Sometimes sucking half as hard can be good.

Ok, so get out a pen and paper.  You have an assigment.

Ready.

Ok.

List the first three things that come to your mind:

Sometimes sucking half as hard is good.

I guarantee, well, outside of about four or five persons in my world, you got it wrong.

Let me assure this is G rated.  (See, I bet you were wrong.)

First of all, to understand the concept, we need to discuss just a few concepts so you will be up to snuff on this thing, and will absolutely appreciate this thing all the way down to the last drop.


Concept No. 1.  Friction.
Friction fills our world with resistance.  Its everywhere.  Friction is present in all materials, whether rubbing up against materials of the same composition, or of different textures and surfaces than the first substrate.  Materials have a factor associated with it, called the friction coefficient, and using this factor, we can estimate  how much work or effort it takes to move the surfaces past one another.  There are two coefficients of friction:  static and dynamic.  There is a force required to break the static friction using the static friction factor, and a different factor that can be applied when the object is moving (dynamic).  The static force of friction is normally higher than the force required to keep the objects sliding while in motion.

There are also a wide variety of things that can help reduce this friction force, and most if not all of these items reduce the heat generated by friction.  These include oils, greases, and, of course, my friend, Finish Line  Teflon Lube.  I swear by it.

Concept No. 2:  Head.
Head, in this case, in the current discussion, is the difference in fluid levels between one elevation and another.  The difference between these two is sometimes refereed to as head.  There are a number of other applications where head is involved, and even with beer (the foamy part at the top of the glass sometimes found at the top right after pouring, or the permanent foam on the top of a fresh, cold Guiness.  There are other situations and items that are also referred to as head, but the one below is the one that is applicable in this particular application.

In this particular example, the head displayed here is approximately 100 feet.  The head is the difference in elevation between the highest water surface elevation to the lowest.  Gravity has a large effect on head.

Concept No. 3:  PSI.
Pressure is a term that can be used to explain a force behind something.  An easy example of this concept is the pressurized in car tires.  This pressure allows a heavy car to ride on a cushion of air, or resist the weight of the car and lift it off the ground.  A very common measurement for liquids or vapors is PSI, or pressure per square inch.  This term is used in many applications, and helps many of the systems we use today work.  For example, the water supply is under pressure, a certain PSI, and that is what makes the water come out of the tap when you turn the faucet.  PSI can also be thought of as a force in pounds over a certain area, in this case, square inches. 

In general terms, with water for example, pressure can be measured when the head, or elevation difference is known.  And not only can pressure be positive, as in a fire hose, but pressure can be negative also, as in a vacuum cleaner.  Vacuums suck, and they suck at a certain PSI, albeit negative pressure.

Concept No. 4:  Viscosity.
Consider pouring water down a smooth surface set at and angle.   Consider pouring ketchup of an equal amount on the same surface, set an equal angle to the first.   The water flows freely; the ketchup flows much more slowly.  Viscosity in simple terms is resistance to flow.   In the fluid materials (as in, materials that are not in a solid state) in which we will be dealing, temperature can have a very large effect on viscosity.

Ok, now that we have reviewed some important concepts for this discussion, we can now proceed with the theory and explanation.

Imagine that you have a beverage in front of you, in a glass size that is comfortable for you, and this beverage can be anything you choose it to be.  Consider if you will, the exact substance that I discovered this phenomenon would be a chocolate flavored shake, as it were, from this place.  This place makes a variety of beverages, and this particular beverage is not normally offered to the Consumer (that would be you or me, or anyone else making a transaction with the provider of product or service, a.k.a. known as the Vendor) but is offered to the Consumer along with a vessel (known as straw) of a certain diameter (a similar method of delivery as the mechanism above that allows the water to travel from the water tower above to the tank below.)  The fluid, in the water tower example is of course water, wherein this application contains the shake material, is somewhat less viscous at room temperature, which is indeed the entire problem.

Yes, friends, I'm talking about trying to suck a nice, cold, refreshing beverage through the conduit provided by the Vendor, that just about every time, is not even close to adequate for the rather simple task.  Or is it?

