2017 - which ELECTRIC trash pump - battery??? mini highbanker into dredge

[kcm]

Been away for a few days....let's see here - Are you asking a question here or making a statement?


I think your best friend right now is going to be to do some online research. This could include reading forum posts on here as well as other prospecting websites, such as ICMJ, GPEX, golddredger.com and others. Also do an image search (like with Bing.com) and search for something like "portable suction dredge". See what all is out there. Click onthe links and learn how different styles and setups work. Before spending your money, make certain of what you need. One thing many newbies overlook is the hose. There are hoses that are smooth on the inside, and other hoses that are more corrugated-like, such as those for sump pumps for example. There's also hose meant for dust collection systems. People have used all types of stuff in their creations over the years. Smooth-wall is going to be your friend. If you're wanting as quiet an operation as possible, then you need as little friction as possible. The cheaper corrugated-like hoses will make your system much less efficient.

...I'm wondering if you're asking if the suction hose going from the nozzle to your highbanker is the same size as the nozzle. Is this correct? If so, the answer is yes.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[brobronek]

Hi KCM --- you are 100% right-- I will stick with the gravity dredging and just try to improve my setup.

 

[coolfinie]

Taking the original question.
750 Watts is one horsepower (approx).

So if you are emulating a 4hp gasoline engine at half throttle then 2 hp = 1500 W or 1.5 KW
This is a lot of power for portable systems that don't have intermittent use, like eg a drill . You plan to run continuously.

So 1.5 Kw per hour say for three hours would be 4.5 Kw/hours
If you want a deep cycle lead acid battery to do that it will be heavy.

But there are lighter batteries available too, like the lithium based batteries, and these weigh a tiny fraction of the weight of lead based batteries.
They are however far higher in cost than lead acid.

Weight matters in model aircraft, and especially model helicopters, and electric models aircraft of large size use the batteries (at the low weight) you require to do it in EP.
There are plenty of model planes and helicopters drawing 1.5KW to be seen and they are producing exactly the same power and performance as the gasoline engine versions they have replaced, at a higher cost it must be said. But they are utterly reliable and just as powerful. They are not as quiet at you might think because of the power at the propellers being the same as gas. But the motors do not emit any significant noise.

At 1.5 KW to use a standard pump would be silly, because brushed electric motors waste half of the power going through them and it comes out as heat which must be got into the air to cool the motor. Gas engines have cooling vanes on the engine case for the same reason, and heat is also emitted through the exhaust of gas engines. That heat is gas fuel wasted for no work done, just like a brushed electric motor water pump will do.
A good gas 4-stroke might be 65% efficient (35% heat waste), a brushed EP motor might be 55% efficient (45% waste heat).
A brushless electric motor of top quality will be 90% efficient (10% waste heat), and a third rate brushless might be 75% efficient or similar to 4-stroke but with electric battery instead of gas fuel container. Both battery and full gas container would be heavy items.

So if you look at brushless electric water pumps you will find that they are pretty much unavailable when you get above aquarium or toy size.

But brushless electric motors are the answer. A 2KW BL motor can turn a shaft to drive the same pump as that Honda or trash gas pump, and there will be the same rpm and the same torque available.

So all you need is a machinist to make a waterproof container with some cooling, a connecting manifold to mount and attach that BL motor to that gas heavy duty pump unit. Then buy the speed control unit , motor, battery.

It will be silent, as much as is possible, and won't weight more than the gas alternative. But it's going to cost you big bucks. However it will work perfectly.

Start with that 1.5 Kw battery. Your want 1.5KW for three hours, and a bit to spare so the battery doesn't get destroyed by deep drawdown. So let's say 4 hours. They make these in 18-20 volts and not 12 volts.
So we will use 20V.
1.5Kw at eg 20volts is 1500/20 = 75 Amps and 75 A x 4 hours makes 300 Amp hours for 18V.
If you stay in the common 12 V specification it would be 500Amp hours.

A 280 Amp hour 18v lithium battery costs about 3000 dollars.
A 500 Amp 12V would be about $5000.
They would weight 75 Kgs. about.
No petrol to carry any more. No gas bill to pay any more.

But that cost is your problem. We are still waiting for mass production to bring these prices down.
But it would work, and it would be quiet, and just as powerful with the right pump - the gas pump driven by the proper electric motor instead of gas engine, not a cheap bilge pump with no pressure.
We're just not there yet, and waiting for the auto battery makers to crank up production and reduce costs.

Hope this helps explain the pros and cons involved with high power electric alternatives.

 

[SunshineMiner]

At the moment.... A MUCH cheaper option might be to go contact this guy on ebay.. backwoodsprospecting on eBay

Check out the engine/pump combos he has. They are MUCH cheaper than what you would spend on a proline or keene pump of the same design. He's stated that they've used this design for two years and still running strong. Its imperative to keep a fine screen on the intake to keep damage to the impeller to an absolute minimum as they ARE made out of what looks to be(HOPEFULLY) Delrin which is a self lubricating plastic with VERY good wear properties. I forgot to ask lol.

Anyway... he has BOTH engine/pump combos as well as just the pump head itself. So those of you currently running a harbor freight style pump, his pump head will slide right on and you can do a quick conversion to have a cheap running dredge pump! For the pump head alone he quoted me $180 for 200gpm and $220 for a 325gpm pump head. He said he also sells the impellers and hardware separate so you can do swaps/repairs as needed.

Heres a vid:

 

[winners58]

I saw that video using a waterway spa pump lots of disassembly videos of that pump on youtube
these are mass produced, don't want someone to be disappointed, they don't produce the head pressure of a keene or proline

 

[SunshineMiner]

They easily create more than a standard trash pump though! There are many different models to choose from on their site... He may have talked to them about a higher psi rated pump. Only way to know is when I pick one up in June/July.. I'll let you boys know.