Entry

Warner Marine | K-1 Cone Skimmer

Cone Skimmers are here to stay with Warner Marine’s latest design. We mentioned in the previous WM skimmer articles that a new design was in the works, and here it is–The Warner Marine K-1 with “VBT Technology”. 
Click all photos to enlarge

K-1 Conical Skimmer Stats

Cell Cast Acrylic Construction
Schedule 80 piping
WM VBT Bubble Plate
Sicce PSK2500 Needle Wheel [...]

Cone Skimmers are here to stay with Warner Marine’s latest design. We mentioned in the previous WM skimmer articles that a new design was in the works, and here it is–The Warner Marine K-1 with “VBT Technology”. 

Click all photos to enlarge

K-1 Conical Skimmer Stats

  • Cell Cast Acrylic Construction
  • Schedule 80 piping
  • WM VBT Bubble Plate
  • Sicce PSK2500 Needle Wheel pump 
    • 950lph or 34scfh @ 25 watts
    • Machined Pump Platform
    • Balanced NW for quiet long term operation
    • Custom CNC Venturi
  • 9.85″ Base Diameter
  • 23″ Height
  • 4.4″ Neck Diameter
  • 15″ x 12″ overall footprint
  • KBI Gate Valve
  • .50″ OD Silicone Air line with Silencer
  • Twist Lock Neck for easy cup removal
  • Rubber feet on base to eliminate vibration
  • Rated for 300g

 

All be the first to admit the Sicce PSK 2500 is not a pump I care for–at all. My experiences have been with mesh and I strongly feel the NW is step in the right direction, but I would prefer an eheim. Based on the photos this looks to be a promising skimmer. Other models are in the works, as are other pumps… We’ll keep you updated as new items roll out. In the mean time be sure to read about WM’s new VBT Bubble Ring.

What is VBT?

Warner Marine’s newly designed Vertical Bubble Technology, “VBT” bubble plate looks to be an effective way to reduce turbulence inside the skimmer body. It’s a simple design and a nice revamp of the standard bubble plate we see everywhere today. The effect is likely minimal, but the idea is worth exploring. Here are some quotes from Warner Marine in regards to their new Bubble Plate design:

 

The typical “bubble plate” is situated in the lower quarter of the protein Skimmer body and is typically 70-100% of the Skimmer body diameter. The needle wheel pump injects the water and air mixture into the “bubble plate” chamber. The air/water mixture is propelled upwards out of the holes in the bubble plate. Because of buoyancy the bubbles will rise, but what does the water do? The water is pushed upwards near the neck and 100% of the water injected by the needle wheel pump drops back down and exits the Protein Skimmer through an output low in the body, frequently below the “bubble plate”. 100% of this water must pass along the inner body wall down around the edges of the “bubble plate”. The pathway of the processed water creates it’s own turbulence as it flows from near the top of the body down the inner side walls and flows past the “bubble plate” toward the output fitting.

We started with the goal of reducing inner body turbulence to maximize the capacity for air flow in a certain size body. The primary flaw in the “bubble plate” technology is the flow of water exclusively along the inner body wall past the bubble plate AND the horizontal turbulence caused by expansion and by shear flows.

The solution is simple yet elegant. We have designed and built an injecting technology that allows water to flow down to the output through the CENTER of the skimmer body. (utilizing one or more holes that pass through the bubble plate equalizing the pressure variance)

Here’s an up close shot at a VBT ring inside a different model.

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Meta

  • mcliffy2
    Concrete,

    Why based on the physics of it, do you think Mr. Warner is wrong? You have said he's biased, but that doesn't mean what he says is wrong. In fact, they could have released it without VBT if they found it didn't work better. Also, the fact something is made in China doesn't mean its not quality. I believe KZ skimmers are made in China...also, I don't see the logic about getting rid of the gate valve. See it as I've overflowed my skimmer a few times using the wedge pipe, I really like the gate valve. I will admit its a function over fashion decision, but in something that I'm filling up with fish poo, I'll take function :)
  • Concrete
    Mr. Warner
    I appreciate your input, but your testing method is obviously flawed. Even if the other skimmer performed better I seriously doubt you would say anything but the WM "won". Bold claims or just Marketing?

    Claiming a Chinese built, Sicce powered, "Interpretation" (good word choice btw) is "better" I think is just ridiculous.

    Why not just make this in the USA? It's already over the $500 mark which puts it in the "High End" skimmer market. This is where people tend to care more about build quality, choice of material, acrylic thickness, customer service, & "Bling" factor so adding a few hundred wouldn't really matter anyway.

    Eric said it best on the SWC "Cone" preview.

