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.
-- nineteenthly, Feb 10 2012

Inspiration High_20speed_20kettle
Thanks to [Loris] and [MB]. [nineteenthly, Feb 10 2012]

Or spin a prop really fast and cavitate the water.
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 10 2012


Wouldn't a high-speed prop pose a serious health risk to the whale?
-- Alterother, Feb 10 2012


[nineteenthly]'s been at the Jimson weed again.
-- mouseposture, Feb 11 2012


//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.//

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.
-- spidermother, Feb 11 2012


[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 :'(
-- xxobot, Feb 11 2012


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.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 11 2012


Why? Whales are air-breathers, and [19thly] specified endotracheal intubation.

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?

[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?

[ninteenthly] the iron filings may cause constipation, which, in a blue whale filled with explosive gas mixture, might be problematic.
-- mouseposture, Feb 11 2012


I meant a gastric tube, and come to think of it whales are unlikely to choke on their vomit.
-- nineteenthly, Feb 11 2012


// can sheep survive on a diet of krill and iron filings? //

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.
-- 8th of 7, Feb 12 2012


// fragments of lamb //

There's your problem; try it again without the aluminium chips and phosphor primer.
-- Alterother, Feb 12 2012


//fishy, metallic flavour// Surf 'n turf 'n ... what exactly? Refinery?
-- mouseposture, Feb 12 2012


A hint of foundry, I do believe...
-- Alterother, Feb 12 2012


Mmmm .... more a sort of "Nuclear powerplant by the sea" ozony tang ....
-- 8th of 7, Feb 12 2012


that one is actually stranger than one of my ideas, I'm impressed, hence the bun.
-- not_morrison_rm, Feb 15 2012


//whales are unlikely to choke on their vomit// Good point. But there's still the constipation problem.
-- mouseposture, Feb 15 2012


A: Cup of tea?
B: Sure, only we've got one of those new Cetacean-aided kettles.
A: Oh, how convenient!
-- zen_tom, Feb 15 2012



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