Letter of Transmittal

Florida Institute of Technology

Department of Marine and Environmental Systems

Marine Field Projects

TO:

Dr. Stephen Wood

Department of Marine and Environmental Systems

Florida Institute of Technology

150 W. University Blvd.

Melbourne, FL 32901

FROM:

Team eFlow

150 W. University Blvd.

Melbourne, FL 32901

RE: eFlow Design Team Design Report

Dr. Wood,

The following report on Team eFlow’s senior design project is being submitted for your

review. The report includes all concepts and design notes since the conception of the

project. All of the sections have been written to the best of our ability, with all references

and credits given or cited.

We would like to thank the Department of Marine and Environmental Systems (DMES)

for the guidance given, and the prospect of available funds for the project.

Thank you and please contact us if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Thomas Bruger __________________

Clayton Stone __________________

Ben Scheffer __________________

Zack Beldon __________________

Chris Scott __________________

Spencer Jenkins __________________

2

Acknowledgements

Team eFlow would like to acknowledge the following people for all of there help

excellent advice:

Dr. Wood

Dr. Reichard

Dr. Jachec

Dr. Swain

Dr. Sahoo

Bill Batton

Bill Bailey

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................5-7

1.1 Motivations........................................................................................................5

1.2 Objectives..........................................................................................................6

1.3 Organization...................................................................................................6-7

2.0 Background.................................................................................................................7-9

2.1 Basic Theory...................................................................................................7-9

2.2 Historical............................................................................................................9

3.0 Procedures..............................................................................................................10-22

3.1 Customer Requirements...................................................................................10

3.2 Engineering Specifications.........................................................................10-14

3.2.1 Dimensions..................................................................................10-12

3.3.1 Assembly.....................................................................................12-14

3.3 Computer Models.......................................................................................14-22

3.3.1 Pro E............................................................................................14-19

3.3.2 Hand Sketches.............................................................................20-22

4.0 Conclusion...................................................................................................................23

5.0 References/Bibliography..............................................................................................24

6.0 Appendix................................................................................................................25-26

6.1 Flat Plate Boundary Layer...............................................................................25

6.2 Fluid Momentum Dispersion Calculations......................................................26

6.3 Wall Forces Calculations.................................................................................26

3

List of Figures

Figure 1: Bilge Pump Flume Design.................................................................................15

Figure 2: Paddlewheel Flume Design................................................................................16

Figure 3: Paddlewheel........................................................................................................17

Figure 4: Tesla Disc Wheel................................................................................................18

Figure 5: Tesla Disk Wheel Flume and Frame Design......................................................19

Figure 6: Frame Design Overview.....................................................................................20

Figure 7: Flume Design Overview.....................................................................................21

Figure 8: Tesla Disc Wheel Overview...............................................................................22

List of Abreviations

ROV: Remotely Operated Vehicle

AUV: Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

4

Executive Summary

The purpose of eFlow’s senior design project is to design and build a flume to test

water flow around model boats, submarines and AUVs. The goal is to achieve an even

flow through the entire water column that can have the flow rate increased or decreased.

The most important design aspects are to achieve an even flow through the water column

at 2.5 to 5 m/s and to be able to keep the entire operation portable.

The flow of water will be propelled by a Tesla Disk drive driven by an electric

motor. The tesla drive will pull water into one side of the flume and propel it underneath

a water column divider where it will then emerge at the opposite end. This will create an

endless cycle of flowing water that will be able to achieve a laminar flow. The walls of

the tank will mostly be constructed by aluminum with a plexi-glass viewing window

section on the front side of the flume. Measuring equipment will be placed around the

flume so that the flow and design characteristics of models can be monitored. Mounted

cameras will provide a detailed view of the flow of water past models.

The flume will be designed so that it can be moved around if necessary. This will

allow other universities to make use of the project as well as allow for offsite testing.

Expected completion date for the portable flume is July, 2011.

5

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Motivations

The eFlow team is driven by the knowledge and experience gained from a senior

design project. In this project, many skills and processes of engineering design and

manufacturing will be learned and applied. These skills and processes will be of great

value to team members in the future when they are in the business world of engineering.

