[compost_tea] Micro bubbles + water pump...

From: Thomas Giannou <thomas_at_tandjenterprises.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2003 11:36:01 -0700

Bob,

Here's a couple of thoughts.....

If you have a circulating water pump hooked up to a micro bubble venturi yo=
u can put an inline heater on the water line and it will gently raise the t=
emperature of the water. The water pump will circulate the water and will =
break fungi and bacteria loose from the compost material. The micro bubble=
 venturi I have been looking at will put a lot of disolved oxygen into the =
water and the air bubbles will stay suspended in the water for hours. The =
venturi I have in mind has large holes in it and will not clog up. The com=
post can be put in a 5 gallon container (a bucket) and submerged and held d=
own and the water output can be directed into that container. One can cont=
ain the compost in a large paint filtering bag to keep the large particles =
from getting out into the water. The bucket can have a bunch of holes in i=
t to let the good guys out. The micro bubbles will spread all through the =
water and make it look like milk from all the air suspended in the water. =
The circulating water pump will solve the agitation / extraction problem an=
d the suspended micro bubbles will easily saturate the whole container and =
solve the dissolved oxygen problem and it would solve the problem of keepin=
g air in the tea until it can be applied. In fact, this kind of tea will h=
ave lots of air in it when it is sprayed on the soil and the air will go do=
wn into the soil with the water. Then more air will be available to the cr=
itters living in the soil.

The main benefit of this design is the air remains suspended in the tea. T=
his kind of technology has been around in the sewer treatment industry for =
a number of years. If you look at a device called an aerobe-a-jet, a bit t=
oo pricy for my wallet, you will find a micro bubble generator that can sat=
urate thousands of gallons of water. Their smallest sized model might work=
 with some compost tea users who want to brew fairly large containers of te=
a. Add a water pump for agitation and a lot of current problems with makin=
g tea will simply go away. The micro bubble venturi I have in mind will co=
st a lot less and will also generate a lot of 20 micron sized bubbles that =
stay in suspension. The aerobe-a-jet doesn't circulate water. It just pus=
hes out a bunch of 20 micron bubbles to saturate the water with air. With =
compost tea making we need the circulation to break the bacteria and fungi =
loose... but not too violent. I think a water pump could do that just fine=
.

Anyone have any suggestions about a suitable water pump? Brand, make, mode=
l? Different sizes for different volumes of CT tanks?

--Thomas Giannou
http://www.tandjenterprises.com

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Robert Norsen
  To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 10:08 AM
  Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Re: Copper heating element


  Hi Jason You and others might do better to start with an efficient 80 g=
allon hot water heater that puts and holds all the heat in the water rather=
 than in the surroundings. Then fill your tank 80 gallons short of full wi=
th typical 52 F well water. Add 80 gallons of 160 degree hot water and you=
 are going to be at 70 degrees right away and ready to start the brew. No=
 2 day wait for the water to heat while the brewer tank loses about half th=
e heat you are adding. A gas fueled HWH would be economical. compared to =
electric if you can use gas.

  Heat loss in the 24 hour brew will be partly offset by microbic heating. =
 An air driven brewer will cool some. good in summer. Can be offset in w=
inter with in-tank heater. External heaters are gong to put some heat in t=
he tank and some into the surroundings. Not very effective. Defroster cab=
le used to de-ice roof edges can be used by closing the thermostat.

  It won't take much heat to keep the system warm. Bob.



Received on Mon Apr 28 2003 - 14:52:19 EDT

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