Model 5 Console
Don’t guess at what the air is doing. The Model 5 Console generates helium-filled, neutrally buoyant bubbles of controlled size for airflow visualization — in single or double output, expandable at any time.
Bubbles/sec per head
mm diameter, adjustable
m/s flow traced
kg, Pelican case
What it does
The console is where the system is controlled. Helium, air, and bubble film solution are metered independently, with precision micro-metering valves on vernier scales for each output — so bubble size, specific weight and generation rate are set deliberately rather than found by trial.
Bubbles trace airflow at speeds to 60 m/s and pass through rotating fans at high rpm without impact damage. The console handles laminar, turbulent, steady and unsteady flow equally.
Order it with one output and add a second later. Nothing is discarded in the upgrade.
Console layout
- Left — control console: three columns of toggle valves labelled HELIUM, BFS and AIR, with metering valves and vernier scales for Out 1 and Out 2
- Center — Mini-Vortex Filters with Plug-In Bubble Heads
- Right and top cover — storage for wands and tubing
- Rear — two quick-connect fittings for helium and air, and a center fill port for bubble film solution
- Internal — 250 cc bubble film solution cylinder
How the bubbles are formed
The Plug-In Head is a pair of concentric hypodermic tubes. Helium flows through the inner tube; bubble film solution flows through the annulus around it. Air blows the finished bubbles continuously off the tip of the outer tube, 300 to 400 per second.
The Mini-Vortex Filter then removes every bubble that isn’t neutrally buoyant. A tangential jet of air drives the stream into cyclonic motion; bubbles that are too heavy or too light separate out. Solution captured in the filter is reusable.
Specifications
Bubble generation
| Generation rate | 300–400 bubbles/sec per head |
| Bubble diameter | 1–4 mm, adjustable |
| Bubble lifespan | 1–2 minutes |
| Flow speed traced | to 60 m/s |
Operating parameters
| Helium pressure | 138 kPa, regulated |
| Air pressure | 276 kPa, regulated |
| Helium flow | 200 cm³/min per output |
| Air flow | 0.028 m³/min per output, nominal |
| BFS consumption | 50 cm³/h per output, nominal |
| BFS cylinder | 250 cc |
Physical
| Case | Rugged Pelican A.B.S. |
| Input lines | Two, 3 m × 6 mm O.D. flexible, 1/4″ NPT fittings |
| Dimensions | 55 cm L × 35 cm W × 28 cm H |
| Weight | 9.5 kg |
| Recommended solution | SAI 1035 Bubble Film Solution |
What's included
- Model 5 Console, single or double output
- Plug-In Head and Mini-Vortex Filter per output
- Two 3 m input lines with 1/4″ NPT fittings
- Wands and tubing, stored in the case
- SAI 1035 Bubble Film Solution — one gallon with single output, two with double
- Setup and operation manual
- Calibration sheet
Works with
Basic Light
Modulated Arc Lamp
Auxiliary Air & Helium Supply
SAI 1035 Bubble Film Solution
Ordering
Built to order and calibrated before shipment. Ships within 30 days of payment. One year warranty and technical support.
Payment is required with order. For orders under US$2,500 we accept electronic funds transfer, credit card, PayPal or check; above that amount, electronic funds transfer or check. Purchase orders accepted, payment due before shipment.
We ship worldwide, direct from Pinetop, Arizona. Freight, duties and taxes are added to the cost of the system.
Questions
What forms of payment do you accept?
For orders under US$2,500 — electronic funds transfer, credit card, PayPal or check. For orders above that amount — electronic funds transfer or check. Payment is required with order.
Do you accept purchase orders?
Yes. Payment is due before shipment.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes. Freight, duties and taxes are added to the cost of the system.
Do you accept returns?
Usually not, because each system is custom-built for the customer. We review feasibility with you before accepting an order — if the system won’t do what you need, we’d rather establish that first. Your success is our success.
Does the equipment come with instructions?
Every system includes a detailed setup and operation manual and a calibration sheet.
Can I add a second output later?
Yes. The console is designed for expansion, so a single-output system can gain a second output without discarding anything.
Tell us what you're trying to see.
Send us your test conditions — velocity, volume, and what you’re trying to visualize — and we’ll tell you what configuration fits, and what it costs.
Or call (928) 358-7313 · info@sageactioninc.com