The Fall 2010 Inlet Manifold Team has focused on the theory that pressure recovery may be responsible for uneven distribution of the influent. Pressure recovery is the effect caused by the energy of forward motion in the pipe. This velocity is converted to static pressure as the velocity slows toward the end of the pipe, as dictated by Bernoulli's equation. In addition, the forward motion created a horizontal component to the discharge, as discussed in our results.
From our Fall 2010 Team Page you can find the theory behind our work as well as our experimental set-up in the lab.
Also on our team page you will find the results of our team's experiments. Our scale models demonstrate both a pressure recovery effect and horizontal flow components; we will continue to explore these behaviors and model corrective designs as the semester progresses.
The Spring 2010 team used an ADV, or Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter, to measure the velocity at the ports of both a 10' and 20' manifold model. Their data proved inconsistent with expected theoretical values and pointed towards technical difficulties with the mechanics of the ADV.
The AguaClara flocculator design is based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models. Velocity measurements, using particle image velocimetry (PIV show that the minor loss coefficient predicted by the CFD models over estimates head loss. Incorporation of these results into the CFD models will eventually make flocculator design more efficient and cost-effective for future Honduran communities.
The course CEE 4540, Small-Scale Water Supplies, was challenged to develop creative solutions to the uneven flow distribution of the inlet manifold. Projects included MathCAD files and power point presentations.
