ADS Community Strong: Next Step Farms

ADS Community Strong: Next Step Farms

Did You Know that 6.5 million people in the United States alone have intellectual disabilities (including mild to profound cognitive impairment)? This week, a group of ADS volunteers had the privilege to meet and work alongside some special needs adults to support a 501(c)(3) organization in Harvest, AL – Next Step Farms/NSFs, (a hands-on program for teaching “life-skills” to intellectually and developmentally disabled adults). These life skills include cleaning, cooking, organization, gardening, light home/auto maintenance, basic finance and computer skills, personal hygiene, etc. – instruction that helps the student to gain some level of independence and provide ongoing help to their caregivers (usually their aging parents). A “Next Step” for the organization is to collaborate with local businesses and the surrounding community to place NSF’s students/graduates in real jobs where they are genuinely accepted and productive.

In addition to a prior $14K donation to NSFs from The IDEX Foundation, ADS employees spent their personal time cleaning construction debris at the new NSF’s learning facility, hanging window blinds and screens, applying drawer liners to the cabinets and drawers of the interior furnishings that The IDEX Foundation purchased. It also gave us a chance to work alongside our fellow ADS personnel and wear the fantastic bright, new yellow ADS shirts! Let’s all continue to look for opportunities to serve others, give back, and strengthen our local communities. #ADScommunitystrong!

Drifting Velocity Sensor

Drifting Velocity Sensor

29. Drifting Velocity Sensor

This scattergraph displays data from a flow monitor with a drifting velocity sensor.  Note that the reported flow velocity drifts over a wide range without a corresponding change in depth.  This flow monitor was equipped with an electromagnetic velocity sensor, which is subject to fouling from grease.  The sensor performance worsened over time and eventually caused the flow monitor to report negative velocities.  The data from this flow monitor are invalid and should be disregarded.

Drifting Depth Sensor

Drifting Depth Sensor

28. Drifting Depth Sensor

Most flow monitoring data can be described by the Manning Equation using either the Design Method, the Lanfear-Coll Method, or the Stevens-Schutzbach Method.  Data that do not lie on a pipe curve generated by one of these methods indicate that either the hydraulics are different or that the flow monitor is not working correctly.  This scattergraph displays data from a flow monitor with a drifting pressure depth sensor.  Note that the reported flow depth drifts over a wide range without a corresponding change in velocity.  In this case, as series of pipe curves are observed at multiple depths and deviate significantly above and below the manual confirmations.  The data from this flow monitor are invalid and should be disregarded.

Undular Jump

Undular Jump

27. Undular Jump

A hydraulic jump or other transcritical flow condition may reduce the accuracy of a flow monitor.  However, this effect is not strictly limited to critical flow (Fr = 1), but may also occur within a wider range of near-critical flow conditions.  Research by Chanson, Hager, and others suggests a range of conditions (0.7 < Fr < 1.7) where unstable flow may exist.  Pipe shape and material also appear to affect where unstable flow may occur.  This scattergraph is believed to result from an undular hydraulic jump and is characterized by a stair step pattern.

Hydraulic Jump

Hydraulic Jump

26. Hydraulic Jump

This scattergraph is from a site that experiences a hydraulic jump.  This condition occurs when flow transitions from supercritical to subcritical flow.  In this example, the hydraulic jump is located upstream from the monitor at lower flow rates, and the subcritical side of the hydraulic jump is observed (Q1).  As the flow rate increases, the hydraulic jump is pushedthrough the monitoring location, and the supercritical side of the hydraulic jump is observed (Q2).  Flow monitors can operate well in either subcritical or supercritical conditions, but accuracy may deteriorate during the transition.  Therefore, a hydraulic jump should be avoided, if possible.