    "Once you break past the $500 mark it is a completely different customer. However rational or irrational it may be, most of these customers want the best… so what’s another few hundred dollars?"
  • Jon Warner
    There is no doubt as to the efficacy of the VBT. The VBT test mule ran for 6 months, 1 month next to another cone-like competing model. Multiple owners of different skimmer brands confirmed that visually the VBT equipped model was less turbulent and a greater percentage of the body was filled with stable foam.

    Indeed, the skimmate production was also greater and of better quality.

    Horizontal turbulence with a standard bubble plate is easy to visualize. Water comes straight up out of a bubble plate but must move to the inner wall of the body to drain down to the base. By definition this is a horizontal movement.

    A cylindrical skirt and/or conical extension simply changes the location of the point of turbulence. Downward water flow strikes the edge of the "point" with too much velocity causing turbulence. Look at the edge of the cylindrical skirt, you'll see it.

    The problem with a non-VBT plate is twofold.

    1) You have too much water velocity near the edge of the plate/extension

    2) You have horizontal turbulence dictated by the design of the solid bubble plate.

    Both problems are reduced by VBT. Logically, the velocity of water flowing past the plate/extension is reduced and there is less horizontal turbulence created by movement of water "outwards".

    We have single port VBT designs AND multi port VBT designs we're currently testing for future use.

    The best way I can describe a VBT equipped body is to imagine a large airstone skimmer with the water feed turned off.
  • I dont get it myself. I agree a little bit with Concrete on this one... it could be considered an innovative distraction from the idea that it is a 'cone clone'. Im not so sure what 'horizontal component' is being talked about here as far as the water movement is concerned... you are providing just another path for the water to drain out it seems to me. ATB's use an acrylic ring around the top of the bubble plate... sort of like an ATI bubblemaster, just much less flow density. BK's use a funnel over their bubble plate. These two methods prevent the water from moving 'outwards' really above the cone in any horizontal manner. It seems to me that a properly designed bubble plate wouldn't have any problems with 'horizontal water motion' in the first place... the bubbles rise up and very shortly above the bubble plate they are stacking up against the cone. Not to mention... wouldnt that be a good thing? water from the middle would have to travel to the outside edge of the skimmer to get out, rather than have a 'shortcut' through the center.

    I bet that center tube ends up being a detritus trap... detritus that could have been trapped in the bubble column and put in the cup if it didnt have that extra escape path.

    Dont go thinking that means I dont like it... I merely question the idea that the central 'drain' is really of any use, or that it might actually hurt performance more than help it. If you have too much horizontal motion in the cone... methinks you didn't do something else right to start with. putting a cylinder around the bubble plate is a much more sensible way to prevent horizontal turbulence IMO. The cones also suffer from too much turbulence if you dont have enough air going into them... this causes you to raise the waterline, which means the bubbles and water have more room between the bubble plate and above the waterline to 'swirl around'. Trust me, my XL cone with 4000lph is actually much less turbulent than with only 2600lph of air because with only 2600lph, my waterline is that much higher.
  • Swordfish
    I don't know why everyone is flipping out over the whole "knockoff" issue. Knock-off compared to what? ATB? Well, that's just a big knockoff of the KZ skimmer and you didn't hear anyone going on witchhunts over that. And the KZ? Well, we all know who beat Thomas Pohl in that race, don't we ;)

    I mean, hell, what about bubble plates, pond pumps, custom volutes, mesh wheels (yes, he beat ATI to it) and such? Everyone should be lamenting over how the entire skimmer industry is just scavenging off of Klaus' ideas.
  • Perhaps they are bold claims, but having never seen it in action I cannot possibly judge them right now. On paper he makes a valid point in the turbulence created by traditional bubble plates, and this may or may not be useful. Time will tell.

    At the end of the day, the real inventor of the cone skimmer may be Chun-Chieh Liu but I don't see anyone bringing his name up ;) I really don't feel this is a knock off, but to each their own. Technology and new products are about evolution. ATB evolved their designs with Laguna's and enlarged volutes, and now WM is evolving their skimmer designs with a cone body...both companies are smart for doing so.
  • Concrete
    Jon from WM is making some pretty bold claims. "A better cone skimmer". The "Bubble Ring" seems more of a gimmick, or maybe just a distraction from the fact that this is just another Knock Off?
  • Concrete
    Get rid of that gate valve... Please, It's hideous
  • MR294
    Overall it looks like a nice skimmer, although I would prefer a wedge-pipe to the gate valve, and I'm not particularly thrilled by the sicce. It will be interesting to see what price point they go for in relation to ATB and the new MSX cones.
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