Some of the most important skills and processes that will be used in this project are team

work with fellow engineers, drafting of proper documentation and reports that show the

concepts and results of the project, the actual design process, presenting project

information to audiences, etc. Taking part in these processes gives great experience to all

group members, because this project can be looked at as the first design project of each

group member as an engineer.

In addition to being motivated by experience gained throughout the project,

another motivation is that if the project goes well it may open great opportunities for

employment to the design team members. This project will be presented in the design

showcase of Spring 2012. Here there will be many design teams competing against one

another for the President’s award. If this project places well in the showcase, the success

will look great on future resumes. When companies see an excellent design project on

resumes, it goes a long way. This is especially true in the case of new engineers that just

graduated college. Since most of us do not have experience in the engineering world, this

project is the only type of experience we can relate to.

Finally, we are motivated by the love for engineering and naval architecture. With

the completion of our project, ship and AUV models will be tested in our flume. Down

the road we may design a ship or AUV and we can come back to FIT to test our models

in the flume that we designed and built as seniors. All in all, we are motivated by gaining

experience as engineers, using this project to assist us in finding jobs, and for the love of

engineering.

6

1.2 Objectives

The basic objective of Senior Design was to design and manufacture something

pertaining to our field of interest. In our case, design something pertaining to Naval

Architecture. The only difference is that instead of designing a ship, we designed a flume

to test ship models in. Another basic yet obvious objective was to excel and do well in the

design and manufacturing of our project.

Keeping the project portable was another important aspect to our project. Since

we were not sure of where the project would call home, it needed to be able to be easily

transported from place to place. This only adds to the importance of the project in that

sponsor companies and other schools would be able to make use of and learn from our

flume.

Even, laminar flow is an important quality that our flume needs to produce. We

have performed the calculations necessary and come up with the conclusion that our

flume will be able to achieve laminar flow. This is important for obtaining reliable,

accurate measurements from ship models and AUV’s.

Most groups already had something to work with for their projects. They had past

projects that they were modifying or using to make their own. The eFlow project is brand

new so there was a lot more freedom with our design. With this freedom, we made the

main objective to create a flume that we could get a patent on it and use to possibly rent

to naval architecture firms for use. We have strived to come up with a design that no one

has done before. This design will be elaborated on later in the report.

1.3 Organization

One of the most important aspects for most things in life and especially in the

business world is organization. Without organization, things become chaos. Lack of

organization can cause people to go out of business and get fired. In order to succeed, we

must be organized in our project. This organization was achieved several ways. First,

folders on computers and paper folders were used. This prevented us from losing

7

important papers or documents needed for our project. For example, in the main paper

design folder, all important documents, calculations, hand sketches, and lists of due dates

pertaining to the project were kept. Next, weekly meetings were organized ahead of time

so that we did not stray off topic too much while meeting to discuss our project.

Following that, all tasks that needed to be performed were divided equally among group

members and the same type of tasks were given to the same group member each time.

For example, each time a drawing on Pro E was needed, the same group member usually

did that drawing. By doing so, there was consistency in all Pro E drawings. Another form

of organization used, was the making of a time line for the manufacturing process of our

project. With the use of a timeline, we have a detailed and structured plan of assembly,

which will in turn make the manufacturing and assembly process go smoothly. Also,

once the buying of supplies starts, (which will be very soon) a book of receipts will be

kept and a spread sheet of money spent and money left on the budget will be kept so that

we do not exceed our allotted budget. In this spreadsheet, there will be total costs of each

supply bought and dates of transactions. Finally, once our supplies start coming in, we

will organize our designated area for production. This will help us keep tabs on all of the

supplies we have and will prevent the loss of materials so that we do not have to go out

and buy materials to replace things that were lost.

2.0 Background

2.1 Basic Theory

First, the basics of ship model testing will be discussed. Many different variables

can be examined in the testing of a ship. Variables that can be examined are things such

as efficient power, the resistance on the ship at certain speeds, how waves affect the ship,

etc. Even though many variables may be considered, the most important is probably the

resistance on the ship. The total resistance on a ship is the sum of the thrust resistance,

frictional resistance, residual resistance, and the resistance due to air in rough waters.

