Jobs List Winter 2018/9

[Penri]

Here's a list of river-system related jobs for us to do over the Winter Break.

I ran through the earlier jobs lists and was pleased to see that we’d managed to clear most if not all the “do it once” jobs. The jobs that remain are the perpetual ones associated with the river bed itself and the bog garden, making sure they loose as little water through leaks as possible.

Leak detection and prevention

• Next to last river section on the Hanham Building side is again loosing water. Draining, cleaning, hole plugging and the application of a sealing product required. Target before Xmas 2018

• The bog garden surround abutting the river has numerous leaks into the river, no water is lost as it flows into the river but the worst of them need plugging so that the bog garden will better hold its water level should the circulation pump be turned off. A couple of the worse leaks were plugged using hydraulic cement and it appears to have been successful. Target before Xmas 2018

Algae control in the river

Algae strands and clumps are still an issue requiring regular cleaning of the river bed. On-line expert opinion says that a major contributor to algae growth is an increased level of CO2 in water produced by rotting leaf debris. We have a lot of leaf debris and little chance of keeping it out of the river, so a course of action is to oxygenate or aerate the water.

• On a trial basis I’ve added an oxygenating plant to the top section of the river. It was done late in the year when temperatures were falling so it’s too soon to measure its success.

• Is the natural solution does not produce a noticeable improvement then introducing air into the water by mechanical means will need to be explored.

Gate Valves

The mechanical and electrical design of the gate valve has been progressed sufficiently to allow us to procure the parts for 12(?) units.

• Software for valve control

• Produce, commission and trail first off, when proven install at rear of Wendy House controlling water flow back to Sump. Target before Xmas 2018
  Use prototype materials to create a long term test rig, possibly on public display, to evaluate performance, wear, ageing effects, over an extended period. Target March 2019

• Build up sufficient to meet the needs of butts farm installation. Target before Xmas 2018

• Build 4 off valve assemblies from which to construct the bidirectional water pumping system, construct the pumping system and trial. Target March 2018

Magnetic Depth Sensors Mk2

• Software for Mk2 sensor

• Construct Mk2 MagSensor prototype (Target November 2018) and interface to RPi / ADC, commission, test and install in Wendy House Butts? Target before Xmas 2018

• Build sufficient sensors to meet the needs of butts farm installation and retrofit of current Sump sensor. Target January 2019

Network / Control and Power Infrastructure

• Produce a diagram of the measurement and control system identifying all the constituent parts (to a sensible level of detail). Target November 2018
  Install infrastructure to meet the needs of ongoing butts farm installation. Target January 2019

• Software for overall system control to meet the needs of ongoing butts farm installation.

Hanham Building Butts Farm

Rear of Lady Hanham building 2 groups of 5 barrels.
The Barrels, the majority of plumbing parts and most of the piece parts to make up the automated control valves have been acquired. The barrel location is agreed (at upper end of path behind Lady Hanham Building, barrel starting at the wooden fence, placed adjacent to the building so the path is still passable):

• Install suitable staging to accommodate barrels. Target January 2019

• Prepare barrels. Target February 2019

• Install barrels and plumbing and connect to MDPE pipe + control infrastructure. Target March 2019

• Route rainwater guttering from Main, Hanham and if possible Railway buildings to these butts. Target March 2019

Gazebo Butts Farm - Stretch Target for Winter 2018/9

1 Group of 5 barrels

• Install suitable staging to accommodate barrels.

• Prepare barrels.

• Install barrels and plumbing and route to suitable outlet for gardeners to use.

• Install suitable guttering.

• Route rainwater guttering the butts.

• Software for Gazebo butts (if different)

Thank you

[Penri]

Update

Next to last river section on the Hanham Building side is again loosing water. Draining, cleaning, hole plugging and the application of a sealing product required. Target before Xmas 2018

River section in question drained, left to dry (as best can be achieved this time of year), then underside of capping stone on weir sealed in hydraulic mortar and walls of river section treated with 3 coats of G4 Pondseal (a polyurethane based mortar sealant) and left to cure.

River section section re-flooded today (13Dec18).

