Design and Development of a Water Channel

1
Design and Development of a Water Channel
For Flow Visualization

• Jennifer Panik
• Senior Project 2003-2004
• Advisor Ann Anderson
• Mechanical Engineering

2
Approach

• Research Existing Systems
• Tunnels
• Techniques
• Develop Design Specifications
• Design
• Determine flow and pumping needs
• Configuration

3
Water Tunnel Background

• Large
• Small
• Horizontal
• Vertical

Source http//www.sm.go.dlr.de/sm-sm_info/TRTinfo
/wuk.html
Source http//www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/Pla
ces/Small/ED96-43468-4.jpg
Source http//rollinghillsresearch.com/Water_Tunn
els/Model_0710.html
4
Flow Visualization Background

• Techniques
• Hydrogen Bubble Technique
• Dye Technique

1/48-scale model of an F-18 aircraft
Model of the future supersonic transport aircraft
(ATSF) in the water-tunnel.
Source http//www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/FVF
/index.html
Source http//www.onera.fr/photos-en/tunnel/avion
-ecoulement.html
5
Dye Technique

• Tracers
• -Milk - Food Coloring
• - Ink - Alcohol
• - Rhodamine - Fluoresceine
• B 6G
• -Methylene Blue Dye
• Buoyancy
• - Density
• Filtration
• - X gallons will be contaminated in x time
• Safety
• Tracers

Source http//rollinghillsresearch.com/Water_Tunn
els/Prepared_experiments.htm
6
Design Specificationsfrom Professors
Wind Tunnel Motor Speed (Hz) Approximate Air Speed in Test Section (m/s) Reynolds Number for 6in object Reynolds Number for 12in object
6 5 5.0 E04 1.0 E05
40 30 3.0 E05 6.0 E05

• Reynolds Numbers outside the wind tunnel range
• Low Reynolds Numbers ? 1
• View Creeping Flow
• Undisturbed Flow
• View Vortices

7
Design Specifications

• Geometric
• Must fit on a table top
• Test section 121220 inches
• Test section made of Plexiglas
• Performance
• Flow rate of water must allow for Reynolds number
  of 1
• Flow rate must be easily adjustable
• Test section must be easily viewed
• Must be able to run tests in a reasonable time
• Cost
• Must be under 800

8

• Time
• Tunnel design must be completed by the end of
  this term
• Manufacturing
• The pump will be store bought
• All other portions will be assembled and
  fabricated by me
• Transport
• System will be able to be transported on table
• Ergonomic
• Models need to be easily loaded and unloaded
• Safety
• Tracers must be safe
• No electrical- water interactions

9
Performance Specifications
10
Results
Approximately 6 min 3.5 min 1 min
11
Design Concepts
Test section
Reservoir
Test section
pump
12
System and Operating Curve
13
Whats Next

• StarWorks must be used to find inlet design
• Flow Conditioning
• Finalized design
• Fabrication
• Testing in the completed tunnel

14
Questions

• ?

Acknowledgements Professor Ann
Anderson Professor Brad Bruno IEF for funding