Whisper quiet air pump

[Maf 2500]

Anybody know if these piezo air pumps are powerful enough to run a 20mm jetlift tube of the type used for mattenfilters or the Envobee or Swiss Tropical style sponge blocks?

The raw l/m air volume numbers seem too low.... but I saw one manufacturer quoted the air pressure created and it seemed higher than I would have expected....

 

[ScareCrow]

Anybody know if these piezo air pumps are powerful enough to run a 20mm jetlift tube of the type used for mattenfilters or the Envobee or Swiss Tropical style sponge blocks?

The raw l/m air volume numbers seem too low.... but I saw one manufacturer quoted the air pressure created and it seemed higher than I would have expected....

I use the hygger piezo air pumps on my breeder boxes (ziss and one I made). They're great for that but I doubt you'd get much turnover through a matten filter/ sponge block.

 

[Maf 2500]

I use the hygger piezo air pumps on my breeder boxes (ziss and one I made). They're great for that but I doubt you'd get much turnover through a matten filter/ sponge block.

Thanks. That pretty much confirms what I was expecting to hear. If/when I get any smaller jetlift driven sponges with 16mm diameter pipes I might risk buying one of the piezo pumps to try.

What I don't understand is the quoted pressure for these pumps. Several different brands quote 12 KPa (120 mbar), for example, and hygger too. Compare that to a 3L/min air pump I have which is 150 mbar; more than 600% of the air volume output of the piezo pumps, but only 25% more pressure? Doesn't seem logical to me...

 

[simon_the_plant_nerd]

Thanks. That pretty much confirms what I was expecting to hear. If/when I get any smaller jetlift driven sponges with 16mm diameter pipes I might risk buying one of the piezo pumps to try.

What I don't understand is the quoted pressure for these pumps. Several different brands quote 12 KPa (120 mbar), for example, and hygger too. Compare that to a 3L/min air pump I have which is 150 mbar; more than 600% of the air volume output of the piezo pumps, but only 25% more pressure? Doesn't seem logical to me...

Pressure difference is related to mass flow rate, not maximum pressure. The pump works by displacing the air. As air is moved into the tube the pressure between the diaphragm and the end of the tube increases. This near simultaneously equalises as the end of the tube is open so then air moves out of the tube. The pressure on the end of the tube is lower than the pressure generated at the diaphragm so the fluid moves from the area of higher pressure (at the diaphragm) to the lower pressure (atmosphere).

Placing the end of the tube in water will create pressure on the end of the tube. So will adding air stones, valves etc… The pressure at the diaphragm must remain higher than the pressure at the end of the tube for the fluid to flow from the pump to the end of tube (pressure difference). The pressure difference will decrease so therefore will the flow rate.

A pump will have a limited capability to generate pressure based on its design (maximum pressure). Once that maximum pressure is exceeded by an opposing pressure (let’s say you sealed the end of tube) then no pressure difference will exist and air will no longer flow. Likely the pump will fail.

A larger diaphragm (operating at a given frequency) pushes more air into the tube which creates a greater pressure difference and therefore more air flows in a given time. The maximum operating pressure of a higher flow rate pump can be the same as a pump that delivers a smaller flow rate.