Could you have sand pipes like water pipes?

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It's common knowledge that sand behaves like water when in small grains. So can you make a pipe that carries sand in the same way pipes carry water? If not, is there another way you could?










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    It's common knowledge that sand behaves like water when in small grains. So can you make a pipe that carries sand in the same way pipes carry water? If not, is there another way you could?










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      It's common knowledge that sand behaves like water when in small grains. So can you make a pipe that carries sand in the same way pipes carry water? If not, is there another way you could?










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      It's common knowledge that sand behaves like water when in small grains. So can you make a pipe that carries sand in the same way pipes carry water? If not, is there another way you could?







      pressure water






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      asked 1 hour ago









      yolo

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          Tricky for sand, most grains of sand are 'sharp' they will lock into each other and form jams in the pipe unless you have some fluid (eg. air or water) carrying them along. There are types of sand with smooth polished grains which flow more freely (eg desert sand) but these aren't used in construction so there isn't much effort into moving it around.



          Smoother particles like grain are routinely moved around in pipes.



          The other problem is how to pump them. Pumping requires a fluid that you can compress in the pump so there is a pressure difference that transfers force to other particles. Although it's easy to lift particles to the top of a pipe and have them flow down, it's less clear how you can pump solid sand particles up without using some carrier fluid like air or water.






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            To pump the grains up, the Archimedes Screw is used in agriculture. This should also work for sand.






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            • While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - From Review
              – user7777777
              27 mins ago






            • 1




              Im sorry, the link dont answer the question. It was just to save time for him.
              – João Cassiano
              19 mins ago










            • After a grammar fix, this seems to answer the question reasonably. In the unlikely event of the wikipedia link (which I've added back with pretty formatting) failing, the critical search term, 'Archimedes screw', is still there.
              – Chair
              4 mins ago










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            2 Answers
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            2 Answers
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            Tricky for sand, most grains of sand are 'sharp' they will lock into each other and form jams in the pipe unless you have some fluid (eg. air or water) carrying them along. There are types of sand with smooth polished grains which flow more freely (eg desert sand) but these aren't used in construction so there isn't much effort into moving it around.



            Smoother particles like grain are routinely moved around in pipes.



            The other problem is how to pump them. Pumping requires a fluid that you can compress in the pump so there is a pressure difference that transfers force to other particles. Although it's easy to lift particles to the top of a pipe and have them flow down, it's less clear how you can pump solid sand particles up without using some carrier fluid like air or water.






            share|cite|improve this answer
























              up vote
              2
              down vote













              Tricky for sand, most grains of sand are 'sharp' they will lock into each other and form jams in the pipe unless you have some fluid (eg. air or water) carrying them along. There are types of sand with smooth polished grains which flow more freely (eg desert sand) but these aren't used in construction so there isn't much effort into moving it around.



              Smoother particles like grain are routinely moved around in pipes.



              The other problem is how to pump them. Pumping requires a fluid that you can compress in the pump so there is a pressure difference that transfers force to other particles. Although it's easy to lift particles to the top of a pipe and have them flow down, it's less clear how you can pump solid sand particles up without using some carrier fluid like air or water.






              share|cite|improve this answer






















                up vote
                2
                down vote










                up vote
                2
                down vote









                Tricky for sand, most grains of sand are 'sharp' they will lock into each other and form jams in the pipe unless you have some fluid (eg. air or water) carrying them along. There are types of sand with smooth polished grains which flow more freely (eg desert sand) but these aren't used in construction so there isn't much effort into moving it around.



                Smoother particles like grain are routinely moved around in pipes.



                The other problem is how to pump them. Pumping requires a fluid that you can compress in the pump so there is a pressure difference that transfers force to other particles. Although it's easy to lift particles to the top of a pipe and have them flow down, it's less clear how you can pump solid sand particles up without using some carrier fluid like air or water.






                share|cite|improve this answer












                Tricky for sand, most grains of sand are 'sharp' they will lock into each other and form jams in the pipe unless you have some fluid (eg. air or water) carrying them along. There are types of sand with smooth polished grains which flow more freely (eg desert sand) but these aren't used in construction so there isn't much effort into moving it around.