Since most models are tested in relatively calm waters, the air resistance is not taken into

8

consideration for model testing. So we know what variables may be tested for, but how

do we use these variables to relate them to a full scale ship? This is where Froude number

comes in. Froude number relates the different speeds of the model and full-scale ship to

their respective lengths. Froude number is as follows:

The Froude number of the model and the ship are equal to each other. This is the key

component in translating variables from the model scale to a full-scale.

Now, the theory of our flume and the many theories that are applied in the design

of it will be discussed. Generally most ship models are tested in a tow tank. Here, the

model is pulled (towed) across a tank at a steady speed. Our flume differs from this type

of testing in the sense that instead of the model moving through the water, the model is

stationary and the water moves past the model instead. This takes up much less room than

a 300 foot long tow tank and will give the same results. It is just that the water is moving

instead of the model. So now we know there is flowing water in our flume. There are two

types of flowing water, turbulent and laminar. Turbulent water would give unreliable and

inaccurate results. This means we must achieve a laminar flow in our flume. A laminar

flow is a much more even flow. Using this theory, we had to decide whether it would be

better for us to push the water past the model or pull it past the model. Ultimately, we

decided pulling the water past the model would give a much more laminar flow through

out the entire water column. Especially since AUV’s and other under water objects will

be tested in our flume, it is vital to have this laminar flow throughout most of the water

column. It is nearly impossible to have a flow that is entirely laminar because there is

always a boundary layer. But after calculations were performed, theoretically our

boundary layer should be minimal. These calculations can be seen later on in the report.

The boundary layer by definition is the layer of water between the surface of the bottom

and the rest of the water column.

Once we had decided to pull the water, we needed to come up with a method that

would be most efficient to achieve the desired water flow speed in our flume. Many

options were considered. In the end, the best option and option we went with was the use

of tesla wheel technology. The wheel itself involves some important theory. A tesla

9

wheel is kind of like a paddle. The only difference is that instead of having paddles along

the length of the wheel, there are discs running around the wheel. When the wheel spins,

the friction of the water on the discs is what puts the water into motion and moves it. The

spacing of the discs on the wheel is vital though. The disc spacing must not be greater

than the height of the boundary layer. In this case, the boundary layer is the layer of water

between the surface of the discs and the rest of the water column.

2.2 Historical Theory

All ship model testing today is only possible because of the works of William

Froude. He is the man who came up with the Froude number and several other very

important theories relating to ship model testing. Without the Froude number, we would

not be able to relate any of the variables experimentally tested for on models to the full-

scale versions of the models. Froude also came up with the idea of splitting the resistance

of a ship into three parts. These three parts are the residual resistance, the frictional

resistance, and the air resistance. Putting these three things together will give the overall

resistance of a ship.

Osborne Reynolds experimented with turbulent and laminar flows. Through his

experiments he came up with the Reynolds number. This is the ratio of inertial forces to

viscous forces. This Reynolds number is vital in many calculations involving fluid flows.

It even comes into play for calculations of the boundary layers, which we have in our

flume. These boundary layer calculations were postulated by Blasius. The Blasius

boundary layer theory is what was followed in this design to come up with the height of

the boundary layers in the flume.

Finally, the Tesla Disk technology employed in the design of this flume comes

from Nikola Tesla. He discovered these Tesla Disks in 1913. The Tesla Disks use

boundary layer conditions to, in our case, pull the water around and create the flow

needed in this test flume.

10

3.0 Procedures

3.1 Customer Requirements

This flume must be small enough that it is portable, yet large enough that it can

test one meter long models of ships and one meter long AUVs. Theoretically, a test

flume’s width and depth must be double the length of the subject (ship models and

AUVs) being tested. Since one meter long subjects will be tested, our flume must be six

feet long. To account for the boundary layer, our flume is six and a half feet long. This

will allow the test subjects to be tested in a laminar flow even if the subjects get turned

side ways. Subjects other than ship models and AUVs, such as trawling nets, fishing

lures, ocean energy turbines, etc., may be tested in the flume, but due to the width an

depth requirements for said ship models and AUVs, the current width and depth

employed in the flume will be sufficient for the other test subjects

In addition to the requirements of proper width and depth, laminar flow is also

required. Laminar flow will allow for the most accurate possible test conditions. A

laminar flow will also give the most accurate data possible while testing ship models,

AUVs, or other subjects. This leads to the next requirement, which is adequate data

measurement devices.

