Posted On: Friday - January 5th 2024 6:39PM MST
In Topics: Political Correctness Feminism Science Female Stupidity
As with this attempt at conveying social humor in a written blog post, this story also comes from an engineer friend, maybe or maybe not the same guy. This was from much more recent times.
I couldn't get a good well-fitting shot of just one rotameter* for this post, so you'll have to settle for three of them. These are a very simple type of liquid flow meter, with no electronics (necessarily**) or electrical anything involved. The principle is simple, and, though easy to intuitively understand, not necessarily one a non-fluids engineer might be able to elucidate the basic principles of right off.
The glass or plastic (for the cheap version) tube through which the liquid flows is tapered from top to bottom. Therefore, for a given volumetric flow rate, Q, the quantity this is designed to measure, the speed of the fluid goes down as the tapered tube widens, widens, that is, from the inlet to the outlet. (I.e, the flow area is larger, and Q=vA, so v=Q/A.) That float can be of various shape, but it usually has a nice flat or mark to help one get good readings vs. the calibration marks on the glass.*** Additionally, it is usually made of of metal or something heavy enough to not float.
Fluid comes in the bottom and out the top. The drag of the fluid on this "float" will equal the unchanging (weight - bouyancy) net force on it, in an equilibrium at a volumetric flow rate within its range.
OK, clear enough? For most of us, including my friend, it is.
Now, let's get to the AA part of this story. A young lady engineer works for this same medium-small outfit. From what I've heard, she doesn't pull her weight, or float her float, if I may, in effort or engineering expertise.
This female D.I.E.-hire needed to borrow one of these simple devices. My friend was happy to let her use it. He left a rotameter on her desk without any thought that some sort of explanation or instruction book would be necessary.
The thing was broke, though, or so he was told by this lady some time later, after he asked to make sure she found this (maybe a "thanks" would be nice) and made use of it. Nope, the rotameter didn't work. That's true - it won't work when you let the fluid flow into the top, that is, the wide end. The float would have simply been jammed into the outlet. Yeah, but the water in this lab comes down from the top of the room though, so ... you want it coming in to the ... so ... so what?
"So what?" is that this thinking shows a real lack of fluid mechanics understanding, in the engineering sense, but also even in the common sense sense. Yet, this young lady was not laid off, while my friend and his very experienced boss were. Cutbacks, you know. You don't cut the D.I.E. hires unless you want your career to DIE.
Incompetence! It's not just for Burger King (breakfast) anymore, but then that's another post ...
* "Rotameter" is a brand name, like "band-aid". One could call these more generally "variable area flowmeters", but I've only heard "rotameter", so we're stickin' to that.
** These are great for the lab and some other applications in which reading by eye for a check or the compiling of data onto paper or into a spreadsheet is the goal. For something to be monitored more electronically, there are ways to magnetically couple the float to something with sensors.
*** Note that the marks must be made for generally similar fluids in terms of viscosity and density(?)
Comments:
Moderator
Saturday - January 6th 2024 12:53PM MST
PS: Well, I can edit my comments, but let me just say sorry to Mr. Anon AND Alarmist. I'm used to the latter guy writing in, especially on technical stuff.
My bad. Thanks for the comment, Mr. Anon.
My bad. Thanks for the comment, Mr. Anon.
Moderator
Saturday - January 6th 2024 12:52PM MST
PS: "You think they won't do it in 2024? Of course they will. Some people think they will "elect" Michelle Obama, but I think Condi Rice is more likely."
Bill, Tucker and a guy he was interviewing think Nikki Haley is the one that the Deep State wants to prevail. They don't really care about red-squad v blue-squad that much, so long as they have someone that will do their bidding.
As far as the black ladies, I gotta say that I liked what Candace Owens had to say in the one video I watched. I'd heard of her, but never knew who she was and never heard from her before.
Yeah, Condi Rice would be like a Nikky Haley, and Michael Obama would be like another Zhou Bai Dien - she'd need lots of help from the people running things behind the scenes. Maybe more people would be enticed to eat their vegetables, at least, so there's that... that could be the pet project of the first man, first husband of a transgendered black woman President. Now, that hits the spot.
Bill, Tucker and a guy he was interviewing think Nikki Haley is the one that the Deep State wants to prevail. They don't really care about red-squad v blue-squad that much, so long as they have someone that will do their bidding.
As far as the black ladies, I gotta say that I liked what Candace Owens had to say in the one video I watched. I'd heard of her, but never knew who she was and never heard from her before.
Yeah, Condi Rice would be like a Nikky Haley, and Michael Obama would be like another Zhou Bai Dien - she'd need lots of help from the people running things behind the scenes. Maybe more people would be enticed to eat their vegetables, at least, so there's that... that could be the pet project of the first man, first husband of a transgendered black woman President. Now, that hits the spot.
Bill H
Saturday - January 6th 2024 9:12AM MST
PS In 2023 the Democrats proclaimed that only a female black person could be qualified to serve as president of a major university. They also proclaimed that only a female black person could be qualified to fill a vacancy as US Senator. They also proclaimed that only a female black person could be qualified to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.
In 2024 they will take it to the next logical step and will proclaim that only a female black person can be qualified to serve as President of the United States. It will require corrupting the Democrat primary election, but we know they can do that. They did it in 2020 to get rid of Bernie Sanders, and they did not even try to hide what they were doing. It would require rigging the general election, but we know they can do that too. They did that in 2020 and the media and federal court system protected them.
You think they won't do it in 2024? Of course they will. Some people think they will "elect" Michelle Obama, but I think Condi Rice is more likely.
In 2024 they will take it to the next logical step and will proclaim that only a female black person can be qualified to serve as President of the United States. It will require corrupting the Democrat primary election, but we know they can do that. They did it in 2020 to get rid of Bernie Sanders, and they did not even try to hide what they were doing. It would require rigging the general election, but we know they can do that too. They did that in 2020 and the media and federal court system protected them.
You think they won't do it in 2024? Of course they will. Some people think they will "elect" Michelle Obama, but I think Condi Rice is more likely.
Moderator
Saturday - January 6th 2024 6:35AM MST
PS: There are some floats that have spiral flutes on them, Alarmist. They spin, and maybe that stability helps in getting more accurate readings(?)
At least this is just a lab. What the incompetence does there is help ruin the company is all.
At least this is just a lab. What the incompetence does there is help ruin the company is all.
Mr. Anon
Friday - January 5th 2024 10:49PM MST
PS
It's odd that it's called a "rotameter" given that it has no rotating parts. If anything, you'd think a turbine or paddle-wheel flow meter would bear the name "rotameter", but they don't.
As to your story, well, God save us from incompetent engineers.
It's odd that it's called a "rotameter" given that it has no rotating parts. If anything, you'd think a turbine or paddle-wheel flow meter would bear the name "rotameter", but they don't.
As to your story, well, God save us from incompetent engineers.
No worries... mostly read-mode this last week.
I had a new neighbor in NYC on the floor above my flat who decided to sand her floors, shaking our walls to no end. Anyway, first big rainy day, her floor is soaked, so limo-lady comes downstairs to tell me water is leaking up from my flat.
All I could say was, “I wasn’t aware the laws of nature pertaining to gravity were suspended in my home,” and thanked her for enlightening me. Turns out her unauthorized reno work blew out the pointing on much of the exterior wall on our side of the building.