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melev

Flow rates measured at last

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Sanjay Joshi recently published his results on measurable flow in the tank, testing a number of pumps many of us use. I received this email from Ecotech Marine, one of our sponsors:

EcoTech Marine Pumps Deliver More Flow than Promised

New study proves that flow from the VorTech family of pumps exceeds even the company's own advertised claims

EcoTech Marine, the company that revolutionized the reef aquarium propeller pump, is pleased to announce the results of a scientific study on flow rates published today in this month's edition of Advanced Aquarist magazine.

Dr. Sanjay Joshi, Ph.D., professor of Industrial Engineering and Manufacturing at the Pennsylvania State University, conducted the study. He used a proven method to accurately determine the output flow of several leading aquarium propeller pumps. The study scientifically shows the entire VorTech line delivers superior flow rates far in excess of what EcoTech Marine itself was claiming in its own marketing and advertising.

The MP40, the VorTech that started it all, delivers 18.2% more than its advertised claim of 3200 GPH—netting 3781 GPH in the study.

The MP10, ideally situated for tanks smaller than 50 gallons, has an advertised flow rate of 1575 gallons per hour (GPH). The study showed a GPH of 2460—a 56.2% increase over the advertised amount.

The MP60, perfectly matched for the largest aquariums, has an advertised rate of 7500 GPH. It delivered 8509 GPH in the controlled study—an increase of 13.5% and unmatched by any other similarly sized pump in the industry

"At EcoTech Marine, we pride ourselves on delivering technologically superior products with exceptional value," says Tim Marks, president of EcoTech Marine. "Using the most accurate equipment and technology possible to measure water flow, Dr. Joshi looked at a wide range of pumps from a variety of manufacturers. The fact the VorTech delivered superior results is a testament to our unrelenting commitment to engineering and manufacturing the most advanced products in the industry."

In an effort to standardize the flow measurements and claims for aquarium propeller pump manufacturers, EcoTech enlisted the help of Dr. Sanjay Joshi to design an independent study utilizing the latest in analytical techniques available. To perform the study, Dr. Joshi used a Sontek 10-MHz Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter in a 350-gallon aquarium. The velocity profile of the pump exit flow was measured at a distance of one diameter downstream from the output of the pumps, and these measurements were used to determine the volume flow rate output.

"We're very pleased with the results of the study," said Marks. "The loyalty of EcoTech Marine customers has been rewarded. Reef aquarists purchase a pump for an expected performance, the most important of which is flow rate. We'd rather under-promise and over-deliver any day of the week to earn our customer’s loyalty."

Click here to read the full article in Advanced Aquarist and see how the VorTech stacked up against the competition.



I'm positive many of you will find it to be very interesting. He has taken the guesswork out and applied some real math - love that!

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Comments

  1. Jnarowe's Avatar
    Awesome! So what does that mean, "distance of one diameter downstream"?
  2. Robb in Austin's Avatar
    Thanks for sharing Marc.

    I'm a bit surprised by the Tunze's and Koralia's results.

    Jnarowe; presumably, the distance the measuring device was placed downstream from the front; equal to the diameter of the pump face, i.e. if the pump face is 2 inches in diameter the measuring device was 2 inches away.
  3. Jnarowe's Avatar
    hmmmm....I wonder how important that really is for hobbyists? I suppose to get accurate results across a spectrum of designs, that's a fair comparisson, but I would be more interested in flow/cu in. @ 1ft and 2ft. The article and study are amazing to be sure, and in no way am I trying to detract from that great work. Just curious about the measurement. I sure would like to see a Maxi-Jet 1200 mod in there too, but I am sure moded pumps would be DQ'd for all sorts of reasons.
  4. Robb in Austin's Avatar
    In the real world, not very but we all know that you "need" 20-40x turnover so the numbers are at least useful and now we can say X brand will need 2 powerheads to accomplish the goal.

    It was probably a matter of just trying to get raw numbers. I would think that flow at 1 ft or 2 ft out would be so random that measurements would be unrepeatable. Also that far away you start running into aquascaping in a real tank which really affects flow.
  5. melev's Avatar
    I still have to take the time to read the full article. I did a cursory scan and then posted it up. The MJ 1200 may very well be their new propeller pump, Jonathan. They released a new pump earlier this year that can be used like the regular MJ 1200 or like a propellar pump. Everything comes in one box. You can google it.
  6. dahenley's Avatar
    I would also be interested in flow rates at 1and 2 feet. Especially since most corals are X distance away from the pump, to see which travels well. Because flow rate might be foot a 2" but at 12", what's the drop off.... that will tell you more about pumps and help you more in placements.