Session: ASME Undergraduate Student Design Expo

Paper Number: 165476

Redesign and Improvement of a Pipe Friction Laboratory 

This report details the physical and theoretical redesign of a free-standing mobile pipe friction laboratory and the crafting of the laboratory prompt for an undergraduate fluid mechanics course. The original pipe demonstrator was designed and created by a senior project team in 2022-3. The original purpose of this project was to design and construct a pipe friction demonstrator for use in the fluid mechanics class at Northern Michigan University. The project’s goal was to create a system capable of demonstrating pressure loss due to minor and major losses caused by valves, bends, and friction throughout the system. Two other goals were to visualize the flow regime and create a laboratory prompt for the class. The laboratory would help engage students that are enrolled in the class and give them a better understanding of fluids in a real-world situation. The fluid was sent throughout the system using a variable speed drive which controlled a pump. One line demonstrated major loss while the other demonstrated minor losses. The pressure readings on the top line provided good data while it achieved both laminar and turbulent flows. The original senior project team did a wonderful job creating a pipe network for the major and minor loss lines. However, there were improvements that needed to be made. 

The redesign of the laboratory addressed and corrected the needed improvements. The corrected flaws included the return of the fluid to the reservoir. In the original design, the fluid from the major and minor loss lines combined which resulted in back up. This restricted the flow back to the reservoir. In turn, if the reservoir wasn’t provided with enough flow, the fluid wasn’t able to be fed back to the pump fast enough. The redesigned model has a pump and speed drive that works well and allows for a large variation in flow rate. Another original design flaw was that it was not able to fit through doors. The original frame was designed for a pipe friction demonstrator on both sides. This feature was not desired any longer and the demonstrator needed to be able to fit through a standard single door. This alleviated the problem of moving the structure from storage to classroom. The redesigned model is mobile and able to be moved with ease through most doors. The second design flaw was the occurrence of minor electrical malfunctions. When the control box was being used, small shocks were delivered to the user on occasion. This wiring error has been corrected in the redesigned model. The third design flaw was that the flow visualization window at the end of the major loss line was too small. The original window looked like a spray box to the viewers. It was too small and the viewer wasn't able to see whether or not the flow was laminar or turbulent. The redesigned model allows for a larger window so the viewer is able to put a visual connection between the flow profile of laminar and turbulent flow. The last design flaw that was addressed was to add a comprehensive laboratory prompt for the intended fluid mechanics course. Part of the redesign included creation of a laboratory to partner with the flow demonstrator. This allows for the demonstrator to be utilized better in an educational environment. 

The pipe friction laboratory has been redesigned and improved to provide a continuous flow circuit with a flow visualization window and an accompanying laboratory assignment prompt for the students in the fluid mechanics course. This report outlines the identification of the problems, design process, product creation, challenges faced, final product testing, and the lab creation.

Presenting Author: Marisa Angelos Northern Michigan University

Presenting Author Biography: Marisa Angelos is a senior Mechanical Engineering Technology student at Northern Michigan University.

Authors:

Seth Norberg Northern Michigan University
Marisa Angelos Northern Michigan University