🚀 go-pugleaf

On Thu, 23 Oct 1997, John Cook wrote:

A phenomenon known as `The Perpetual Salt Water Fountain' was described by
Heny Stommel (very famous physical oceanographer).  It's very much related
to the mechanism you describe.  The underlying physics is found to operate
naturally in the ocean with no hoses necessary...it goes by the name of
salt fingering.  Ultimately, it is the fact that density perturbations
induced by haline effects happen on timescales very different from density
perturbations due to thermal effects.  You didn't mention thermal effects
but your mechanism involves implicit assumptions about thermal effects
even so.  

regards,
-dds

> Hi - I posted this 10 days ago - zip response - does this mean it's True?
> 
> Please point out the errors/problems...
> 
> Could this be actually done? - especially note the PS section.
> 
> John Cook wrote:
> > 
> > Welcome to Sci.mech.fluids, alt.energy.renewable and aus.environment.misc
> > I think you might all enjoy this
> > 
> > Original Post (to sci.energy and sci.physics)
> > 
> > OK Dudes try this...
> >  I've figured out a desalination system that could GENERATE energy while
> > extracting fresh water from the ocean
> > Ha! knew you'd choke on that one
> > But don't jump to conlusions - this ain't no perpetual Motion machine
> > It's actually rather simple. - no fancy knowledge required...
> > Here is one more clue to start you off
> > It's particularly suited to suppling japan with its future water needs
> > A Gold star and achievement badge to the first to get it...
> > 
> > John Cook
> > 
> > P.S. I'll tell all when you've squirmed enough ;)
> > 
> > John Cook wrote:
> > > Gil Rood wrote:
> > > > John Cook wrote:
> > > > > Gil Rood wrote:
> > > > >> Oh, NO... Not another reverse osmosis system based on
> > > > >> the desinty differences between fresh water and
> > > > >> sea water.
> > > > >Yeah Gil!!!!!!  The WINNER.
> > > > >Want to explain it to them or will I?
> > > > >John Cook
> > > > Go ahead but where are you going to get water deep
> > > > enough outside the Marianas Trench (sp?)
> > > Why, just off the coast of Japan Sir.
> > > John Cook
> > > PS I want someone ELSE to explain it
> > > PPS Geeze I'm lazy this morning...
> > 
> > Must take this oportunity to cheer *B.Alan Guthrie* for placing a creditable
> > second CLOSE behind our champion *Gil Rood*
> > 
> > Here is the plan...
> > 
> > Imagine a long tube reaching from the surface to the bottom of the japan
> > trench.  It's bottom end is a reverse osmosis filter unit.  It is filled with
> > fresh water.
> > The water outside the tube is salty and weighs around 1028 kg/cu mt - the
> > water inside the tube is fresh and weighs 1000 kg/cu mt.  This causes a
> > pressure diferential across the osmotic membrane of about 2 to 3% of the
> > external water pressure.
> > 
> > Thats it.  Sufficient depth of water WILL cause a flow through the membrane
> > and up the tube.
> > 
> > Such a device will sit there for'ever' emiting a fountain of fresh water.
> > 
> > Kewl?
> > 
> > I think the energy comes from slightly lowering the potential energy of the
> > salt in the ocean. Am I right about this?
> > 
> > John Cook
> > 
> > PS of course you could put the membrane only 500 or 1000 ft down and Pump the
> > water up.
> > Not quite so fancy (I love physics that looks like magic) But it would use
> > only around 30% of the energy of conventional reverse osmosis plants (no need
> > to compress the flow-by water) not to mention no containment pressure vessel
> > and hence the membranes don't have to be so compact to be cramed into pressure
> > vessels so they would be cheaper etc etc etc.
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> John & Rhea Cook
> 'Words don't grow on trees, you know' Me
> 
> -- 
> John & Rhea Cook
> 'Words don't grow on trees, you know' Me
> 
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> A Pox on Fascist software...
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> 

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