![]() Arionfard and Nishi utilized a small (30 cm × 1 m) water channel to investigate power harnessing potential of pivoted cylinder exposed to highly turbulent flow. attempted to amplify the vibration amplitudes of piezoelectric strips by means of magnet fields. used a 40 cm wide and long rectangular channel to convert vortex-induced vibration and galloping of blunt bodies into electricity via piezoelectric strips. Additionally, the versatility of open channel flumes has allowed plethora of vibration modes to be experimented. The vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of objects exposed to flow has emerged as attractive potential sources of renewable energy. Open channel tanks are paramount for various hydrodynamic research areas, such as designs of hydrokinetic energy harvesters, investigation of flow characteristics in the presence of obstacles, drag and lift of objects exposed to fluid flows, etc. The current design was inspired by a small scale commercial water flow tank used in the investigation of vortex-induced autorotation and oscillation of straight cylinders, as well as the energy potential from such vibration modes of symmetric geometries. The reported open flume was motivated by the need of a test chamber for an ongoing research on bladeless turbines, as well as the desire to have such device in the fluid mechanics laboratory. Senior students participating in the design and fabrication process of the flume obtained the opportunity to reinforce fundamental engineering concepts and to master valuable technical skills. Open water flumes provide effective hands-on multidisciplinary learning tools for students matriculated in engineering programs, as well as in the physical education program. The project was made possible due to the generous sponsor of the Vibration Institute. The total material cost of the facility was less than USD 6000, which includes the pump and its variable frequency driver. The multi-disciplinary project has contributed to the improvement of soft skills, such as time management, team working, and professional presentation, of the team members. The design process provides a training platform for skills in the area of Computer Aided Designs (CAD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), manufacturing, and experimentation. The educational facility was assigned as a two-semester multi-disciplinary capstone senior design project incorporating students and faculty of mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering programs in our campus. The size and capacity of the current design were constrained by space limitation and available funds. The expected maximum average water speed in the observation chamber of about 60 cm per second was achieved by the inclusion of a 3 hp centrifugal pump. The central piece of the system is a transparent observation chamber where fluid experiments are typically conducted and observed. This paper describes the design and fabrication of an affordable, medium-size water flume tank, suitable for education purposes. ![]() Nevertheless, commercial open flume systems can be expensive and become less prioritized in engineering schools. The device is also attractive due to its versatility and easy-to-maintain characteristics. Open water flume tanks with closed-loop circulation driven by centrifugal pumps are essential for hydro experimentation in academic settings as well as research centers.
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