We have developed several hardware/software implementations for generating the water effects illustrated on our site. Much of our technology is under patent or is patent-pending. Where appropriate, we supplement our technology with existing outside technology in order to design cost effective solutions to specific problems.

Specific Technologies

Fountain Pump Control Technology

Our pump technologies afford cost effective means to attain complex fountain or water feature effects virtually unattainable except by significantly more cost-intensive means such as those employed in major existing outdoor fountain installations such as those at the Belagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Our technologies realistically bring complex fountain effects within the reach of home, garden, and small office water-feature budgets.

Our patented and proprietary pump control technologies are embedded in micro-controller-based electronic modules. These modules control the flow rate of several types of submersible and non-submersible DC and AC pumps either by pre-programmed instruction sets, by direct user-control, or by external inputs such as auditory, ultrasonic or infrared signals. Each of the controlled pumps can be connected to nozzles or specialized water-display manifolds and can be synchronously controlled to yield an integrated display.

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Fountain Pump Design Technology

Our patented bi-directional pump technology makes it possible to generate a forwards and back flowing water surge. In contrast to existing bi-directional pumps, our pump technology allows a programmable inflow or outflow of water from a single pump. One fountain application of the technology would be a water display incorporating a pump of our design, which would generate a dynamically changing above-water plume cyclically morphing into a vortex. The result could be time-varying with flows ranging from subtle to the extremely turbulent.

In the reef aquarium arena, our patented pump design allows a realistic tidal surge to be generated in a reef aquarium with as little as one pump. Such a "tidal" surge positively impacts the health of corals and other marine invertebrates in reef aquaria.

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Fountain Display Technology

• Water Wall Technology

  Our utility and design patented water wall technology lends itself to large-scale water walls which display changing patterned effects behind translucent lensatic screens. Our water wall modules can be free standing or can be imbedded in an interior or exterior wall of a home, office or museum building.

  A distinct advantage of our water wall technology over the prior art is that all water behavior is separated from the viewer space by a clear glass front-piece. This eliminates drinking-water-level quality considerations in commercial or museum spaces where it might be likely for children to interact with the water in the feature. The technology results in reduced maintenance requirements and eliminates liability issues associated with slip-and-fall accidents and water quality.

• Water Bell Technology

Shape Changing Technology

Our proprietary water bell shape changing technology is used to generate dynamically changing enclosed water bell sheets that maintain enclosed form while varying in size and shape. This technology has been evolving since the late 1990's and has lately centered on sustaining large diameter water sheets - not necessarily "bell-shaped" without breakup.

Bell Nozzle Technology

Proprietary water bell nozzle technology specifically designed for generating large and varying enclosed bell shapes (three foot diameter and higher) makes possible the precise control of sheet dynamics enabling spectacular water bell displays to be realized with virtually no time lag between signal and water bell response.

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Lighting Control Technology

We have developed micro-controller-based lighting controllers that can be used in conjunction with our pump controllers. One of these controllers, a patent pending metal halide light controller, can be used to provide a glimmering display that responds to ambient room illumination. In addition to its visual appearance the display technology results in maintenance and power cost savings.

An application of the technology to the aquarium industry involves the generation of time-of-day lighting intensity variation for salt water reef aquarium lighting. This variation has positive effects in reducing the buildup of toxic oxygen-free radicals in corals and contributes to the health of the aquarium. We currently have produced a pre-production prototype of a metal halide reef lighting controller employing this technology.

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Tinnitus Masking Fountain Technology

We have developed specific fountain technologies to generate user-adjustable masking sounds that offers relief for tinnitus sufferers. These patent pending technologies are embedded into tabletop water-based devices that the tinnitus sufferer can place in work, home and sleeping environments to mask and/or distract him /her from brain-induced ringing in the ears. While these elegant and visually unobtrusive devices use water as a medium for sound generation they read as "fountains" thus not bringing attention to a tinnitus sufferer's impairment. To the non-tinnitus sufferer they simply add a pleasing, natural background sound to the home or workplace environment and are useful for relaxation or meditation practice. They are especially useful in psychiatrist and psychologist waiting rooms to aid in keeping the doctor-patient interactions private. You can order our masking fountains from our sound fountain website www.SoundFountains.com.

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As our technological capabilities are expanding, new developments may not, as yet, be described on our site.

We would be pleased discuss our capabilities with you and respond to your specific display and control requirements.

Copyright © 2003-2010 Fountain Kinetics

Fountain Kinetics is a division of ArtSciDesign, LLC - a company dedicated to merging art, engineering, technology, and design into functional art works and products for the 21st Century.