A Lesson from a Student

Well, it is a lot harder then I thought it would be to write a blog consistently. It’s been a bit since my last blog, but I will continue to put an effort into it. Ok, here goes…

One of the most important and most common formulas in waterworks mathematics is the flow rate formula, Q = AV. Q represents flow rate typically expressed in cubic feet per second. A is the area of the object transferring the liquid. This is usually a pipe, channel, aqueduct, etc. V is the velocity of the liquid, usually expressed in feet per second. Now, the science behind fluid dynamics is much more complicated then this formula, but for “Government work” this is sufficient!

This formula is very valuable when trying to determine how much water is flowing, what the diameter of a pipe is, or how fast the water is moving through a channel. There are many examples where this formula is used and many questions on Operator Certification Exams. Therefore, mastering this formula is advised.

An interesting thing happened to me the other day in my Waterworks Mathematics class. Before class we were discussing the devastating oil spill disaster in the Gulf. Early estimates from British Petroleum put the oil leak in the neighborhood of 210,000 gallons per day. A lot? Well if the pipeline was 8 inches in diameter, then the velocity of the spewing oil would be right around 1 foot per second and it would be a lot. But, if you have seen the deep underwater video then you might speculate that the velocity was slightly faster then 1 foot per second. However, let’s be kind to BP and take the conservative velocity of 1 foot per second. Well, this is what one of my students did. He came up to me and said I believe that much more then 210,000 gallons of oil is leaking per day. In fact, I think it is well over 1 million gallons of oil per day. By the way, the pipeline line is not 8 inches in diameter, it has an inside diameter of 20 inches. So, if you use the Q=AV formula and the generous 1 foot per second velocity, the average per day spewing is more then 1.4 MILLION GALLONS. Now we must realize that there are various variables that might alter this classroom calculation, but for BP to feed us a number almost 7 times less then this formula calculates is nothing more then misrepresentation of the truth…or…a flat out LIE!

On the way in to work this morning, I heard a report that BP said they are collecting 210,000 gallons per day through their collection tube. Well, you don’t have to be a genius (so that means even us water geeks are smart enough) to figure out that more then that is causing more destruction then was ever previously imagined. And it only took a Community College student to figure this out. I think he might want to submit his résumé to one of these government agencies overseeing this travesty!

Thanks Mic for the classroom lesson!