Can you split single water pickup

[eehess81]

I'm building a DF23, almost done. I have a single water pickup on rudder. My esc has dual inlet/outlets. Can I split the flow going in and join them after to go to motor jacket? I realize one side will get less but that's better than one side getting none right?

[Panther6834]

Check the OSE site...you will find water line splitters. So, in short, the answer to your question is, "yes". But, is that what you really want to do. I had thought of doing the same on my SonicWake shortly after I got it. Then, I started reading up on the subject, in the OSE & RC Groups forums (I'm no longer a member of the latter, for reasons which I sure ALL other former RC Groups members would understand), I came to realize it wasn't 'advisable'.

I won't go into details as to "why"...for that, it's ready enough to look it up, and read for yourself...but, in short, you (essentially) end up 'starving' the water line after the 'split'. Better/Smarter/More-advisable recommendations were to install in-hull pickups, swap the rider for a dual-pickup rudder, install a 'prop blast' pickup, or install a transom pickup. With all of these options, you'd be able to run one line through the motor's water jacket, with the other line cooling the ESC (for ESCs like yours, and the SonicWake's stock ESC, you just have a short 'U-turn' piece, directions the water through one side, then the other). Alternately, you could run one line through the motor's water jacket, then through one side of the ESC...and, worth the other line, just run it through the ESC. Work this 2nd option, if you were able to determine if one side of the ESC runs cooler than the other side, that's the side I'd run the motor/ESC line through.

Just as there's multiple ways to skin a cat (please, do NOT skin any cats...or ANY animals, other than those you might hunt for food), there are multiple ways to cool a boat's electronics. Now, speaking of boat electronics, it's time to do a "brushed conversion" (making it slower, to be a better "rescue boat") on my ProBoat Shockwave.


~ More peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

[plinse]

You can also simply connect both sides of the ESC in a row. Very simple and completely ok. I never had problems doing so.

[eehess81]

So something like this would work?IMG_20210713_142538636.jpg

[Peter A]

So something like this would work?IMG_20210713_142538636.jpg

Yes that is the normal way.

[eehess81]

Great easy fix! Thanks!

[Panther6834]

So something like this would work?IMG_20210713_142538636.jpg

That's the 'U-turn' I mentioned. That's exactly how the stock ESC for the SonicWake was set up...that is before I swapped in a dual-pickup rudder, and SeaKing 180A ESC.


~ More peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

[plinse]

So something like this would work?IMG_20210713_142538636.jpg

Exactly that way and it is just a Flycolor 90A, not really a high power ESC. No need for anything fancy

[jaike5]

I make a manifold out of pvc pipe , one inlet and as may outlets as you need. in my p-limited sport hydro one to the motor, one to the motor mount, two to the esc, this means four water out lets, but each component gets fresh cool water. You can control flow by using a zip ty on the water in or out line to that component.
My esc was taking to much water so I zip tied off both lines to the esc to even the flow to all components.
Cheers, Jay.

[plinse]

You definitely have to check such installations quite precisely as water chooses the path of the lowest resistance.
The more splitting the more option to have a channel with very low water flow and this should not be the ESC

Putting it all in series or installing an additional pickup is usually the more reliable choice. The cooling is usually limited by the heat transfer from the cooling structure to the water, not by the water flow.
If you want to improve cooling you rather change the cooler on the flycolor ESC then splitting water supply or doing anything like that.

All the coolers with just a whole drilled through it have quite poor thermal properties, very little surface and definitely the heat transfer being limiting and nothing else

[jaike5]

the more water flow, the more the heat removed.

[ray schrauwen]

I make a manifold out of pvc pipe , one inlet and as may outlets as you need. in my p-limited sport hydro one to the motor, one to the motor mount, two to the esc, this means four water out lets, but each component gets fresh cool water. You can control flow by using a zip ty on the water in or out line to that component.
My esc was taking to much water so I zip tied off both lines to the esc to even the flow to all components.
Cheers, Jay.

COOL! Thanks Jay!!

How could you tell the esc was taking too much??

[jaike5]

testing with my custom garden hose with a big globe of silicone with a piece of brass tube stuck in it. Run the tap with the hose attached to the rudder line I could see the difference in what came out of the 4 outlets esc was clearly the one with more flow. So i zip tied both leads to even out the flow.
cheers, Jay.

[plinse]

the more water flow, the more the heat removed.

Sorry I forgot and that is why you split the limited water from one pickup to 4 separate channels so each component gets a small amount of water... interesting

[jaike5]

Interesting... with a really quick boat the water pressure is large, there for the pressure in the manifold is as well. the line that goes to the motor mount has the most restriction, but still has good flow. Works really well with a dual pick up on my p-limited mono. This method may not work as well on slooow boats !!
J.