Lateral pipe size

[lookin 2 learn]

Tim, I have just read your paper "The dynamics of sap and vacuum flow". With the sap loss in 5/16" lateral tubing should we be running larger lateral lines?

[mapleack]

Tim, I have just read your paper "The dynamics of sap and vacuum flow". With the sap loss in 5/16" lateral tubing should we be running larger lateral lines?

Yes, however no one is making fittings for larger pipe yet.

[red maples]

Tim, I have just read your paper "The dynamics of sap and vacuum flow". With the sap loss in 5/16" lateral tubing should we be running larger lateral lines?

Yes, less sap...just like if your mainline is too small and full you don't get the vac transfer and air movement to maximize sap movement. (thats why the dry line was invented) thats why they recomment that laterals max 100 ft( I think) and no more than 5 taps per lateral. If you really wanna max vac transfer then you use 1 tap per lat but the trade off is its just not cost effective anyway you look at it.

although with bigger lateral tubing along with bigger fitting using more plastic in turn using more petrolium, which is wicked expensive to begin with, don't know how cost effective that would be either.

[DrTimPerkins]

Tim, I have just read your paper "The dynamics of sap and vacuum flow". With the sap loss in 5/16" lateral tubing should we be running larger lateral lines?

That would be one approach. There are others. UVM has several patent applications already filed in the U.S. and Canada on various technologies which are still partly in the testing and development stages. We have both lab and field projects in progress, and lots of data to analyze for this recently past season, which will be followed by an economic analysis to minimize cost and maximize sap yield, thus maximizing net profit. Will be another year or two probably, but stay tuned.