Aaron Goodwin

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Aquarium Wave Generator
Project 589-04A

• Presented By
• Aaron Goodwin
• Mike Pyrkosz

October 14, 2003
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Water movement is one of the most important
requirements for coral health
90 gallon tank shown
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Water movement is important

• Most are sessile animals (attached to rocks)
• Moves food past them for capture
• Removes waste and allows respiration to occur
• Photosynthesis and calcification rates increase

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Types of Corals
Stony

• Ridged calcium skeleton
• Require high water flow

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Types of Corals
Soft

• Soft tissue surface
• Require low to medium flow

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Customer Base

• Amateur Aquarists
• Pet Stores
• Public Aquariums
• Marine Biologists

Currently 7 million saltwater fish as pets in the
U.S. according to the American Pet Product
Manufactures Association
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Customer Requirements

• Surveys placed on internet forums used by reef
  aquarists

• Water tight
• Reliable
• Provide adequate water flow volume and velocity
• Mounted outside of aquarium
• Generate oscillating laminar flow
• Ability to disassemble for cleaning

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Conceptual Design Process Rejected Concepts

• Oscillating Paddle

• Mounts inside aquarium
• Large
• Metal components prone to rust
• Moving components can fail

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Conceptual Design Process Rejected Concepts

• Oscillating Output

• Mounts on aquarium lip
• Moving parts prone to fail
• Random motion instead of oscillatory

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Conceptual Design Process Rejected Concepts

• Controller for multiple powerheads

• Multiple powerheads inside of aquarium
• Cycles powerheads On\Off causing failure
• Excess heat transmitted into aquarium water

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Selected Design

• Rotational Diverting Valve

• Single inlet
• Alternating outlets
• Low geared motor drive
• Single pump allowed to run continuously

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Plumbing Schematic
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Expected Performance
Water Tight

• Primary determinant of useful life
• All pipe connections will be NPT
• Valve driveshaft seal (orings)
• Targeted useful life to be 2-5 years

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Expected Performance
Make It Adjustable

• Different types of corals require different types
  of motion
• Different users will have tanks of varying shapes
  and sizes
• Flow output/direction and wave frequency all need
  to be adjustable to accommodate different
  customer needs

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Expected Performance
Easy Installation

• User should be able to add device to existing
  set-up with little difficulty
• Device should be small and non-obtrusive
• Device should require little in-tank space
• Targeted average set-up time 2-6 hours

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Benchmark

• SCWD- Switching Current Wave Device

• Popular product among most aquarists
• Usually priced around 30-40
• Flow alternates by gear mechanism driven by inlet
  flow rate.

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SCWD In Operation
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Proposed Product vs. Benchmark

• No disassembly for cleaning
• Gearing is more sensitive to debris
• Rotational speed is function of flow rate
• Limited to one model with one size inlet/outlet
  hoses
• Limited useful life

• Can be disassembled for cleaning
• Larger passages allow for debris to pass through
• Rotational speed of valve is adjustable
• Can adapt to different sizes
• Longer expected life

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Budget

• Actual expense costs 415.00
• Hypothetical
• Personnel costs 22,500.00
• Capital costs 88,000.00
• Direct costs 22,915.00
• Indirect costs 7,561.95
• Final total hypothetical budget 141,391.95

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Project Timing

• Test prototype constructed by January 30, 2004
• Testing completed by February 13, 2004
• Product revisions completed by March 15, 2004
• Production / Public release on May 10, 2004

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Questions?