Yet another splitter question...

[malibuskier]

Hello all,
I am new here and have had a blast looking around. There is a lot of very cool stuff here. I have inherited a splitter project from my father in law (after he passed away) and am trying to figure out what he had planned and what I should do. I still have a bunch of reading to do (the search function is way cool) but I do have one question to ask. What size tank should I make for the splitter? Here are the important parts (I think): Haladex Hydraulic pump (11gpm 2-Stage), a Lion Welded Hydraulic Cylinder (4 inch bore & 24 inch stroke) and a 5.0 HP Briggs & Stratton motor. I get the feeling the motor is too small, but that is another thread.

I have two options so far. Option #1 is a 5.5 gallon tank and option #2 is a 15+ gallon tank. Both tanks are steel and home made, but option #1 is roughly twice as thick as option #2. I am not sure about #1 but option #2 is 10 gauge.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

Not having built one, I don't have EXPERT advice but from what I've read on here, it seems as though more volume doesn't hurt you. The tank is (generally) under low pressure and the filler caps on many Home Depot/Lowes/Farm & Fleet models are nothing more than a gas cap.

The only drawback to a 10gal vs 5 gal tank is filling it - costs twice as much $$ for an oil fill.

Anyone else?

Thoughts?

Anecdotes?

Bueller?

Bueller?

 

[blades]

Larger tank will aid in keeping the oil cooler. Heat is the enemy of a hydro system. Also the larger surface area (inside the tank) will aid in removing any air bubbles should foaming or air leaks develop. Your suction line for the pump should be very near the bottom of the tank ( just slightly above) and the return line about midway up the tank to prevent aforementioned problems. You do not want to fill the tank completely full as you need room for the expansion of the oil due to heat. Therefore the larger tank is your best choice, likely about 8 gallons worth of oil just for the tank and the other 2 gallons will fill the rest of the system with some to spare. Make sure the fill port or somewhere on the top of the tank has a breather as you do not want pressure to build in the supply tank.

 

[triptester]

Your engine if healthy will handle the 11 gpm 2-stage pump. The 5.5 gallon tank is typical of most base model splitters but a lot depends on the tank design. The greater the distance between supply and return lines the better the cooling. Long and skinny compared to a square cube.

 

[Kong]

My only comment on it as is would be that the engine might be a bit anemic for it, but I don't thing it would be much of a problem. A 4" cylinder with a 24" stroke will require 1.3 gallons of fluid to extend; that's pretty simple arithmatic*. Hoses don't hold anywhere near as much fluid as you might immagine**, there's probably more oil in your filter than in your lines. At any rate the estimate of 2 gallons tied up in the system is a very good rule of thumb. Figure what's in there plus two times the system requirements to give you a good reserve and allow for some time for heat to disapate and that 5.5 gallon tanks sounds just about right. Besides that, you can buy fluid in 5 gallon pails so you should have some head space in the tank.

If you're building it yourself you might want to get some idea as to what a good fill level is. If you've got a 5.5 gallon tank and a 4" cylinder you might want to pour in 5 gallons, cycle the cylinder several times to purge the system of air, then retract the cylinder and shut it down. Make sure the splitter is level then open your fill cap and measure down to the fluid level. This is your "Full" level for the future. Now start the engine and cycle the cylinder all the way out and shut it off. Go back and measure the depth to the hydraulic fluid now. Subtract the short distance from the long distance, they will vary depending on the shape of your tank. Now, take that measurement (low mark minus high mark) and divide it by 0.325 and use the result in the next step. Measure down that distance from your "Full" level and you will have your "Add 1 quart" point. Tack a hack saw and cut notches in a stick at the high and add a quart. Now you got you a dip-stick.



* Pi R-squared times the length of the cylinder gives you 301.4 cubic inches volume to be displaced. There are 231 cubic inches to a gallon, hence 1.3 gallons to fill the cylinder.

** 5.3 cubic inches per foot or 1 gallon per 43 feet of 3/4" hose

 

[malibuskier]

Your engine if healthy will handle the 11 gpm 2-stage pump. The 5.5 gallon tank is typical of most base model splitters but a lot depends on the tank design. The greater the distance between supply and return lines the better the cooling. Long and skinny compared to a square cube.

How about opposite ends? My 5 gallon tank is 6"x8"x26" so there is not a lot differential top to bottom but I could do a lower left/upper right kind of thing.

Thanks again for all the replies!

Dave

 

[triptester]

Both supply and return lines must be submerged at all times. I like to have the return line enter through the top of the tank and extend to about 2" off the bottom opposite the supply outlet. With the return mounted above the tank the filter if you put one on can be changed with little fluid loss.

 

[Ol' Brian]

Malibuskier,

Your 5hp Briggs will be just fine with your splitter project... You'll be able to split anything that you can wrestle up to the machine with what you have there.

As for the tank, the 5.5 gallon tank will be just fine. So would the 15 gallon tank. If you'll be doing most of your splitting in the winter months, I'd say go with the 5 gallon tank... a little heat in the system is desirable when the temps are low outside. With the big tank, it will take your hydraulic fluid much longer to get up to operating temp... which is not really a good thing. Use which ever tank works out best for the setup you have... but the 5.5 gallon reservoir is more than adequate.

Now... let's see some pictures...:spam:

 

[Kong]

Here is what I like the best. When its cold you can warm you hands by just holding the cylinder. Its perfect; and I'm and old fart who can measure the temperature within a half a degree just by how bad my hands hurt.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Judging by your location and name, I'd go with the big tank to help keep temps down. In my area, it would be the opposite, I'd use the smaller tank to have less fluid to get up to temperature on cold days.

Good luck with the build, and remember rule number one around here: POST PICS!

Rule number two: LOTS OF PICS!

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Steve NW WI;1858543]Judging by your location and name, I'd go with the big tank to help keep temps down. In my area, it would be the opposite, I'd use the smaller tank to have less fluid to get up to temperature on cold days.

:agree2:

Biggest reason for xx tank volume is to allow the oil time to cool.

If you put your return and suction line low in the reservoir you can experiment with how much oil you (personally) need to keep the oil temp @ 140~150f

250 f should be considered max and anything under 100f is wasting hp pumping extra stiff oil around.

The heat also really depends on how long you split at a time and ambient temp.

Ken

 

[malibuskier]

The temperature in Central California is 30's to 60's in the winter and 50's to mid 80's in the summer. Not really cold and not really hot. I guess temperatures are not a huge factor. I also don't do this for a living so I don't see myself splitting more than a few cords at a time...

Dave

 

[Ol' Brian]

With that info, I'd go with the 5.5 gal reservoir. But, that's just me.