Capillary Pump

[Nink]

Here is a half baked idea but I figured I would throw it out there anyway.  The idea is a capillary pump using the capillary action of water and how it will rise up a tube.  When it gets to the top of the tube the weight distribution changes, pivots on a point about 1/3 up length of tube and tips.  A weight balanced lid closes before the tube leaves the water creating a vacuum.  The tube exits the water reservoir and the water inside the tube is  held secure by the lid until it finally tips over.  The water pushes the lid open and tips out at a higher level then when it went in. Now the bottom of the tube is once again heavier than the top so the tube stands up straight again.   Yeah I am sure I am missing something and if it did work the volume of water moved would be very small but heh

[memoryman]

What you may be missing, Nink, is the vacuum that is created is a force that is probably too large to be overcome by the tipping.

[Nink]

What you may be missing, Nink, is the vacuum that is created is a force that is probably too large to be overcome by the tipping.

Yeah you are probably right, breaking the surface tension of the water with the pressurized tube would require a lot of force.

I think there is something in the entire capillary action process that is worth looking into.Maybe it is very fine 3D modeled channels or laser etched capillaries with a specific pattern but the fact an entire sponge gets wet simply because you place it on top of a wet surface makes me think we are missing something. Fluid dynamics is certainly an area I have zero knowledge in but perhaps if people from different disciplines came together to see if there is an opportunity that exists to exploit some of these behaviors some advancement may occur.

[memoryman]

well, there is certainly energy involved in capillary action and maybe it can be harvested somehow.