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DIY Barr's venturi design reactor build

@Nigel95 I didn’t know whether to post this in your EW-604 thread or here, but posted it here as its in the CO2 section and more active.

I use a 20” filter housing as a CO2 reactor - it works very well, was easy to build, and is largely maintenance free.

I basically bought a length of clear acrylic tube, cut it to length to fit precisely inside the filter housing, and over the internal spigot of the filter housing head:

E399C69A-E29B-41D5-8172-EE7B1BA62E3E.jpeg


Cut some large exit holes in the base:

AB709BB5-4CEC-437F-A58D-2326F7EABDA3.jpeg


Took the filter housing lid and added some rubber washers to build it up to avoid the void at the top which could collect CO2:

09047DCF-54C2-4F8A-9093-F456DB379547.jpeg


Then added some PTFE tape around the base and pressure fit the acrylic tube:

1056BD31-1240-44CE-9F57-65DB13605B42.jpeg


The filter housing lid had 3/4” BSP inlets so I used 3/4” to 22mm elbows to maximise flow - and could just about manage to get 16/22 tubing over them:

2638236C-4F65-46E7-80F3-0CF6DF30EA3B.jpeg


I use the filter housing in reverse, so water enters though the centre, goes down the tube and the back up the outside and out. I just use a JBL ProFlora inline ahead of the reactor as I already had it, but it would probably work just as well running the CO2 direct into the inlet tubing.

C51FCA49-CDF3-45DA-9941-B7D148E72BC8.jpeg


I only get the finest micro-bubbles in the tank with this, and could probably eliminate those if I wanted by adding some coarse sponge to the bottom of the Perspex tube.
 
@Wookii Thanks for tips! If I am correct this is a Cerges style reactor right? Did you ever use one of the Griggs style reactor and experienced a huge flow difference between the two styles?

Yes, I guess its more like a Cerges style in terms that it uses a filter housing and goes from top to bottom and back again. I did make a small Griggs style (inlet at the top, outlet at the bottom) prior to that, but I can't say I noticed much difference in flow, but certainly a difference in dissolution. Any style of reactor will reduce flow rates a fair bit.
 
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