Complying with the crazy ideas generated while encountering day to day
engineering shortcomings by us this particular idea should be given some
serious thought as it might just be, the solution to the problem of
rising sea level engulfing our landmasses as a result of global warming.
Get cracking or debunking.
Don't ask me, how a lunch time discussion on death and
different ways of administering capital punishment deviated into solving
the greatest environmental threat we face, because that happens all the
time in the porta cabin. So this is how it goes....
A question arose, "Can we not dump all the excess
water from the melting ice cap into space." Immediately, someone
interjected by saying, "Can you imagine the number of trips required
and the cost involved?"
Having read about the recent PSLV-C23 launch from
India, and the info-graphic depicting its trajectory outside the atmosphere
was floating in the sub conscious somewhere. It was a Eureka moment as
that very picture in this context conjured up this theory:
What you need:
- A tube from the bottom of the ocean to a suitable satellite orbit
- A plunger which sits flush inside this tube
- A rocket capable of accelerating the plunger to escape velocity for the length of the tube
What you need to do:
What will happen:
The plunger while
accelerating will create a suction in the trailing part pulling the
water along the length of the tube setting up a nice siphon which will put
the water from the depths of the ocean into a nice and neat orbit
around the earth.
We could even have our own planetary ring as a
result of this. err.. which would have some fish floating around in that
ring which, if I was fish, I would not be very happy about, but we
could put a strainer to filter them out at the bottom of the tube.
Do remember to believe that this could be the only way to curb the rising sea level, which if left to rise could see us all running for the mountains pretty soon. It is thus thought, that we are going to make it happen at any cost.
Since this is going to bring a lot of 'how are you going to...'
questions, I want to list out a few immediate flaws with this idea.
- Sub Zero temperatures in the higher layers of the atmosphere will freeze the water flowing in the pipes.
- A valid argument. I thank the buzzkill for irking my thought further. insulating the pipe with heat tracing, would be an utter waste of resources. And since I am living in the future, I'm thinking of geosynchronous satellites with solar concentrators, directing the solar radiation from the sun onto the affected area of the tube to eliminate icing.
- We need the exhaust of the rocket pushing against something for this to work. It cannot push against the water that it is supposed to pull along.
- Well, that is true. But then, we can have the rocket outside the tube holding the plunger through some magnetic magic. Which surely is possible since, as of today, we are able to guide invisible particles form the innards of atoms through accelerators built underground and across national borders, as per will.
- Construction of this contraption.
- ....................
Get cracking or debunking.
Nice thought to empty unusable water from earth by letting it into space..
ReplyDeleteBy doing so, we can save more islands from getting extinct and also bring back more and more islands to life.
But some action to be taken to preserve the sea life - the fish, turtles, reptiles etc - Does the reducing sea level has any impact on the ecology.
How does the earth look when the complete sea gets dried.... /?
Whereas a reduction in the sea level can affect the sea-life in a bad way, I see no harm being done to the sea life if the water level rises.
ReplyDeleteFor animals like turtles and crabs, that use the beaches for nesting, increasing sea levels would force them into extinction. Increased sea level in its extreme case would also wipe out the fresh water ecosystem on land, but the sea life should flourish.
Compliments for the sketches.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI salute you. Its absolutely brilliant! Keep at it, you'll hit gold one day, believe me. I mean, theoretically, it makes absolute sense.
ReplyDeleteBut. Lets talk about a few limitations:
1. This is absolutely MAD!
2. The amount of pressure inside the tube and the speed at which the water will be sucked out will be unimaginably high.
3. How will we build this? Last I checked, max we could go up was Burj Khalifa.
4. You're thinking of something like a mesh at the end of the tube so that the flora and fauna of the ocean aren't transported? The speed factor may cause an issue there.
5. The inside of the tube will need to be lubricated in some way. Friction will "ghisso" the surface of the components in use.
6. Will this orbit of water not affect the sun rays falling/ not falling on some parts of the world.
And yes I agree, the sketches are SOCUTE. :D
Thank you for the insight. Let me take up your points one by one.
Delete2. The pressure inside the tube doesn't have to be high because we are putting a siphon into effect. The delivery end of the tube is open to space. Since there is no resistance to flow there will not be such a high pressure buildup.
3. One of the ways in which construction can be done is to use a flexible material which can be cured to harden or injected with some hardener. The other end of the tube, the one near the orbit can be connected to geosynchronous satellites or a space station, to hold it in place. I'm sure we can come up with more ideas.
4. Yes, passing through the strainer or a mesh might send their shreds into space. We could keep a device which pings uncomfortable and disturbing sound audible to marine life at the mouth of the tube to shoo them away.
5. We will have to rely on the magnetic magic to be exceptionally good so that the friction is reduced. We could still make the piston have its own inbuilt reservoir of lubricant which will spray itself out at the required rate to keep on lubricating the contacting surfaces.
6. It will, and we can give the equatorial regions some respite by blocking out the sun for them.