Sculpture Flotation Device

Discussion in 'Stability' started by whitts_r1, Feb 12, 2012.

  1. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    The concrete yellow box is solid? Foam filled? Can you get an air bladder into it?

    -Tom
     
  2. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    What happens when a bird lands on it?

    -Tom
     
  3. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    I hope I haven't been worrying my head over an academic exercise ! :rolleyes: Another thing that could happen here is the wind lifts it higher out of the water, ground effect style of thing.
     
  4. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    It gets a fright and flies off, as the sculpture sinks, then it returns to the normal position. A new way to harness energy is discovered !:D
     
  5. whitts_r1
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    whitts_r1 Junior Member

    Real life, it is to be done within a budget, to the customers design spec. etc. etc.

    do you not think that the cost of plumbing a supply line would out weigh the ease of this top-up/overflow concept.
     
  6. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    The whole moving part weighs 485 Kg ? What is the diameter of the tube that meets the sculpture ?
     
  7. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    You'd be in a much better position to answer that question than I.

    -Tom
     
  8. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    Perhaps a longer pole and just live with the water level variance...

    -Tom
     
  9. Stumble
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    Stumble Senior Member

    I am thinking instead of relying on buoyancy for fine tuning, you only use buoyancy for the first 90% of the weight or so. Then use a hydrolics cylinder attached to a float for the rest of it. As the water level rises, the float lifts, and draws fluid from the cylinder, as the water level goes down the opposite occurs...

    I am not enough Familure enough with hydrolics to design it, but I think this gets around the limitations of just using buoyancy.
     
  10. old dog
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    old dog Junior Member

    sculpture

    1; waterproof the sculpture.
    2; find the c of g to find what amount of boyancy needs to go where.
    3; tether the floatation device at the base of said device with 3 radial cables as close to horizontal as you can get them either back to the pond edge or fixed to equidistant anchor points at the same height as the fixing points on the the floats. Cheers, Old Dog.
    PS. I think 3 floatation devices connected by submersed arms is the simplest approach.
     
  11. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Local hoons will sink it anyway, unless it is behind locked gates at night.
     
  12. GTS225
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    GTS225 Junior Member

    My suggestion may be too simple, but;
    Might I suggest square aluminum for the float tubes, arranged as pictured. Have an access plug on each tube. Check floatation level in a controlled environment, (indoor swimming pool?), then pour in steel or lead shot as needed to adjust float height and sculpture balance. Anchor the assembly to the bottom with chain, rather than a solid post as pictured. However, if a bird builds a nest in the "body" of the sculpture, it's going to upset the weight and balance of it.

    Roger
     
  13. Submarine Tom

    Submarine Tom Previous Member

    Same if it rains, gets dusty, bird pooh, wasp nest, snows, volcanic ash, yard waste, the list is endless. It needs an automatic sensing/adjusting device or to be fixed solid which, IMHO, is by far the best choice.

    -Tom
     
  14. whitts_r1
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    whitts_r1 Junior Member

    The sculptute cannot move around the pond, it is specifie.d that it be fixed to pond floor. Dust bird poo etc. is all maintenance, the list is not endless. There is a pond warden who will do this work. Thanks for the helpful posts
     

  15. Pascal Warin
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    Pascal Warin Junior Member

    Just one small remark. You cannot just balance weight but also take care of transverse and longitudinal stability.
    If the connecting tubes to withstand the efforts they should be calculated for and the main column as well.
    You cannot expect any righting lever as you have almost no waterplane.
     
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