I hereby offer you, a fellow consumer, that the system is inadequate at best, and is not supplied by the Vendor in good confidence.

Failure Mode:  Unreasonably High Pressure Required.
This 'shake' fluid at rest (or static) contains unreasonably high pressure per unit area (PSI) to overcome the static friction.  Not only do we have friction between the conduit (straw) and fluid (shake), but we have friction between the internal particles of the shake.  I offer to you that the material of said beverage, in a cold and refreshing state, does not slide easily against one another, and therefore, increases the amount of pressure to move at frozen state versus the same mixture at a less refreshing state, say a given amount below room temperature, but above freezing.  Given the head required, which in this case can be at little as a few inches to almost a foot or more (when the fluid in the glass is very low, the head is the highest and pressure is most intense).


I do not condone sucking at such a high pressure that this method by itself requires, and my dentist doesn't either.  I was sternly advised of this one day when I was in his presence: "Don't suck on straws until your molar holes scab over."

That friends, is dangerous.  Don't do it.

High Pressure Subfailure Mode A: Conduit failure.
High pressure required can cause the conduit to fail.  This comes from the design of the conduit itself.  Some straws are not designed with shakes in mind.  Also, the diameter (or distance across from one side of the vessel to the other) for this straw that indeed did fail, on multiple occasions, I should add, was substandard.  In my professional opinion, the small diameter straw provided had high friction coefficients between the shake material  and that material of the straw, especially when the straw and the shake material were close in temperature.  This condition easily exists by simply inserting the conduit into the refreshing material and leaving it there.

In addition, this conduit failure (as in total collapse of the round conduit into a flat cross sectional profile) induces pressure point at a specific point, exceeding the material properties of the said conduit at that point, therefore, rendering a failure at this point in particular. The material weakens, and on the next time the conduit is utilized, air enters the system, which up until now, was adequately, although poorly, was working satisfactorily.  Now, when high pressure is applied, the point of the air entrance.  A third cycle of this failed system confirms: the vessel is no longer useful.  No matter how hard, or how much the Consumer sucks, the Consumer gets nothing but air.

High Pressure Subfailure Mode B: Pressure Source Failure.
Not only does the failure of the conduit induce this failure mode (after the Consumer realizes that sucking no longer achieved the desired result), but the total system fails when the material has 'plugged' the end of the conduit, which is placed deep in the refreshing material has reached the same conditions as the material that surrounds it, becoming one with the other.  In this case, the Consumer, from past experience, has some idea of what pressure, when induced in the conduit, causes failure mode A to occur;  therefore, when that limit approaches, pressure is released by the Consumer, and the conduit is allowed to fight another day.  Unfortunately, after the third or fourth attempt at producing pressures approaching the fail pressure, the Consumer loses motivation and another tactic or break is employed.

These subfailure modes described above aren't a big deal, and are easily remedied only if you're a Dine-In Consumer.  The energy required is worth every single calorie the Dine-In Customer put fourth in the effort to get out of one's chair or booth, and make haste to the fountain drink area, where, most times, another similarly designed conduit awaits!  Eureka!  The Dine-In Consumer has another chance to taste sweet refreshment.  However, if you are a drive-thru customer, the Consumer must request a replacement conduit , or spare, during the transaction, in the very event of Subfailure mode A or B.   In summary, you drive-thru, you are one screwed Consumer.

The Drive-thru Consumer has gone up against the system and, once again, the system has failed the Drive-thru Customer.

Where does the Drive-Thru Customer have to go to find success over the failed system? How can this dire situation that the Drive-Thru Consumer be avoided?

May I present the solution:  Two Straws.

Yes, faithful followers, this is the theory of success.  A simple change of a dual conduit system can, and does, with some regularity, prove to be a reasonable, and somewhat regular solution to the failure modes described above.  Let me explain the theory behind such a simple, but useful, and somewhat unique solution to the application deficiencies of the single conduit system.

