Hi Again,
   Ok, simple right? I built the last thing (sans pump and generator)and was surprised how little energy was required to suck
water out of the top level of the water (actual sucking here). I didn't have money for a pump or generator to take the test all the
way to completion but I believe it is pretty sound as described and you could duplicate it for under $2 or complete it for under
$25 (working scale model). Now let's get on to bigger and better things.
   First I want to show you a new type of container for the water. It is based on the same principles as the previous example
but has added design benefits which will allow much more to be accomplished:

 
   What you see is, again, a container. In the container is water and air. At the bottom of the container is an outlet with a valve
on it. At the top of the container is an inlet. The dimensions of the container can be whatever you want (up to the 30' height
limit for pumping water up by suction). For my experimental models I used Rubbermaid storage containers which are about 8"
high and 6" square on the sides. I caulked the inside of the lid to assure an airtight seal. One very important note: In all of these
designs NO AIR CAN LEAK IN FROM THE OUTSIDE. For my inlet and outlet I used aquarium tubing. The valve is a
brass aquarium air line regulating valve. Be sure to caulk really well around the place where the tubing goes into the container.
Remember: NO AIR LEAKS.
   So, ok, if the valve at the bottom of the tank is closed, what happens? Nothing. What happens if you open the valve? One of
two things. If the inlet at the top is open then air is drawn into the container from there and gravity pulls the water out the valve
in the bottom. If the inlet at the top is blocked then water flows out of the valve and air is sucked back into the valve at the
same time to equalize the air pressure. Are we ok with this so far? Good. I built three of these containers. I then hooked them
together like this:

 

   Hmmmmm. Looks sort of interesting, no? What does it do? Good question. Well, if you put a pump on the valve of the last
container (I used a manual pump of the sort that you use to suck kerosene out of a can [$2 at a hardware store]) and caulk it
real well, and then pump it, it sucks water out of that container. As the water level falls the air above it becomes thinner.
Remember from the example of the inverted cup that air doesn't like this situation. It will try to draw in SOMETHING to
replace the exiting water (notice NO water can enter at the pump). Since it can't suck air back in through the pump it does the
next best thing and sucks the air out of the INLET tube. As the air is sucked out of the inlet tube the water from container
number is drawn into the tube and eventually to the top of the tube where it spills into the first container. This is a pump. A
natural one that depends on the action of the mechanical pump yes but this container is a pump.
   As the suction from canister number one sucks the water out of canister number two the water level in that canister falls.
When it does it sucks the air out of the tube from canister three and soon the water is flowing from three to two as well as from
two to one. All of the energy that is being put INTO the system is the energy to pump water OUT of canister number one. Air
is supplying the energy to lift and pump the water within the system. As long as the pump keeps pumping the air in the first
container will remain diminished and keep sucking water in (as will two and three). The water will move between the canisters
at the same rate that it is exiting the pump. So now the pump that is rated at say, 4 gallons per minute, is actually moving 4
gallons  a minute through 3 openings for a total 12 gallons per minute.
next installment coming soon.
Enki