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ChEn 285 Fluid Dynamics

How Big Is Big?

As a student engineer, you often solve homework problems and generate numbers with units attached. The goal of this lab is to help you gain some intuition on the size or amount of quantities that you may encounter. Another goal is to have you practice the skill of doing rapid estimations of quantities in your head.

Pressure Vessel

Using this device, you will do a transient measurement on a tank while it discharges and then compare results to theory and do a transient mass balance on a tank while filling it with compressed air.

Liquid Tank Cart

Peristaltic pumps are used to provide metered flow of toxic or high-value chemicals. As a chemical engineer, you need to know how to use such equipment. You also need to know how to perform transient mass balances on tanks.

Manometer

Pressure is a fundamental quantity used in chemical engineering. This lab helps you to get experience measuring pressure with a manometer and other instruments.

Vapor Pressure

As a chemical engineer you need strong intuition about how pressure is created in systems that are a pure component vs. a mixture.

External flow

External flow refers to fluid moving around the outside of an object. This flow can lead to a drag force (force in opposition to the movement) or a lift force (orthogonal to the movement). In this lab you will investigate drag, terminal velocity, and viscosity.

Non-Newtonian Flow

In this lab you'll observe non-newtonian behavior by pumping a fluid through a loop at different flow rates and measure the pressure drop down a length of pipe. Control the experiment when in the UO Lab using a Pale Moon browser and clicking this link: Non-Newtonian Control Interface

Air Flow Meters

There are many ways to measure the flow rate of a fluid through a pipe or duct. This lab details different ways to measure the flow rate of air. Control this experiment when in the UO Lab using a Pale Moon browser and clicking this link: Air Flow Control Interface

Viscosity Measurement

Cannon-Fenske Opaque Viscometers are used in this lab to measure the kinematic viscosity of different fluids at different temperatures.

Pump Cart

Pumps, pipes, and fittings are fundamental to chemical engineering processes. The Pump Cart will help you better understand pumps, pipes, fittings, and how performance calculations can be done.
(Control is limited to the EB 223 network. Right click on control screen to request or release control)
Equipment List and Setup
Pump calibration
Flow Rate Comparison