Hi All,


I am going to post first time in this forum.


I have a long flexible 1" plastic tube that is attached to itself forming a closed circuit and I'd like to add an electric blower to it to flow air continuously that will make a small ball go around continuously. I'd like to splice the blower into the 1" plastic tube but need to know where or how to exhaust the air to keep the air circuit moving continuously in one direction.

 

Not sure how a fan would work because it will get in the way of the ball.

One possibility might be to have a tangental air jet that gives the ball a kick that fires it all the way round. Or a number of air jets. See drawing.

Of course, if air goes in - it has to come out so one or more outlets will also be needed.

If the ball was metallic (steel or non ferrous) then all sorts of magnetic or electrical ways of driving the ball become possible.

 

I like the air jet idea... one jet to start things off, and several ports to let the air out.

Here's one idea for a vertical loop: air inlet near the botton with several exaust ports on the side where the ball goes up. Gravity brings it back down. Inlet probably needs to be aimed to the rising side

 

I'm guessing that once you start blowing air in and as the ball gets moving the column of air and the ball will keep circulating. You can reduce the air flow after that.

 

You may want to check into an HVAC furnace / fireplace chimney " Draft inducer " and how they are applied... and scale one down to your application..