RC Submarine 5.0 – water pump ballast (3/10)

Next, we need a ballast system with a water pump and a tank. Let’s start by testing which type of pump would be best for the submarine. Pump type comparison Here are four different mini water pumps I bought from the internet. 1. Centrifugal pump DFROBOT DF-FIT0910 6V 2. Diaphragm pump Elecrow PMMA19004A001 24V 3. Gear pump FTVOGUE ZC-A250 12V 4. Peristaltic pump 12V I tested each pump at its rated voltage and measured the water flow, max pressure, and power consumption. Results: What do the results show? First of all, a centrifugal pump definitely cannot be used in a submarine because it doesn’t build pressure at all. You’d need at least 0.15 bar to be able to surface from a 1.5-meter-deep swimming pool. A diaphragm pump is great at generating pressure and flow, but unfortunately it cannot change the flow direction. You would need to add a directional valve. A gear pump is great at generating pressure and flow, and it can even change direction. But unfortunately, it isn’t…