POOR AIR, SUMMER 2006

[cap n chris]

Copied over from 2005 thread....
___________________

2006

Air quality a bit poor in

MANOR FARM SWALLET,

last Sunday (4th June 2006)

but only at Sarum inlet/climb up to NHASA area.

 

[whitelackington]

Just a bit of a theory coming.

If Swildons Hole

experiences high CO2 in hot weather especially down near sump one.
Usually ambient cave tempreture away from an exit or strong draught, stays fairly constant but in anyway only changes slightly and slowly.

Swildons is potentially very lucky (for airflow) as it now has two entrances
but virtuallyblocked by sump one.
Even if sump one were to be altered, there is a further problem, both entances are at the same altitude, so no chimney effect, so not usually much air flow, the pressure has to be differential.
In a house the chimney top has to be about 8 metres above the firemouth, to make it draw, hence bungalows seem to have outrageously tall chimneys.

So to get a strong throughflow of frsh air in the Swildons systen, not only would you have to remove sump one, keep mud sump open, you would also have to build a chimney on top of Priddy Green Sink.
Hope this helps.

 

[cap n chris]

you have to remove sump one, keep mud sump open, you would also have to build a chimney on top of Priddy Green Sink.

Suggest you write up a project outline to submit to BCA for funding.
:wink:

 

[Roger W]

Would a borehole (6" or so) down from the surface into the 'bad air' area do any good?

Go on, say it - stupid idea! What is at ground level at that point? ("No, you can't put your bl**dy borehole down through my kitchen floor!"), where is the right point, anyway? (How good is the cave survey? Use of molephone?).

It's the sort of idea that comes easily when you've spent Sunday afternoon trying to explain to a group of Chinese students why "bread" is pronounced 'bred' but "react" is pronounced 'ree-akt'... :?

 

[whitelackington]

O my tongue in cheek theory (chimney on P.G.S.)
I think you would also have to bang sumps two and three, otherwise the beneficial effects of the chimney effect would probably only benefit Swildons One from entrance down as far as the mud sump, and through to four
Is this any better :shock:

 

[cap n chris]

Just take the roof off. Problem solved. Come to think of it, just stick to outdoor caving instead.

 

[Roger W]

Just take the roof off. Problem solved. Come to think of it, just stick to outdoor caving instead.

That takes me back to my younger days...

Sorry, not the Mendips, but Matlock Bath in the 1950's (days out with my mum and dad)...

After experiencing the delights of the Great Masson Cave by candlelight, it was over to High Tor on the other side of the valley to explore the Fern and Roman caves. But they weren't (aren't) real caves - just old worked-out lead veins, open to the sky.

You could scramble about and run in and out to your heart's content - and you didn't have to pay to go in (which was an important factor in those days!). But it was very disappointing after being under solid rock, and daylight did not compare with the excitement and mystery of trying to see anything by the dim flicker of Mr Balch's 'preferred illuminant'!

Nah, Cap'n. Leave the roof on... :wink: