This doubt is about a conundrum which is common to multiple scenarios. One such scenario is this:
The valve is opened and the high pressure air is pushed towards the water in the channel with the hope that it will drive out all the water through the open end of the channel. Now, my doubt is whether air will drive out all the water or will it simply pass through the water as bubbles?
The scenario occurs in many other situations. In aquariums, the pump pushes in air which passes through as bubbles. In pressure-based cleaning devices (e.g. vacuum cleaners), air pressure drives out all other fluids.
So what happens in this case? And how do we even analyze such problems. In which cases does the air drive out the fluid and in which cases does it pass through as bubbles?
Best Answer
Treasure divers use a device not unlike your design. The horizontal section is short and the air is introduced where it joins the vertical. Most of the vertical section is underwater. The air bubbles reduce the density in the vertical section and it is lifted by the pressure of water flowing in at the bottom. The flow picks up sand (and other things) from the bottom and delivers them to a sieve at the top.