Re: Space Elevator/Pipeline for Titan
- From: Willie.Mookie@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:17:36 -0700 (PDT)
On Aug 27, 9:40 am, il...@xxxxxxx wrote:
On Aug 27, 9:37 am, il...@xxxxxxx wrote:
On Aug 24, 9:56 am, Space Cadet <kaw...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Suppose you build a beanstalk/Space Elevator/Tower on Titan, suppose
its like a giant hollow airtight tube. Put one end in a ethane/
propane/hydrocarbon lake, open the other end to vacuum or a tank that
is at vacuum, would difference it pressure be enough to drive it up
the tube?
Difference in pressure? Not even close.
Liquid (any liquid) will rise until the pressure of liquid column
above the surface level equals the atmospheric pressure. On Earth, 10
meters of water exerts 1 atm of pressure, which is why vacuum-filled
tube can lift water no more than 10 meters above surface. Mercury is
13 times denser than water, so pressure equalizes at about 78 cm.
On Titan air pressure is IIRC 1.4 atm, density if ethane is 1.25, and
gravity is 1/7 Earth. Hence a vaccum tube can lift ethane column to:
10 m * 1.4 / 1.25 * 7 = approximately 78 meters
The only substances you can pump out of the atmosphere is this manner
(that is, by pressure difference alone, without pumps, heating,
electromagnetic acceleration, etc.) are gases less dense than
atmosphere itself.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
the atmosphere is surrounded on all sides by vacuum - the atmosphere
is there because gravity holds it back. putting a tube around the
portion of the atmosphere won't do a damn thing to pump it anywhere.
As you said, yo uhave to increase teh pressure at the base with a
pump, and have a tube strong eough to take that pressure, in order to
lift anything above the pressure you find at any altitude.
The simplest way to remove something from a body is to toss it into
orbit with a mass driver. Toss it in the right direction with
sufficient speed and it will hit Earth a few years later. Toss things
repeatedly and you have a sort of pipeline between worlds. But the
energy infrastructure needed to make that happen, is vastly larger
than the energy obtained by merely burning the stuff.
Of course if you want a source of cheap hydrocarbons for plastics and
organics biologicals and pharmaceuticals - well, Titan is the place.
Assuming of course that its not presently in use by natives.
.
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