A Theoretical Study to Incorporate Capillary Tubes Action and Evaporation Process as Green Energy Techniques for Water Lifting

Abstract

The idea proposed in this study can be used in remote areas to lift the water spontaneously instead of using electrical pumps. This research aims to lift the underground water to a high altitude by designing a passive system that simulates the rising water in tall plants due to capillary action and evaporation. The study assumed a set of micro-tubes to lift the underground water to a tank. The flow rate due to capillary rise and evaporation were analytically determined by mathematical models based on energy equations in fluid mechanics calculated using MATLAB software. The study results have shown that a ‎system consisting of 2-10 billion micro-tubes can supply between 16-65 kg of water daily to a tank, depending on the ‎environmental conditions‎. It was found that a set of tubes with a 20 μm diameter was a suitable choice to raise the water to 7.5 m, where 0.8 m rising was due to the capillary action, whereas the rest was due to the evaporation process suction head.