There is a technological improvement that must be noted, though, that does assist somewhat to the success of the two conduit system.  At some locations, and now I believe to be widely available, are the larger diameter conduits available these days.  With the invent of the Big Gulp and Route 44 type concepts, diameter of conduit was increased slightly, and has revolutionized the world of drinking from convenience stores and fast food joints, but still does not totally eliminate the problem at hand.  The increase of diameter does indeed help, but does not come close in my opinion of the total benefits enjoyed of the double conduit system.

The hypothesis is rooted in these simple concepts.

Corollary 1: Increased Factor of Safety Realized with Two Conduit System.
In the single straw system, PSI is applied by the Consumer on a single vessel.  There is a infinitesimally small window of learning in this arrangement; with the high increase in pressure required to overcome the static friction force of the refreshing beverage.  With two vessels,the pressure is divided in half to each straw, allowing an increase in time to observe the current condition of each vessel before the vessel approaches the Failure Modes in an attempt to break not only the head differential, but the static friction force itself.

Corollary 2: Increased Area of Application available for Power Source.
The single conduit system, the Consumer is forced to apply the entire force per unit area (PSI) over a single area. In our new arrangement, the Consumer applies the entire force to double the original area, therefore allowing somewhat greater control at the pressure coupling of the lips.

Side Corollary:  This is a great time to discount what you are thinking, as in three conduits are better than two.  Unfortunately, in this arrangement, the pressure coupling of the lips has to much with which to contend. I believe this is partly because, as we all know, that two is a party, but three is a crowd. (In other words, the mouth is having to think about three point pressure application, and it can't handle pressure in three separate places and still maintain efficiency.) Efficiency is also lost due to the fact that there are more gaps at the conduit-conduit-lip junction, not to mention the conduit-conduit-conduit arrangement (the commonly called 'triangle' relationship).  In the case that the 'triangle' method is not utilized and a single line of three is attempted, the conduit-lip junction is twofold over the simpler two conduit system, having only one such junction (not to mention that the in-line-three concept cannot support equilibrium without the use of a hand, and we all know that isn't kosher while sucking any beverage.)

Corollary 3: Increased Refreshment.
Although the main motivation for the two conduit system was originally to overcome static refreshment, the benefits are seemingly unbound in the two straw arrangement.  Not only do you get a greater fluid advantage over static cold refreshment, but seemingly, when the static friction force is indeed broken and flow begins, the quantity of refreshment surpasses the volume possible of sweet, cool refreshment for the Consumer within a single power point application cycle. 

And, probably more important than the cold and refreshing refreshment delivery is the less-than-cold, but still refreshing medium with a much lower coefficient of friction (approaching zero when considering even smaller diameter straws (not including stir sticks.)  In the scenario of the universal refreshing medium, water, I submit to you that static force is negligent; the only thing you need to overcome is the head.

Furthermore,

I have noticed, after many data points utilizing the two straw system, an increase in fluid volume through the system with less work.  Less pressure means less effort for the power system, which is to the benefit of the Consumer.  I present to you the following statements for your approval:

 1)  I have noticed that in the two straw arrangement, when applying the same amount of PSI as in a single straw system, after overcoming static pressure (from friction and head) the power to acquire the same volume appears to be less.   Therefore, sucking with the SAME PSI may acquire the SAME volume of sweet refreshment, with a reduction in pressure at the pressure coupling since the application area is doubled (i.e., 10 PSI over one square inch is the same as 5 PSI over two square inches).


and, 2) Sometimes sucking half as hard can be good.


Note:  It is smart to stockpile the second straw for the two straw arrangement in advance of the proposed experiment, as my experience shows that Sonic Roller Skater Waiters and Waitresses don't usually carry a second straw, even if you ask them at the time of order, and it's not nice to send the Roller Skater person back for a single additional straw.

And don't tell me that the last five minutes was a waste of your time, or a waste of your life, or a waste in any fashion;  This is good information.  Plus, you'll think of using two straws every time you use a straw until you try it, and then, when you do, you'll thank me.

And then, you can begin to reap the two straw system benefits just like I do on a regular basis.

Thank you for your support.  And Enjoy!