Laminar Flow Water Channel
The Laminar Flow Water Channel is used predominantly for undergraduate student experiments in the AERSP 305 laboratory course, and is popularly featured during many department tours. Course-related experiments include determining fluid dynamic lift force, drag force and pitching moment on a 3D model, wake vortex visualization behind an airfoil, general flow visualization around a fully (or partially) submerged vehicle, and comparison and testing of various visualization techniques.
Research has also been performed in this facility, some of which involves boundary layer growth, LDV measurements, hydrogen bubble visualization, ocean paravane development and testing, and preliminary development of micro-scale water turbines.
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Channel Features:
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Closed-return circuit: 31.5’ x 6.6’ x 5.2’ (9.6 m x 2.0 m x 1.6 m)
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Open surface test section: 2.6’ x 1.6’ x 12’ (0.8 m x 0.5 m x 3.7 m)
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Water Speeds: 0.1 to 3.0 fps (0.03 to 0.9 m/s)
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Typical Reynolds-number range: 50,000 to 100,000
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Typical Froude-number range: 0.3 to 0.5
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3D wake survey capability behind models
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PSU Faculty Contact(s):
Richard Auhl
Assistant Research Professor
226 Hammond Building
814-777-5381
