Author Topic: Beach toy  (Read 156 times)

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Offline Caleb

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Beach toy
« on: July 04, 2022, 05:12:18 pm »
While at a local lake, I watched some kids carrying buckets of water up the beach to put into a little pond they had made.  That got me thinking that they could get a continuous flow of water if they had a small solar panel and a pump.  So I ordered a pump from Amazon and pulled out a 5 Watt panel I had laying around in the shed.  A quick test worked pretty neat.  I'm in the process of printing a bracket for the pump with a cage around it where I can add screen to keep out sand.  My thought was to put it on a piece of foam insulation to float on the surface with a hose bringing the water up the beach.  I'm still waiting on the hose, and the print is almost finished.  I'll post a video and pictures when it is finished.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D63A2U0?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

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Offline CG

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2022, 06:33:18 pm »
First time I've seen a charcoal powered pump. :D

Offline Caleb

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2022, 07:20:35 pm »
Here are a few photos of the work in progress.  The screen may not be fine enough for the sand, but its better than nothing I guess.  I have to make a hole for the tube, and I might have to add foam because the solar panel is a bit heavy.








Offline Caleb

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2022, 07:23:10 pm »
Did I post the wrong link?  I guess I didn't catch the charcoal connection.

Offline CG

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2022, 06:55:02 am »
Scroll down the Amazon page.
It's in the description.

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« Last Edit: July 05, 2022, 08:34:52 am by CG »

Offline Caleb

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2022, 10:25:46 am »
LOL!  I didn't see that.

Offline Caleb

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2022, 09:03:13 am »
It is ready for a sunny day.  It has a new raft and I hard wired the solar panel to avoid water and a switch.  I'll turn it off by turning over the solar panel.



Offline CG

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2022, 12:38:37 pm »
Just run the hose out the back and make a solar powered jet boat. ;D

Offline CG

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2022, 09:20:35 am »
Make a video of it pumping in the sun. ;D

Offline Caleb

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2022, 05:27:17 pm »
I plan to, but it looks like we won't have sun until Saturday.

Offline Caleb

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #10 on: July 09, 2022, 08:40:43 am »
All the parts are printed and the beach toy is assembled, but we will be on the road today.  Hopefully we will get to the beach on Sunday.

Offline Caleb

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2022, 05:56:01 pm »
It worked fine for a few minutes and then quit working.  I think sand got into the pump, but maybe something else went wrong.  However, it was fun while it lasted.  One kid started playing in the pumped water after I stepped away for a bit, so I think there is some fun factor there.  The raft idea didn't float; it would drift into shore and got tipped over by waves.  Maybe the solar panel should stay on land and the pump should be anchored into the sand offshore.  It could use a little longer hose too.

The video:  skip to the end if you just want to see it in action.
https://rumble.com/v1bsh5z-solar-pump-beach-toy.html

Offline CG

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #12 on: July 11, 2022, 10:05:06 am »
So I'm wondering about the motor. Brushless dc? Is the motor shaft exposed to water and has a seal? Or is the impeller driven by magnetic flux?

As far as keeping the sand out, a lead sinker on a 12" lime should keep it far enough out so it gets sand free water input.
« Last Edit: July 11, 2022, 10:12:13 am by CG »

Offline Caleb

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2022, 11:16:34 am »
I removed 4 screws that exposes the impeller.  It is just a small plastic four-bladed impeller with a magnet attached to it.  It spins on a fixed shaft with a bushing for a bearing.  I could pull it out, flush out the sand and put it back fairly easily.  It works again.


Offline CG

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Re: Beach toy
« Reply #14 on: July 11, 2022, 01:02:16 pm »
Okay, so the impeller IS the actual motor rotor.