Evaporation System: Copper

[BaudEByter]

Copper is a good conductor of heat. I was thinking of building a row of about 10 copper pipes that channel to a single pipe where grey water comes in. If left in the sun I would think these would heat up pretty hot. If I run the water through then at a slow enough rate I wouldn't even ned to pump it back around. Should it evap before it gets to the end?

Do I know anything about this stuff? No.

[Token]

Heat is not what evaporates water to any large degree on the Playa. It is the arid air, often in single digit of vapor percentage.

A cheap plastic saw-horse, a towel draped over it with both ends dipped in and whicking the gray water will be way more efficient than any copper construct you build.

Surface area + dry air + never ending breeze at BM are all you need.

Keep it simple.

[BaudEByter]

What happens when the dust gets all over the towel? Will this affect that?

Heat is not what evaporates water to any large degree on the Playa. It is the arid air, often in single digit of vapor percentage.

A cheap plastic saw-horse, a towel draped over it with both ends dipped in and whicking the gray water will be way more efficient than any copper construct you build.

Surface area + dry air + never ending breeze at BM are all you need.

Keep it simple.

[Ratty]

I have a bus tray with a removable grate over it. Affecionately know as, The Toxic Waste Dump. We throw everything in there or on the grate. At the end of the event i throw it in a garbage bag. Keep it simple.

[Token]

Yes, dust gets everywhere but does not impact the evaporation. It actually adds surface area.

You can toss the towel like Ratty said.

[Papa Bear]

My experience is that temperature/dust can make a difference. For example, I can see a difference in evap rates between a fresh black evap pond and one that's had some playa accumulate.

That said, Token has it right - surface area makes a much bigger difference than either of those things. Virtually anything you can do to increase the surface area will help - whether that's wicking up the graywater into a towel that's exposed on both sides to the air, circulating it over tulle fabric or hardware cloth ala the evapotron/flying saucer designs, or whatever.

Also, any evaporative gains you happen to get from warmer water go away at night, while increased surface area continues to work in your favor 24x7.

[Canoe]

Black ABS has been used to absorb solar heat for the pond. Some speculation about an ABS chimney on an ABS tank to heat up and circulate air in, up and out to aid evaporation, but as has been pointed out, surface area is king and no wind is rare. If you're willing to pump, then you can flow the fluid over a surface or cloth (you're also breaking up surface films), to maximize evaporation for a given footprint. Then there's things like wind-driven drums and such. Search for what's been done, what/how it worked, issues, improvements, ...

You could always have two: a tried and true designed that worked on the playa, and bring an experiment. Just be sure it can't leak or spray and contaminate the playa. And have a way to collect into closed portable containers for any fluids and/or solids left at the end of the event.

A piece of copper in there may help kill bacteria. Hmmm

[Token]

A piece of copper in there may help kill bacteria. Hmmm

Cu is grand fungicide, but you’re on to something there.

A dab of bleach daily in the pond would go a long way for bacterial suppression.

[ygmir]

Copper is a good conductor of heat. I was thinking of building a row of about 10 copper pipes that channel to a single pipe where grey water comes in. If left in the sun I would think these would heat up pretty hot. If I run the water through then at a slow enough rate I wouldn't even ned to pump it back around. Should it evap before it gets to the end?

Do I know anything about this stuff? No.

I'm a little confused:
are you thinking copper pipe, to heat the water, and the water will evaporate, from inside said pipe? When you say "evap before it gets to the end" It makes me think that.

as to copper fungicide: Yeah it is, but I don't think you'll pick up enough ionic copper just from water flow to do much, unless the water were acidic to some degree. The bleach idea is simple and proven. Boric acid would also work.

[gerflash]

I live with Pepperland Theme Camp, and for the last 6 years or so, we've used a classic Evapotron model (designed by Larry Breed).
Usually, it works without a hitch, but last year, except for a short blast of devastating wind on Wednesday, there really wasn't enough wind to power our Evapotron and get rid of all our gray water. But we noticed that our neighboring camp, Tarwater, had a nearly identical Evapotron as ours, with one exception: attached to it was a small motor that could keep the wheels turning and working when the wind slowed or stopped. I wish I'd've snapped a picture of that motor, and talked to someone there to see what they used and other details.
If Tarwater peeps see this post, or anyone who has motorized their evapotron, we'd sure like to share in that knowledge! This is Gerflash. See you in the dust.