Scientists make water run uphill

[Kareeser]

Despite the rather non-computer related tite, I urge you to read this article and offer your opinion.

Scientists make water run uphill

Seems like it would be an interesting application for water running uphill... but water boils at 100^oC... the chip would burn itself to a crisp (AMD) or throttle itself down (Intel) long before that temperature is reached, would it not?

Despite the problems, this seems like a breakthrough discovery in potential cooling systems...

[doctorgonzo]

That's really cool. I see the same effect all the time when I cook with a wok: when it is extremely hot, drops of water thrown in will just dance around for a long time since the bottom of the drop vaporizes instantly and insulates the rest of the water from the heat. Pretty cool stuff.

[David M]

So the motion (Brownian Motion) of the molecules lifts the water. Or in physical terms the kinetic energy of the motion of the water molecules gets converted into potential energy. If no energy is added to the system then the water molecules would slow as more energy is converted into potential energy or (stored energy) Slower moving molecules by definition would mean cooler water...right? So there must be a limit when the water becomes a solid and cannot move.

If you keep adding energy it would work, but then if you keep adding energy it eventually all becomes steam...which stops the process as well.

It is a really interesting phenomena...but sustainable?

Just wondering out loud.

[Kareeser]

I'm no physicist here, so I'm randomly guessing:

I'm assuming they would utilise the "upward motion" of water to transfer water at a speed quick enough to traverse the processor, yet stay a liquid.

That's two potential problems the scientists have to solve

[Stuey]

The water moving across a 0.3mm step doesn't really characterize as "uphill", but I'll probably check out the paper to see more what they're talking about.

I've seen a similar effect many times when playing, er, I mean demonstrating, with liquid nitrogen. It lso picks up dirt and dust as it flows along the floor, so you end up seeing little black clumps flying accross the floor.

While I'm sure a single drop might be controllable, I don't see how they could flow a stream of water over a surface. Hopefully this is addressed in their paper.

[Marke522]

Slower moving molecules by definition would mean cooler water...right? So there must be a limit when the water becomes a solid and cannot move.

Ice.

[Kareeser]

Originally Posted by Stuey83 The water moving across a 0.3mm step doesn't really characterize as "uphill", but I'll probably check out the paper to see more what they're talking about.

According to the nice diagram provided in the article, no, the water really doesn't move "uphill".

It moves downhill first, and gathers so much kinetic energy that it can somehow make it up the 0.3mm bump.

The incline is roughly 12 degrees.

[Lothartw]

Old news
These devices cause water to flow uphill w/o electricity or pumps in the classic sense of the word, and have been around quite a while. Now, if you can get a water ram to cool your PC, you are either doing something, or have way too much time on your hands...
Matt


http://www.theramcompany.com/history.html

http://www.theramcompany.com/drawing.html

John Whitehurst is credited with inventing a non-self-acting ram pump in England in 1772. By 1796 a Frenchman, Joseph Michael Montgolfier, had added a valve, which made the device self-acting, making the ram pump almost a perpetual motion machine when water supplies were steady.

In 1809, the first American patent was issued to J. Cerneau and S.S. Hallet in New York...but it wasn't until 1832 that information began spreading across the eastern states about the "simple pump that pushes water uphill using energy from falling water."

[Kareeser]

Ah, but the "Ram Pump" is much more complicated, or at least the website is. It overloaded me with technical jargon.

With this, however, it can be explained using the tools in the kitchen