BaronVonBigmeat

Super soakers work because the pressurized/compressed air is working against water.

If my mid 80's television viewing is any indication, "turbo boost" was only an option on Trans Am's, and only black ones at that. Apparently when you push it, this "boost" somehow lifts your car up into the air to jump over obstacles.

saturn

If you think back to the early 80's (i.e. - Season 1), you'll distinctly see turbo boost been used in an entirely linear fashion, merely dramatically increasing the forward speed of the car. This was of course well before Super Pursuit Mode which is a combination of advanced nitrous injection and fast forward.

Note, this technology can only be used when coupled with a button that says "turbo boost" on it.

NotAPreppie

A supersoaker isn't a hydraulic device; it's pneumatic. When you actuate the pump, you are compressing air into the pressure chamber. When you pull the trigger, you are opening a valve which is designed be below the water line when the device is held upright. Because of this, the air pressure that you built up with the pump forces the water out.

It's the air pressure that stores the potential energy, not the water (not significantly, anyway).

I'm not doubting your statement that pressurized water can store energy, I'm just trying to point that this example is flawed.

Also, hydraulics don't really work via energy stored as pressure. They work by transferring motion through fluid. I have no doubt that there is pressure stored up and, if a pressurized component fails, catastrophic decompression can occur, but it's not the stored energy as pressure that drives the system. The energy isn't "stored" in the fluid. If it was, whatever the hydraulic actuator was moving would move, it would simply "store" the energy. Instead, a back-hoe shovel digs, an aileron flaps, a brake caliper compresses onto a rotor thus transferring the energy from the pump to whatever. By design, energy shouldn't be stored because it has a method of of escaping as kinetic energy.

BaronVonBigmeat

I think I am going to print out something like this and stick it on the big volume **** in the center console. Then I should get some serious speed if not air time. I use the steering wheel volume button anyhow. And maybe the Auto Roof button there too, I think that will shoot me up through the sunroof.

edit: damn, I'm going to have to paint my car black to make this work

saturn

Man, I never noticed that those other buttons don't make any sense. What the hell does the "7 DLA" button do?

midlife crisis

If I was certain the water tank contained no air or other gas and was rigid (not balloon like) or have any active elements like a pistons/bladder) I'd take Number 2 with no hesitation. The water wouldn't even move into the hose!!
Fluids do NOT compress to any practical degree.
Try Googleing "hydrostatic test safety".
Hell; here's a quote from the first one I found:

A hydrostatic test consists of filling the cylinder with a nearly incompressible liquid, usually water, and examining it for leaks or permanent changes in shape. The test pressure is always considerably more than the operating pressure to give a margin for safety. Typically, 150 percent of the operating pressure is used. Water is commonly used as it is almost incompressible, and will only expand by a very small amount. If high pressure gas was used, the gas could expand up to several hundred times its compressed volume, running the risk of serious injury.

therm8

I am very familiar with hydrostatic testing from working in a submarine engineroom.

As for the 1" hole. I've seen an approximately 1/2" hole with about 150psi of water pressure behind it (sea pressure at a depth of around 300ft). Let's just say that alot of water comes through it at high velocity. No pumps or pistons involved with the exception of 14.7psi of air pressure. It's just a matter of scale.

It is apparent that neither of us is going to alter our position on this topic. You believe that you are correct, and I know that I am (at least from my point of view ). We must agree to disagree at this point.

midlife crisis

So now your example is a practicly infinite amount of water at a great depth. No **** lots of water comes through. You have a 10 to 1 differential of pressure across the hole.
The teacher in me really wants you to understand this - Google is your friend.

Schneegz

It brews 7 Double Latte Amaretos. Duh.

therm8

OK, change my examply to a 4" in diameter, 300ft tall pipe filled with water. This leads to the same pressure at the hole and the same velocity (initially) for the water flow.

I didn't say alot of water comes through, though it will unless isolated. I said it comes through at high velocity.

Google is nice, but real world experience trumps it.

dupa12345

ok now that makes sense .. though you meant to say .. woundt move .. i make that typo all the time

dupa12345

i dont really know what this sub scenario is all about but it doesnt really relate to our duscussion .. i think we were looking for a safe usable compressible substance .. water is not one .. so whats next

dupa12345

for one i know mountain bike shocks .. and probably many other shocks have compressible stuff in them .. i know in m-bikes its some gas

midlife crisis

My point exactly - liquids work great for transferring energy because they are practicly uncompressable. Gases work great for storing energy and with control valves, turbines, pneumatic motors releasing it. Maybe some get confused when gases propel the transfer medium which can be liquid.

therm8

Actually we were debating whether liquids can store energy when compressed in a hydraulic system. Which does relate to the original topic. The debate then got a little out of hand.