[Penri]

Update on task as of 24Jan19


Leak detection and prevention
Next to last river section on the Hanham Building side is again loosing water. Draining, cleaning, hole plugging and the application of a sealing product required. Target before Xmas 2018 - Completed and appears to be successful.
The bog garden surround abutting the river has numerous leaks into the river, no water is lost as it flows into the river but the worst of them need plugging so that the bog garden will better hold its water level should the circulation pump be turned off. A couple of the worse leaks were plugged using hydraulic cement and it appears to have been successful. Target before Xmas 2018 - Not yet scheduled

Algae control in the river

Algae strands and clumps are still an issue requiring regular cleaning of the river bed. On-line expert opinion says that a major contributor to algae growth is an increased level of CO2 in water produced by rotting leaf debris. We have a lot of leaf debris and little chance of keeping it out of the river, so a course of action is to oxygenate or aerate the water.
On a trial basis I’ve added an oxygenating plant to the top section of the river. It was done late in the year when temperatures were falling so it’s too soon to measure its success.
Is the natural solution does not produce a noticeable improvement then introducing air into the water by mechanical means will need to be explored.


Gate Valves

The mechanical and electrical design of the gate valve has been progressed sufficiently to allow us to procure the parts for 12(?) units.

Software for valve control
Produce, commission and trail first off, when proven install at rear of Wendy House controlling water flow back to Sump. Target before Xmas 2018 - First valve including electronics and S/W built and successfully bench trialled, not yet integrated.
Use prototype materials to create a long term test rig, possibly on public display, to evaluate performance, wear, ageing effects, over an extended period. Target March 2019
Build up sufficient to meet the needs of butts farm installation. Target before Xmas 2018 -
Build 4 off valve assemblies from which to construct the bidirectional water pumping system, construct the pumping system and trial. Target March 2018

Magnetic Depth Sensors Mk2

Software for Mk2 sensor

Construct Mk2 MagSensor prototype (Target November 2018) and interface to RPi / ADC, commission, test and install in Wendy House Butts? Target before Xmas 2018 - First off Mk2 sensor build and RPi/ADC + S/W bench commissioned.
Build sufficient sensors to meet the needs of butts farm installation and retrofit of current Sump sensor. Target January 2019

Network / Control and Power Infrastructure
Produce a diagram of the measurement and control system identifying all the constituent parts (to a sensible level of detail). Target November 2018 - Diagram available
Install infrastructure to meet the needs of ongoing butts farm installation. Target January 2019
Software for overall system control to meet the needs of ongoing butts farm installation.

Hanham Building Butts Farm

Rear of Lady Hanham building 2 groups of 5 barrels.
The Barrels, the majority of plumbing parts and most of the piece parts to make up the automated control valves have been acquired. The barrel location is agreed (at upper end of path behind Lady Hanham Building, barrel starting at the wooden fence, placed adjacent to the building so the path is still passable):
Install suitable staging to accommodate barrels. Target January 2019 - Staging complete for 3 groups of 5 barrels
Prepare barrels. Target February 2019
Install barrels and plumbing and connect to MDPE pipe + control infrastructure. Target March 2019
Route rainwater guttering from Main, Hanham and if possible Railway buildings to these butts. Target March 2019

Gazebo Butts Farm - Stretch Target for Winter 2018/9

1 Group of 5 barrels
Install suitable staging to accommodate barrels.
Prepare barrels.
Install barrels and plumbing and route to suitable outlet for gardeners to use.
Install suitable guttering.
Route rainwater guttering the butts.
Software for Gazebo butts (if different)

[TerryJC]

Penri,

Should we update this and call it 'Jobs list Summer 2019'?

[Penri]

Terry

Good point, will attempt an update later this week.

Penri

[TerryJC]

Looking at what we were originally planning to do, it looks like the 4-off Gate Valves for the Matrix Pump would be the next logical step. I'll start kitting later today or tomorrow.

At some time we will also need to look at how we get the 12 analogue inputs from the three Hall Effect Probes behind the Lady Hanham building into the Pi interface. It's not an electronic problem, and the software should be scalable, but we might need two decks of Terminal Blocks or something. The current TB has 14 terminals and we need an extra 8. There is only room for 20 across the Veroboard.

[Penri]

Terry

We’ll need a depth probe for the Wendy Stage butt before or in parallel with the pump matrix.

Penri

[TerryJC]

We’ll need a depth probe for the Wendy Stage butt before or in parallel with the pump matrix.

We'll also need a Butts Pi for the Stage. What is the priority; the Stage Pi or the Matrix Pump?

[Penri]

Stage Pi for me as we’ll need to know what’s in the Wendy Stage butts before attempting water movement to or from them.

[TerryJC]

OK. I'll kit for that then. This will be virtually identical to the Wendy Butts Pi.