hows it work, whats the benefit?

 

The benefit is very small bubbles and a large chamber for mixing, the co2 input should be closer to the input side than the output, allows for better contact time. Done correctly you can achieve 100% co2 evaporation. Good luck!

 

What is the bypass with the valve for? It's seems this is just a Griggs style reactor with a bypass, whose purpose I cannot determine.

 

Im assuming you saw that on my site?? I think it looks good, only thing I may say is that I would have gone with larger pipe, but it looks pretty tall so it might still be ok.

Bump: The purpose of the bypass valve is to reduce the amount of water going through the reactor chamber. This reduced flow gives the co2 more time to dissolve before it gets pushed out into the tank.

 

How do you keep the bypass flow from blowing the co2 out the other side? Check valve?

 

Im not sure what you mean? its really just a diverter. If you have it completely open most of the flow will go straight through without going into the reactor. As you close it more and more will go through the reactor.

 

It certainly gives you some adjust-ability. A 2" main pipe would give more area than the 1 1/2 and the 3/4 together. You would have the same amount of water going through the reactor as is going through the reactor and bypass now. Since there is more volume to the 2" you would have more water in the reactor and it would be moving the same speed or slower than when the bypass is wide open. I'm not understanding the advantage.

+1. A bigger pipe (diameter or length) would negate the need for a bypass and also speed up diffusion (more flow over the CO2 bubbles). The current setup puts an unnecessary limit on how much CO2 you can pump in and not end up with too much CO2 accumulating in the reactor (resulting in it getting pushed out).

 

The pump you are using, what is the PSI rating.