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Author Topic: Looking for an engineer to build prototype  (Read 5697 times)

keihatsu

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Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« on: November 17, 2010, 12:40:04 AM »
I have an idea I'd like to try and am looking for an engineer.  Please see attached diagram for what I'd like to build.
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spinn_MP

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Re: Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2010, 10:28:33 AM »
Why do you need an engineer to build this concept of yours?
It's very simple, just try to build it...

Or, check the physics around capillary action again. It may save you some time.
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keihatsu

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Re: Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2010, 09:42:10 PM »
Quote from: spinn_MP on November 17, 2010, 10:28:33 AM
Or, check the physics around capillary action again. It may save you some time.

Is there potential energy stored in water's capillary rise?
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keihatsu

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Re: Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2010, 11:06:10 PM »
Maybe this diagram might be more descriptive:
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broli

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Re: Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2010, 01:39:58 PM »
I agree, even a child can do this. You can also replace the tube by a material that can absorb water, like rope or paper.

But this is an idea that most starting in this field have thought of. The problem is always when you want to get the water out. Try to think unconventionally. What if you could switch the tube's adhesion to the water on and off. Then you can let it go up, switch the adhesiveness off.

One way you can do this is by trying to electrically charge the glass and see what happens to height of capillary action.
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keihatsu

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Re: Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2010, 04:08:20 AM »
Quote from: broli on November 19, 2010, 01:39:58 PM
I agree, even a child can do this. You can also replace the tube by a material that can absorb water, like rope or paper.

But this is an idea that most starting in this field have thought of. The problem is always when you want to get the water out. Try to think unconventionally. What if you could switch the tube's adhesion to the water on and off. Then you can let it go up, switch the adhesiveness off.

One way you can do this is by trying to electrically charge the glass and see what happens to height of capillary action.


Where will said child obtain appropriate materials?  Custom capillary tubing of sufficient diameter, flexibility, and coated with hydrophilic substance.  Possible change of diameter near apex of curve to create a bottleneck (this would reduce the force necessary to break surface tension at that apex).

If this is obvious, then where is any literature or example that this has ever been tried before.  I am unable to locate such a source despite active searching.

Also:  since this is so easily understood by children, how does water re-cohere from the capillaries inside the branches into fruit?  EG. a coconut or tomato?  Please explain how a tree can do something that is impossible for us to duplicate.  This must be trivial to explain.

FYI, I understand photosynthesis occurs in leaves.  And transpiration pulls water into the higher branches.  However, my question is how does the fruit coalesce water from the capillaries within the branches?  You are saying this cannot be done by humans?
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angryScientist

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Re: Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2010, 05:07:03 AM »
How about wire of appropriate diameter bundled together into a wick. With the wire being made of or coated with a hydrophilic substance.

A cotton wick will get may get you a few inches of lift. It's a neat little trick.
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keihatsu

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Re: Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2010, 09:53:30 AM »
Quote from: angryScientist on November 21, 2010, 05:07:03 AM
How about wire of appropriate diameter bundled together into a wick. With the wire being made of or coated with a hydrophilic substance.

A cotton wick will get may get you a few inches of lift. It's a neat little trick.

The wick won't concentrate the mass of water into a single point.  It's the concentration of that mass into a single point (using multiple tubes) that might break the surface tension.

Or see the attached diagram for a similar way of looking at it.
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keihatsu

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Re: Looking for an engineer to build prototype
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2010, 10:34:59 AM »
You would need an air hole at the apex where the surface tension breaks so there wasn't a vacuum.
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