"What Software Developers Do When They Are Not Developing Software".

[Ben]

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@JÞB wrote:

Capillary action?

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I could believe it.

Now how would that fit with the fact that after just letting it sit over night there was good flow coming out the end when I checked it last night?

The over-flow was not flowing so the water was all going the way I wanted it to go. I had my brother with me and he took up a position between where I was on the far hill and he could site both me and the spring box. As I climbed the far hill the water stopped again and he declared that I was still below the spring box. Since last night was not a night intended for playing wit the water, I left the delivery end hanging in a tree branch to see if letting is sit over night would let it start again.

After all I more digging and dumping to do.

Ben

[richferrara]

Here's my LabWindows project that plays the dice game Lights Out (a/k/a Shut The Box or High Rollers).

Shut The Box - Wikipedia

[JÞB]

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@Ben wrote:

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@JÞB wrote:

Capillary action?

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I could believe it.

Now how would that fit with the fact that after just letting it sit over night there was good flow coming out the end when I checked it last night?

Ben

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OK Ben, Time for some practical physics. (Imagine a physicist asking these questions?)

First, Just go flush your toilet! I'm not kidding!

What you have in that line besides the capillary action is a trap or two where the slope is less than 1/4in"/'  That's what it takes to overcome surface tension in fresh water (+/- some for dissolved salts and Ph <>7 Salts reduce Surface tension Free H and OH ions increase surface tension  A hydrometer will give you the specific gravity, density is proportional to tension)

However, Surface tension works FOR you when there is no water air surface (Purged line) and you get a "Siphon" that overcomes the trap.

Did you flush again?  While you are looking at that marvelous contraption (Ironically invented by one plumber named "Crapper" although John Harrington is usually named the inventor and Cummings stole the patent) But I digress....Looking at you home throne closely you might notice that VENT in your roof!  This is to let the air out of the line so that water can create that, oh so important, siphon.

three rules of plumbing:

1. Sh!t goes down
2. Stink goes up
3. Water seeks its own level

Add a vent, plug the bottom end, evacuate the air to prime the siphon (yes Ben, I said "Suck on it")

[crossrulz]

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@JÞB wrote:

(Ironically invented by one plumber named "Crapper" although John Harrington is usually named the inventor and Cummings stole the patent) 

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It's actually not ironic.  All of the toilets in the UK said "Crapper" on them, since that was the company name.  So when all of those US soldiers entered WWI, they saw this and just started calling toilets "crappers".  But I digress even more...

[Ben]

Good info Jeff.

As the rain fell last night I put on a rain coat to see what I could figure out. Mind you I did not have access to your reply before this morning so here goes...

The line was raised about 4 more inches. Still need to overcome the crest which requires another 4 foot of elevation.

That is enough flow to keep the grape vines from drying out. So as the rain petered out, I did some thinking and I believe I have a way understanding. I would have to do a lot of hand waving but here goes it.

The various elevations can be though of a voltage potentials. The various lengths and diameters of PEX tubing can be thought of as resistors. Now for the hand waving. The capillary effect inside the tubing act like back to back diodes. Until I have enough potential to forward bias the diodes in one direction or another, there is no current flow. The other factor is the weather and with a high pressure system the air is denser and the potential for each foot of head changes with the weather patterns. I will skip drawing up the diagram but all of the factors are either fixed or out of my control except the attributes of the delivery line running up out of the gulley. I can reduce the length to a minimum required to reach the grape vines AND I can switch to larger size line going from 1/2″ to 3/4″.

I have a partial roll of 3/4" PEX sitting on the front stoop just waiting for me to come home from work.

One way or anther I will report on the results.

Now if you can see a reason why worth trying, let me know and I will spare the PEX and do more digging instead.

Ben

[JÞB]

Consider the tank a capacitor,  the static head battery ant the tube more like an inductor.  Charge that inductor by priming it and not only does it not impede current, it resists flow change.  The inner diameter and capillary action, e.g smoothness, in the resistance.

Diodes are check-valves and forward bias is a spring-load  to closed.  You might want one near the intake to lock in the water in the pipe when the tank gets low.

Like putting your finger on a straw and lifting it as an experiment. 

[JÞB]

Run small scale experiments with the grand gals!

Post video!

Prove the analogies 

Longer tube more inductance takes longer to fill discharging the tank ( replacing water with hoses air) 

Lift the tank, ( more voltage in the battery ) hose fills faster increased flow rate. 

Smaller tank volume empties faster. 

Raise hose intake  out of the tank flow decays just like current from an inductor (bet you can even find the same rl and rc curves)

Stick your finger on the top.  Check valve  inductor applies force upstream holding water, charge, in the inductor, Tube.

Bonus points.  Have the gals find the resistive element I have not mentioned.   

No cheating! Don't tell Ben!

[jcarmody]

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@Ben wrote:

I have introduced a little too much chaos to the random post thread so I will be using this thread when I am tempted to share reports of non-LV related activities.

All are welcome to post about what they do or have done that lets the rest of the world know that we are more than just machines developing code. [...]

Ben

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I play games with guns.

[Ben]

I mentioned this challenge to one of my associates and as soon as I said "3/4 to 1/2" he interrupted  and predicted that it would only flow about 1/3 to 1/2 way up... He then stopped and said "I did take that course and did all of the math."

So I am looking forward to trying it out tonight.

That section of 3/4 I have to test with may not run all of the way there but the test should be revealing.

Ben

[Ben]

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@jcarmody wrote:

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@Ben wrote:

I have introduced a little too much chaos to the random post thread so I will be using this thread when I am tempted to share reports of non-LV related activities.

All are welcome to post about what they do or have done that lets the rest of the world know that we are more than just machines developing code. [...]

Ben

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I play games with guns.

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"Uncle!"

I have to admit that your gun range looks like a lot more fun than my gun range!

Ben