[Dak01]

Looks very cool Khalid. New CNC machine!! very jealous.
Are you planning to have your system pressurized? How do you plan to ensure the header is full and the valves will have the water depth available.... particularly when they are all on? Is there a restriction before the return drain? Maybe a spring check in the header?

Keep us posted on the progress.

[Khalid]

Hi Dak,
No pressurization of the system requires. If you have seen my previous video with 8 valves the system was atmospheric pressure and the results were promissing. The pump i am using always produce overflow conditions even all 40 valves kept open so forseeing no starving of water. No restriction in the return drain.
Meanwhile i have programmed the touchscreen monitor and it woks well. Pressing button is fast response but making drawing is slow response. Its cheap LG monitor may be a good tablet produce excellent results.
Thanks

[Dak01]

Can you post a video of your software working?

[Khalid]

Do you want to see my software working with touch screen or the software working with the 40 solenoid valves waterfall?

[Dak01]

I would like to see both but until the valves are constructed, can you show us the working software interface?

[Khalid]

here is the software interface....

[Dak01]

Very nice Kahlid. How is the progress with the water header?

[Khalid]

I shall soon post the pictures of construction of this waterfall.

[Khalid]

Okay,
We have tested 64 solenoid valves waterfall all day long in our FunFair community show for charity fund raising. Lightning and background still needs improvement however technically we have a very good response from the computer-electronics-hardware communication.
Here is the video. The header is at atmospheric pressure and outlet of solenoid valve is 6mm.

[Dak01]

Wow, great work Khalid. I can't believe how quickly it has come together. You must have been working very hard on it lately.
The functionality seems to be very good with good response from the valve creating very nice images. I agree with you that the background needs some improvement. I think a flat, non reflecting black background would make a tremendous difference.

Can you tell me the spacing between your water nozzles?

Congratulations on finishing this project! I know how long you have been working on this and it is great to see your efforts pay off. Great Job!

My fountain is still progressing. I have finished the header fabrication and am currently fabricating the components for the 192 solenoid valves. Each valve is made up of 11 components..... still lots of work ahead. I have redesigned the circuit board and they are currently being printed in Korea... great prices. Will keep you posted as it progresses.

[Khalid]

Yaa a lot of efforts.. Basically i have done improvement in controller program.. Now it has two screen...
1- The first one is now used to convert the designs and store in one file. In this way you make a number of files with 100's of various designs in each file.
2-The second part of program is to run these files in cyclic manner. After finishing the last file the programm never stop and continue the first file. I have given 5sec stops between each file
This way the waterfall run throughout the day without human intervention

The distances i maintained in this waterfall is 1inch centre-to-centre between the nozzles. i have added screen shots of control panel

[kojaetova]

Wery nice ingeneering!

[Khalid]

The valves are 350mamp. So, we can use TIP122 or ULN2803 as a more economical option instead using IRF540 or IRF740 which are costly. Any comments

[kojaetova]

Tip 122 ( darlington) are good but if we use large current of A then they are heating so they are good with cooling section or smaler amount of Amps

[Khalid]

Tip 122 ( darlington) are good but if we use large current of A then they are heating so they are good with cooling section or smaler amount of Amps

Using TIP122(max 500mamp) with 350mamp valve will not heat these Transistors ... However, darlington array (ULN2803) with 8 outputs from same IC may be heated up if all output being taken at same time. A good heatsink will be enough.

[vnuEndru]

Hello everybody, just want to try to make project like this using arduino. And first of all I need to buy valves, so there is few questions:
1) What minimal number of valves it need to obtain good "picture"?
2) Which valves can you advise? What about this ones 1 2" DC 12V Electric Solenoid Valve N C Water Inlet Flow Switch Normally Closed | eBay ?

[vnuEndru]

Hello everybody, just want to try make project like this using arduino. And first of all i need to buy valves, so there is few questions:
1) How many valves it need to get good "picture"?
2) Which valves can you advise? What about this ones 1 2" DC 12V Electric Solenoid Valve N C Water Inlet Flow Switch Normally Closed | eBay

[Dak01]

Hello everybody, just want to try make project like this using arduino. And first of all i need to buy valves, so there is few questions:
1) How many valves it need to get good "picture"?
2) Which valves can you advise? What about this ones 1 2" DC 12V Electric Solenoid Valve N C Water Inlet Flow Switch Normally Closed | eBay

The valves will likely work but the challenge will be getting them close enough together to get some resolution on your water image. Khalid's fountain gets a good picture and if I remember correctly his spacing is 1" between valves. The closer together you can get the valves the better the image resolution. The more valves in a row allows you to generate larger images. The fountain I am working on has <.43" between nozzle centers and will have a total of 192 valves. I currently have 32 valves working and although the resolution is good, the pattern is not yet long enough to display very large images.

[vnuEndru]

... I currently have 32 valves working and although the resolution is good, the pattern is not yet long enough to display very large images.

What valves do you use?
How much do they cost?
Can you upload a video?

[Dak01]

The valves are custom made. The cost is not much unless you count the cost of the machine tools required to make them and the time required to design and fabricate each component.
The first 4 pictures and video are of my prototype water fountain. The last 2 pictures show the current state of my final build.


https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qsfqrp5nadicep8/3ndPa5Yy13