PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATION AND VISUALISATION CAPABILITIES
Mobile bed experiments
Flow around model engineering structures
Experimental investigation of erosion and deposition
Characteristics of meandering water courses
Two dimensional flow visualization by the Ahlborn technique
Boundary layer suction demonstration
Velocity distribution in duct flow
Hydraulic analogy to compressible flow
Civil engineering model testing
DESCRIPTION
The tank is molded from self colored Oxford Blue (BS0105) glass fiber reinforced plastic with steel reinforcements to provide rigidity. It is manufactured in three sections; the inlet tank, the working section and the discharge reservoir tank. The sections are joined by flanged connections and dispatched from the factory as a complete assembly. A drop-tight adjustable overshot weir with upstream sand trap is accommodated within the discharge tank. The inlet tank features a perforated baffle plate which spreads the flow evenly across the width of the table. A removable glass sheet colored blue on one side, white on the other, is provided to cover the sand bed when flow visualization experiments are in progress. A pair of adjustable aluminium instruments rails is fitted to the top of the tank. These extend over the full length of the working section and one rail carries a positioning scale. The depth gauge supplied is used to measure the water level and to map the contours of the sand bed produced during exercises. It is provided with a stainless steel hook and point and incorporates a Vernier scale enabling levels to be determined accurately. The gauge is designed for mounting on the instrument carrier assembly which can be positioned over any point of the working area. The main carrier (longitudinal traverse) is provided with a locking device and cursor to operate in conjunction with the instrument rail scale. The sub-carriage (transverse traverse) operates on rails provided by the main carriage.
There is again a transverse scale and locking device. The correct use of the apparatus is described in a comprehensive manual supplied with the tank. Water flow is provided by a centrifugal pump made of materials which are selected for their corrosion resistance as is the pipe work which includes an electrically operated flow regulating valve. A GRP molding carries the pump, control valve, rigid pipe work and ‘in-line’ flow meter. The assembly is connected to the tank by flexible hoses. The motor starter and digital meter readout are mounted in a table top cabinet supplied complete with the required flexible cables. The tank is available with optional working lengths.
BASIC ACCESSORIES
A wide range of models and accessories is supplied for use with the equipment.
Various materials which prove useful in obtaining the best results from the apparatus are supplied, including a tin of aluminum dust, lengths of hypodermic and polythene tube, dye crystals, Plasticine and poster paint. In addition the following items are supplied:
Model bridge piers; two rectangular, two cylindrical, two profiled and two with rounded ends.
One asymmetrical aerofoil shape.
Two model gate guides.
Eight aluminum baffles to direct the water flow for general test purposes.
One set of twelve x 50mm x 50mm aluminum Tees and six 40mm equal angles all 125mm long, to enable the laboratory staff to build additional models.
SPECIFICATION
A self contained re- circulating water tank for flow visualization and mobile bed studies.
The tank is manufactured from glass reinforced plastic and all components in contact with water are of non-corroding materials.
The working section has minimum dimensions of 2m(4m) x 610mm and the flow range is 0-3.5 liters/sec.
Fifteen models and accessories are included as standard and a sheet of coloured glass allows rapid changeover from mobile bed to flow visualization mode.
All controls are housed in a portable console which includes a flexible cable and water safe connectors.
