I designed and constructed a small scale water tunnel to be used for testing new methods of measuring flow characteristics of natural water systems. The requirements were that it has a small footprint, an exposed flow distance of at least 0.5m, adjustable flow velocities and adjustable slope of the flow to mimic natural hill slopes.
The overall design (see Figures 1-3) consisted of an acrylic channel that is fed water through a centrifugal pump between containers known as the pump chamber and reservoir respectively and supported on a bolt together aluminum tube frame. The frame sits on four caster wheels allowing it to be easily moved.
The flow velocity was controlled using a gate valve placed between the pump and pump chamber. The adjustable slope is achieved by having the water channel hinged to the rest of the frame. A flexible waterproof seal is created using a thin flexible PVC sheet. The piping system for the water tunnel is offset from the bottom of the acrylic channel to allow a camera to be placed directly below the channel to record the flow.
Water Tunnel with Adjustable Slope
Project: Design and Construct a Portable Water Tunnel with Variable Slope
Timeline: 3 months (Jun. 2010 - Aug. 2010)
# of participants: 3 People
Job:
Lead Design Engineer, Manufacturer
Project Requirements:
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A variable water flow of 30+ cm/s
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A surface flow depth of >1cm
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A variable slope for the flow up to 30 degrees
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A drain to allow for the removal of particle tracers or debris
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Low cost and portable
Figure 1. CAD model of water tunnel with components called out
Figure 2. Desired max slope adjustment and methodology
Figure 3. Section view of adjustable slope methodology involving telescopic piping with sealing o-rings
Figure 4. Completed water tunnel