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How to measure the amount of liquid water in a thin tube (like a syringe)

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SilverSolder:

--- Quote from: Mechatrommer on June 19, 2020, 03:51:40 am ---or you can connect the tube to adjacent large tank reservoir (both open air system) tube's height is adjusted accordingly to get the level to the tip, and then it will take many humming birds to reduce the level slightly. needs no electrical parts.

--- End quote ---
This is a good one.  And you put a scale under the bigger tank, to weigh it, and thereby keep track of consumption.

pickle9000:
To expand on using a peristaltic pump to measure. You could detect the beak entering the flower with a sensor. Still have a high limit (full flower) when the beak is gone fill the tube (flower) up with the pump. A stepper driven pump or one with an encoder should be accurate enough. This would also allow a more natural fill routine (meaning the flower could be emptied as a natural one would and no motor noise while drinking).

Mechatrommer:

--- Quote from: phil from seattle on June 18, 2020, 06:12:17 am ---The feeders I am familiar with are closed end, inverted tubes.  The opening at the bottom sits in a shallow pan with the rim maybe 1/4" higher then the bottom of the tube.  The tube is filled with nectar and inverted.  As the hummers lick the nectar, it lowers the level in the pan. As this happens the pressure in the tube decreases. At some point the level of the pan gets low enough, a bubble of air enters and a small amount of nectar escapes into the pan and the the cycle repeats.

--- End quote ---
the description sounds familiar with printer CISS tank system. i once thought there is no issue (ie constant tank pressure) i usually reset the level on the "pan side" to zero by flipping them to the side, escaping most air in the resevoir side pulling back all liquid on the pan side, and then later i sometime noticed the level on the pan side (open air side) raised by itsef even if i dont use them for printing. one day the rubber cap on resevoir side tube connection (a bit loose and diyed) burst to the air, it was in storage mode where i put both rubber caps on both sides, when i came back home inks splattered everywhere in the room. so it got me thinking what the hell has happened. so i concluded its the room temp fluctuating. when i reset and cap the tank, it was on cooler night, and then on hotter mid day, pressure developed (air/gas/liquid expanded) in the tank and got bursted.

so.. i'm guessing with this setup, and the pan is only few mm height, on hotter temp, the tank will push the nectar out and spilling the pan side, when cooled, it sucks more air zeroing the pan, on hot again, spill the nectar again until they all empty even without a bird licking it. so temp must be controlled as well, or give enough height (or volume) on the pan side to compensate for temp fluctuation.

SilverSolder:

--- Quote from: Mechatrommer on June 19, 2020, 05:51:38 am ---
--- Quote from: phil from seattle on June 18, 2020, 06:12:17 am ---The feeders I am familiar with are closed end, inverted tubes.  The opening at the bottom sits in a shallow pan with the rim maybe 1/4" higher then the bottom of the tube.  The tube is filled with nectar and inverted.  As the hummers lick the nectar, it lowers the level in the pan. As this happens the pressure in the tube decreases. At some point the level of the pan gets low enough, a bubble of air enters and a small amount of nectar escapes into the pan and the the cycle repeats.

--- End quote ---
the description sounds familiar with printer CISS tank system. i once thought there is no issue (ie constant tank pressure) i usually reset the level on the "pan side" to zero by flipping them to the side, escaping most air in the resevoir side pulling back all liquid on the pan side, and then later i sometime noticed the level on the pan side (open air side) raised by itsef even if i dont use them for printing. one day the rubber cap on resevoir side tube connection (a bit loose and diyed) burst to the air, it was in storage mode where i put both rubber caps on both sides, when i came back home inks splattered everywhere in the room. so it got me thinking what the hell has happened. so i concluded its the room temp fluctuating. when i reset and cap the tank, it was on cooler night, and then on hotter mid day, pressure developed (air/gas/liquid expanded) in the tank and got bursted.

so.. i'm guessing with this setup, and the pan is only few mm height, on hotter temp, the tank will push the nectar out and spilling the pan side, when cooled, it sucks more air zeroing the pan, on hot again, spill the nectar again until they all empty even without a bird licking it. so temp must be controlled as well, or give enough height (or volume) on the pan side to compensate for temp fluctuation.

--- End quote ---

You also have atmospheric pressure variations that could have an effect.

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