| The AME
Hydrodynamics Laboratory,
or Hydrolab, is located on 1025 N. Mountain. It is part of the
Aerospace
and Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Arizona. As
a 3750 sq. ft. state-of-the-art research facility it houses three water
tunnel facilities. While all other research facilities of the AME
department
were moved to the new department building in 1997, it was decided to
keep
the Hydrolab as an outpost due to the expense that would be incurred
for
moving the water tunnels. The laboratory is currently the home of the
experimental research
group of Dr.
Fasel. Dr. Fasel's research group uses the north half of the building and utilizes two of the three water tunnels for hydrodynamic stability research, bluff body wake control and active flow control in general. Both tunnels represent open surface water tunnels, the small tunnel was designed as a 1:4 scale model of the larger tunnel. |
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| Large Water Tunnel |
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| Big
Tunnel Upstream View |
Big Tunnel Test Section and Traverse
System |
| The
big tunnel was originally designed for boundary layer experiments.
Small turbulence level and the ability to reach natural transition on a
flat plate within the test section length were design goals. After
major improvements regarding the flow quality, the big tunnel is now
operational. |
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| Total Water Volume: 32,670 liters or 8,630 gal | |
| Usable Test Section Size: 4.5 m long by 1.52 m wide by 450 mm high | |
| Water
Velocity Range: 15 mm/s to 115 mm/s |
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| Turbulence
Level: 0.1% |
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| Overall
Tunnel Dimensions: 14.1 m long by 4.5 m wide by 1.3 m high (max) |
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| Small Water Tunnel |
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| Upstream
View of contraction |
Test section and Traverse System |
| Originially
designed as a test bed to develop optimization measures for the big
water tunnel, the small water tunnel evolved into a versatile research
facility. It's convenient size facilitates the setup of experiments and
allows excellent visibility for flow visualization. |
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| Total
Water Volume: 1,142 liters or 300 gal |
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| Usable
Test Section Size: 95 cm long by 38.1 cm wide by 20 cm high |
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| Water
Velocity Range: 25 mm/s to 200 mm/s |
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| Turbulence
Level: 0.2% |
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| Overall
Tunnel Dimensions: 4.5 m long by 1.3 m wide by 1.3 m high (max.) |
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