                Smoother particles like grain are routinely moved around in pipes.



                The other problem is how to pump them. Pumping requires a fluid that you can compress in the pump so there is a pressure difference that transfers force to other particles. Although it's easy to lift particles to the top of a pipe and have them flow down, it's less clear how you can pump solid sand particles up without using some carrier fluid like air or water.







                share|cite|improve this answer












                share|cite|improve this answer



                share|cite|improve this answer










                answered 1 hour ago









                Martin Beckett

                28k55281




                28k55281




















                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote













                    To pump the grains up, the Archimedes Screw is used in agriculture. This should also work for sand.






                    share|cite|improve this answer






















                    • While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - From Review
                      – user7777777
                      27 mins ago






                    • 1




                      Im sorry, the link dont answer the question. It was just to save time for him.
                      – João Cassiano
                      19 mins ago










                    • After a grammar fix, this seems to answer the question reasonably. In the unlikely event of the wikipedia link (which I've added back with pretty formatting) failing, the critical search term, 'Archimedes screw', is still there.
                      – Chair
                      4 mins ago














                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote













                    To pump the grains up, the Archimedes Screw is used in agriculture. This should also work for sand.






                    share|cite|improve this answer






















                    • While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - From Review
                      – user7777777
                      27 mins ago






                    • 1




                      Im sorry, the link dont answer the question. It was just to save time for him.
                      – João Cassiano
                      19 mins ago










                    • After a grammar fix, this seems to answer the question reasonably. In the unlikely event of the wikipedia link (which I've added back with pretty formatting) failing, the critical search term, 'Archimedes screw', is still there.
                      – Chair
                      4 mins ago












                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote










                    up vote
                    1
                    down vote









                    To pump the grains up, the Archimedes Screw is used in agriculture. This should also work for sand.






                    share|cite|improve this answer














                    To pump the grains up, the Archimedes Screw is used in agriculture. This should also work for sand.







                    share|cite|improve this answer














                    share|cite|improve this answer



                    share|cite|improve this answer








                    edited 15 mins ago









                    Chair

                    3,06341732




                    3,06341732










                    answered 52 mins ago









                    João Cassiano

                    245




                    245











                    • While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - From Review
                      – user7777777
                      27 mins ago






                    • 1




                      Im sorry, the link dont answer the question. It was just to save time for him.
                      – João Cassiano
                      19 mins ago










                    • After a grammar fix, this seems to answer the question reasonably. In the unlikely event of the wikipedia link (which I've added back with pretty formatting) failing, the critical search term, 'Archimedes screw', is still there.
                      – Chair
                      4 mins ago
















                    • While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - From Review
                      – user7777777
                      27 mins ago






                    • 1




                      Im sorry, the link dont answer the question. It was just to save time for him.
                      – João Cassiano
                      19 mins ago










                    • After a grammar fix, this seems to answer the question reasonably. In the unlikely event of the wikipedia link (which I've added back with pretty formatting) failing, the critical search term, 'Archimedes screw', is still there.
                      – Chair
                      4 mins ago















                    While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - From Review
                    – user7777777
                    27 mins ago




                    While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - From Review
                    – user7777777
                    27 mins ago




                    1




                    1




                    Im sorry, the link dont answer the question. It was just to save time for him.
                    – João Cassiano
                    19 mins ago




                    Im sorry, the link dont answer the question. It was just to save time for him.
                    – João Cassiano
                    19 mins ago












                    After a grammar fix, this seems to answer the question reasonably. In the unlikely event of the wikipedia link (which I've added back with pretty formatting) failing, the critical search term, 'Archimedes screw', is still there.
                    – Chair
                    4 mins ago




                    After a grammar fix, this seems to answer the question reasonably. In the unlikely event of the wikipedia link (which I've added back with pretty formatting) failing, the critical search term, 'Archimedes screw', is still there.
                    – Chair
                    4 mins ago

















                     

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