050429 -- GWHX inlet tube tests

Plot 1: Full length inlet tube with groups of 4 half inch holes at one inch centers along tube.

2 gallons added at a rage of 2 gpm, added water at 98F

Overflow water was 68F

I took pictures of this add, but they are not too helpful -- barrel became dark with dye quickly.

Plot 2: Full length inlet tube with groups of 4 half inch holes at one inch centers along tube.

2 gallons added at a rage of 2 gpm, added water at 85F

Overflow water was 70F

Plot 3: Full length inlet tube with groups of 4 half inch holes at one inch centers along tube.

2 gallons added at a rage of 2 gpm, added water at 52F

Overflow water was 70F

Plot 4: Short tube with no holes -- tube extended 6 inches below water line

2 gallons added at a rage of 2 gpm, added water at 98F

Overflow water was 75F

Plot 5: Short tube with no holes -- tube extended 6 inches below water line

2 gallons added at a rage of 2 gpm, added water at 64F

Overflow water was 77F

Summary Plots:

The little summary charts (below) cover all three of the inlet tubes (quarter inch holes, half inch holes, and short tube).  The are in a matrix with inlet tube config across, and temp of water add down.

Each plot shows the energy increase/decrease  in energy (BTU)  for each layer of water in the barrel from top to bottom.  Each layer represents about 6 inches of barrel depth.  

If you plot the temperature change at each level of barrel, you get basically the same plots, since each layer of barrel has the same amount of water in it.

To me, when you add hot water to barrel you would like to see the energy/temperature in the top (left) part of chart increase, and when you add cold water, you would like to see the energy/temperature to come out of the bottom (right) part of chart???

To me:

On the hot water add (98F), none of these seems to me to do very well.  They all add more energy (temperature) to bottom of tank than to top of tank.  Of them, the half inch hole ones seems a little better than others??

On the cold water add (around 55F), again, none of these seems to me to do very well.  Since you are adding cold water, some energy is going to be lost from the barrel -- the hope might be that this would be minimized if the entering cold water went right to bottom of tank and out the drain.   Maybe the short tube is a little better, since it leaves the top two layers pretty much  intact?? 

Am I missing something??  Is this the right way to think about it??

Note that the left side of each chart is the top of barrel, and the right side is bottom of barrel.

1/4 inch hole inlet tube in this col	1/2 inch hole inlet tube in this col	Short inlet tube in this col
+ 2gal @ 98F	+2gal @ 98F	+2gal @ 98F
+2gal @ 84F	+2gal @ 85F
+2gal @ 54F	+2gal @52F	+2gal @ 64F

The temperature data for these charts is off the logger temperature plots -- summarized here:

Gary 04/30/05