system - there's no guarantees whatsoever offered that it is remotely optimal.
The system is a little unusual in several respects:
1. The cyclone was built locally from galvanised steel to Bill Pentz's drawings. It's not expensive to buy a basic cylinder and cone seamed together from a HVAC fabricator, plus the transitions etc. I built it up from this.
2. The blower and 16in impeller came from Ed just before the business was sold. It's impressively well balanced.
3. The Donaldson HEPA 15 Euro spec filters (a bit shorter than the Wynn sourced US units) are mounted in a cabinet which can accept the longer cartridges if needed, this enables outside to inside air flow, and should ease cleaning in the event of carry over as a result of forgetting to empty the chip drum. One downside is that without a diffuser (relatively easily arranged, but not yet done) the 200mm filter cabinet outlet causes some draughts in the office.
4. The cyclone and blower are mounted off a loft floor, and drop down through the ceiling to the room below which contains the filter cabinet and the chip drum. It's got the usual stud and rubber soft mount hanging the blower and cyclone from the mounting, and the mounting is in turn soft mounted to the floor using polyethylene packaging foam pads and rubber hose sleeves on the lag bolts. (see photo) This delivered a surprisingly significant reduction in noise level.
5. The blower is powered by a comfortably sized 4kW ABB 230V 3 phase motor driven by a VFD. This was chosen to (a) overcome the potentially very high start up amps of a single phase motor which would have overloaded my 60A supply (the VFD seems impressively to be holding the start up current down to only 140% of the steady state running amps on a 10 sec ramp), and (b) to make it possible to reach the design 3,450 rpm (with a 60Hz 2 pole US motor) on our 50Hz supply (ireland). Accepting the reduction to 2,850 rpm of a 50Hz motor would have led to a possibly significant tailing off of blower performance at the high pressure (12in WG +) end of the curve.
6. I used galvanised steel spiral ducting. Bill's PVC ducting by every possible measure seems to work just fine, and to even offer advantages; but over here there isn't the same cost saving with it vs. steel, plus I didn't fancy trying to prove to a know it all insurance assessor in event of a fire caused by something else that 'no, PVC is not a risk'.
It's running, and boy do these systems haul some air! It's definitely important to ensure that your ducting is very well sealed or the losses can be quite significant. (I used mastic backed foil tape, and have had no problems - but spiral ducting can leak quite badly on the joints otherwise)
Noise is definitely a factor on these systems too. Don't know how it would measure, but subjectively it's a bit lower pitched but not much louder than my old 1KW mobile bag filter.
That said it's worth planning for the possibility of enclosing the blower and cyclone in a sound reducing cabinet/enclosure as outlined elsewhere on this site. My plan is to run for a while and see how it goes, I can do so if needed. (but my blower is in the loft upstairs which no doubt reduces the noise a bit)
It's still to be tested in anger, but all the signs are that it'll be fine. The chip drum (a 35 gal fibre drum with a poly liner, fill level window and frame to ensure the liner isn't sucked up) is finished.
The remote switching (manual and a key fob operated/radio switches) remains to be installed.
My thanks to all on this site who knowingly or otherwise helped out, ditto to Bill Pentz and Ed Morgano whose expertise and commitment is greatly appreciated. Good luck to the new owners of Clear Vue too.
ian
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