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Could capillary action drive a turbine?
If you had a water container, and inserted thousands of narrow capillary tubes (the water rises through the tubes by capillary action), then if you had an outlet for the water to drain from the top, down a slope and back into the contain.
However if you had a small turbine on the direction of the flow would it be possible to drive this turbine and have an infinite power source?
It wouldn't have to be big. I just have a doubt that the water would rise enough to come out of the capillary tubes. Any ideas?
I know this was answered somewhere else but the explanation said that very little energy was created. Even if the energy created was let than 1mv if you had enough wouldn't it be cost effective.
I don't really care about the economics but just if it is physically possible.
1 Answer
- SassafrasLv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
No. The driving force of the water up the capillary tube is caused by the contact angle and surface tension of the water. When the water reaches the top open end of the capillary tube the contact angle changes and the fluid will stop flowing. No flow means that you have nothing to drive your turbine.
Aside from that the laws of thermodynmics show that a perpetual motion energy producing machine is impossilble.
Here is a fun sight to look at other peoples creative attempts at creating a free energy machine.
