h a l f b a k e r yYeah, I wish it made more sense too.
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A recent idea considered the production of boiling water more efficiently than is currently achieved. [MB] suggested doing it by electrolysis. I therefore suggest the following.
Keep an intubated blue whale in a pool. Feed it copious quantities of krill and iron filings. Harvest the hydrogen thus
generated using the tube and store it in a piston. In the meantime, compress air humongously nearby and decompress it explosively to reduce its temperature to below the boiling point of oxygen. Centrifuge the result to separate it from the nitrogen and suck out the bottom. Combine this with the hydrogen in a reinforced chamber and send a spark through, thereby generating an explosion and steam. Wait for the steam to get below boiling point and you have boiling water.
Inspiration
High_20speed_20kettle
Thanks to [Loris] and [MB]. [nineteenthly, Feb 10 2012]
[link]
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Or spin a prop really fast and cavitate the water. |
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Wouldn't a high-speed prop pose a serious health risk to
the whale? |
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[nineteenthly]'s been at the Jimson weed again. |
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//compress air humongously nearby and decompress it explosively to reduce its temperature to below the boiling point of oxygen. Centrifuge the result to separate it from the nitrogen and suck out the bottom.// |
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That part doesn't work. It's possible to enrich oxygen from air, but not the way you describe. Oxygen can't be liquified from room temperature in a single stage, and the similar boiling points of nitrogen and oxygen means some sort of fractional distillation has to be used to separate them. |
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[spidermother] and I already ordered the whale and
the kit off of
Ebay; and there is no way I'll be able to eat that
much by myself :'( |
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As long as you're happy with espresso, I suspect a
sheep would suffice. But then again, it would not
survive well in the pool. |
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Why? Whales are air-breathers, and [19thly]
specified
endotracheal intubation. |
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In fact, you'll have an easier time finding a
respirator
for a sheep. Although the gas-separating
equipment
will have to be custom-built. But can sheep
survive
on a diet of krill and iron filings? |
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[spidermother] I don't dare read this idea closely,
lest I be sucked into the vortex of insanity, but
isn't the centrifuge supposed to solve the problem
you raise? |
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[ninteenthly] the iron filings may cause
constipation, which, in a blue whale filled with
explosive gas mixture, might be problematic. |
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I meant a gastric tube, and come to think of it whales are
unlikely to choke on their vomit. |
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// can sheep survive on a diet of krill and iron filings? // |
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The initial results of the Phase 1 trial are not encouraging. On the plus side, the fragments of lamb found so far are very nicely cooked. The downside seems to be that they have a strong sort of fishy, metallic flavour, they are very small, and they are scattered over a wide area. |
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There's your problem; try it again without the aluminium
chips and phosphor primer. |
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//fishy, metallic flavour// Surf 'n turf 'n ... what
exactly? Refinery? |
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A hint of foundry, I do believe... |
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Mmmm .... more a sort of "Nuclear powerplant by the sea" ozony tang .... |
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that one is actually stranger than one of my ideas, I'm impressed,
hence the bun. |
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//whales are unlikely to choke on their vomit//
Good point. But there's still the constipation
problem. |
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A: Cup of tea?
B: Sure, only we've got one of those new Cetacean-aided kettles.
A: Oh, how convenient! |
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