WFPC Computer Controlled Unit to Study Water Flow Principles

The Computer Controlled Unit to Study Water Flow Principles, "WFPC", is composed by both a closed and an open water circuit, thus allowing the observation of fluid's behavior in each of them. The selection of the circuit can be made by means of a three-way manual valve with two outputs: one assigned to the pipe passage and another assigned to the open channel entrance. Both channels are transparent so the process can be fully visualized.

A computer controlled pump drives the fluid through the conduit. The consumption of the pump can be measured by computer. Depending on the disposition of the three-way valve, the fluid will enter the closed conduit or pass into the open channel. Before entering one of the two paths, the fluid passes through a flow sensor. The flow rate can be regulated by the control valves assigned to each path or by computer.

The closed conduit presents different singularities or accidents: two 90º angles and two bends, in different sections of the tube, an expansion, a Venturi tube, an orifice plate and a contraction. Three pressure sensors can be interchanged in the sixteen available measuring points in order to calculate the pressure drop in each of these sections.

The open channel has a broad-crested weir and a sharp-crested weir. It also has a limnimeter with displacement sensor to detect the water height that can be placed anywhere in the channel.

At the end of both circuits the fluid goes to a storage tank, where it remains until the pump is activated again.

This Computer Controlled Unit is supplied with the EDIBON Computer Control System (SCADA), and includes: The unit itself + a Control Interface Box + a Data Acquisition Board + Computer Control, Data Acquisition and Data Management Software Packages, for controlling the process and all parameters involved in the process.