Hydrophore
A hydrophore is a pressure and expansion tank in which air (or any other gas ) in the upper part of the tank is pressurized from below by a liquid medium. During compression, the air pressure is in equilibrium with the pressure on the water surface. The volume of the gas in the upper part decreases sharply from the start of compression to the end ( Boyle-Mariotte law ). Since gases, in contrast to liquids, have a very pronounced compressibility , the compressed gas can be regarded as an energy store or buffer.
In contrast to the diaphragm pressure vessel , air and medium are in direct contact with the hydrophore.
Since the hydrophore can lead to a loss of air in the upper part of the boiler, for example through leaks or the dissolution of air in water, the losses must be replaced from time to time. Due to the lower maintenance requirements, the hydrophores have been pushed back from the market by membrane pressure vessels.
Application example
Hydrophores are often used in domestic waterworks , i.e. tap systems at underground wells. In this type of use, the term `` wind boiler '' is usually used. They serve to create a pressure reservoir (pressure accumulator) in order to have a sufficiently large pressure reserve when "tapping" (i.e. the withdrawal of water) so that the pump connected to the inlet side of the hydrophore does not have to start constantly to increase the system pressure to bring a certain amount. The hydrophore here represents a delay element.