hydraulic reservoir question

[keaton64]

I was thinking of converting a portable air tank into an hydraulic reservoir for the log splitter I am planning to build.
Will this work, has anyone ever tried it?

 

[Crofter]

An air receiver will work. I used 2, 20 lb propane tanks. The intake should not be right at the bottom. You want to create a settling space for sediment with a drain on it. You must also have considerable oil level above the intake to keep from forming a whirlpool to the surface that can suck air. Most dedicated hydraulic reservoirs have a baffle above to prevent this but many get by without it. If you have to do any welding on it treat even an air receiver as possible to explode.

 

[keaton64]

A preview of my idea.

This is my first time posting attachments i hope it works.

 

[ray benson]

How about a 16 gallon stainless steel beer keg. Got this one from the scrap/recycle center.

 

[Crofter]

How about a 16 gallon stainless steel beer keg. Got this one from the scrap/recycle center.

Looks dandy; not rust there. Big enough too for some reserve!

Keaton 64, didn't open your picture. For me, on dialup it would take about 5 minutes to load. BMP makes big files.

Ok now I opened it. What is the volume. You should be close or bigger than your pumps GPM in gallon of reservoir volume. It is nice to have pick up not be directly from the bottom and the entrance of the return should be submerged below oil level to prevent foaming and air entrainment.

 

[keaton64]

my design is for a 10 gallon air tank, i think that would be ok for a 11 gmp pump.

 

[johnha]

How about a 16 gallon stainless steel beer keg. Got this one from the scrap/recycle center.

I bow to you

.

 

[Crofter]

my design is for a 10 gallon air tank, i think that would be ok for a 11 gmp pump.

That should be reasonable size. Will you be making your own connection openings?

 

[Patrick62]

This is a 20 gallon air tank

Lots of welding. You really have to cut a hole large enough to get in there with a wire brush as the rust from being used as a air tank really needs cleaned out.

I used a custom intake made from sheet metal with well over 1000 really dinky holes drilled in it. Filters out branches, bowling balls, and spark plugs.

Once you are satisfied with your welding, pressure test it to locate leaks!

If you have the same capacity as the pump in GPM you will be fine. I tried using a really dinky tank only to discover that things heated up pretty fast.

-Pat

 

[musher]

my design is for a 10 gallon air tank, i think that would be ok for a 11 gmp pump.

That would be a heck of a lot bigger than what the commercial splitters do. My NorthStar (Northern) has an 11 gpm pump, and the tank is a mere 3.5 gallons. Perhaps that is why they recommend tranny fluid if the ambient temp goes over 75 deg. (F).

 

[timbrjackrussel]

hydraulic reservoir

Use a fine stainless pickup filter on pump suction in bottom of tank. Best to have tank above pump intake so there is no chance of cavitation.Use a large intake hose on pump that won't collapse.Put on a return line filter 10 micron and make certain return oil enters tank under oil level so as not to get air mixed in it.Put a magnetic plug on tank to get any supended magnetic junk.Start with a clean tank.I use Automatic Transmission Fluid with a 16GPM 2 stage pump ,10 Horse Honda,inverted 20Lb.propane tank,4.5 inch cylinder 2 inch rod.I left valve on inverted tank to allow draining of water or dirt.Make certain pickup filter has a suction bypass and return filter base has a 15 lb. bypass if it plugs .Change return filter after first few hours then after about 50 hours.

 

[timbrjackrussel]

hydraulic reservoir

I forgot, Don't use any galvanized pipe or fittings, galvanizing can flake off.

 

[ray benson]

Ran across this article about inlet/suction filters.
http://www.insidersecretstohydraulics.com/hydraulic-filter.html

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Looks dandy; not rust there. Big enough too for some reserve!

Keaton 64, didn't open your picture. For me, on dialup it would take about 5 minutes to load. BMP makes big files.

Ok now I opened it. What is the volume. You should be close or bigger than your pumps GPM in gallon of reservoir volume. It is nice to have pick up not be directly from the bottom and the entrance of the return should be submerged below oil level to prevent foaming and air entrainment.

I didn't realize dialup was still available.

Thought I was on slow internet!

 

[Del_]

I didn't realize dialup was still available.

Thought I was on slow internet!

Well you are a bit slow if you didn't catch that this thread is 14 years old.

 

[CentaurG2]

Don’t feel too bad. I still have a rotary dial phone on one of my properties and it works. It will take you ½ an hour to dial 911. Ordering pizza is good for about an hour. The blank stare you get from the cell phone crowd is worth its weight in gold.



17 year olds dial a rotary phone - YouTube

 

[cantoo]

Hey choppy, dang your internet is slow. 2006 thread?