First, a piedo tube will be used to measure the water velocity. In addition to that, a

force gage will be mounted to test the drag forces on any subject being tested. Finally, a

camera will be employed to show visually how the test subjects react to the water

conditions at hand during testing.

3.2 Engineering Specifications

3.2.1 Dimesnions

The overall length of the flume will stretch 25 feet with a height and width of 6.5

feet. Each end of the flume will be made up of semi-circles with radii of 3.25 feet. On the

11

top of the flume there will be a 12 foot long laminar flow testing bay open to the air. This

will also have the same width as the flume, making it ideal for testing models. The water

column divider will be located 1 foot above the floor of the flume and directly in front of

the 6.5 foot wheel bay. The depth from the surface to the water column divider is 5 feet.

On the opposite end, the water column divider will be 3.25 feet in from the wall. This

divider will be framed from 2 inch aluminum square covered in sheet aluminum. Gaskets

and silicone will be used to seal the water column divider. 3.25 feet of the divider will be

curved upwards 2 feet on the wheel side of the flume. This will direct the water into the

tesla wheel. To assist in channeling the flow into the tesla wheel, 4 aluminum slats will

be mounted horizontally above the water column divider. These will be 1/16 inch thick

aluminum slats stretching 6.5 feet wide and varying in length. The first one at the top will

be 3.29 feet long and 1/2 foot from the surface. The second one will be 3.4 feet long and

1 foot from the surface at the end. The third slat will be 3.56 feet long and 1.5 feet from

the surface at the end. The final slat will be 3.82 feet long and 2 feet from the surface at

the end farthest from the wheel.

The tesla wheel will be 6 feet long overall, with a diameter of 6 feet. At the center

of the wheel, a 1 foot diameter aluminum shaft (hollow) will run the entire length of the

wheel. On the ends of this hollow aluminum shaft, square, steel plates will be bolted on,

attached to a steel axel of 2 inch diameter. The wheel will be made up of 8 circular, 1/16

inch thick disks, each with a 6 foot diameter. The spacing between the disks will be twice

that of the boundary layer thickness on the surface of the disks. This works out to be 0.75

feet between each disk. With this spacing and number of disks the tesla drive will require

3 hours to build up speed and momentum to the desired level. These disks will be

supported by 8 3/8 inch diameter control rods located 2 feet from the center of the axel

spaced at every 45o.

The outer frame on the back side will consist of 6 evenly spaced support

structures that attach the top rail of the tank to the outer beam of the base frame which is

1.25 feet away from the base. The support structures will be made of 5 inch channel

aluminum and has been calculated to handle 1500 lbs. each. On the side with the plexi-

glass viewing window, there will be one support structure in the center of the viewing

window. There will be 2 support structures on opposite ends of the frame, then 2 more

12

3.5 feet in at the outer edges of the viewing window. This gives a total of 5 support

structures on the front side of the tank. Each of these has been calculated to support 1800

lbs. of force. Refer to appendix for a visualization of the support structure. At the

opposite end of the wheel, there will be a support beam across the top of the tank made

from 3 inch box aluminum. Another support beam across the top will be located 6.5 feet

in from the other and mark the beginning of the test channel. There will be no support

beams across the top of the test section which spans 12 feet. The last support beam across

the top of the flume will be located on the other side 6.5 feet from the end, where the test

section ends. Around the entire top of the flume there will be a frame rail made of 3 inch

box aluminum. A grid system of 3 inch box aluminum will be matched up to the vertical

outer frame structure. There will be 5 25 foot long pieces of 3 inch box aluminum spaced

every 1.13 feet from top to bottom.

3.2.2 Assembly

Phase I (5/16-6/13):

The first task to undergo will be to modify the base frame until it is compatible

with our design. The current frame we are working with is the base frame from the Wing

Wave project. The dimensions of the Wing Wave base frame are currently 20 feet long

by 8.5 feet wide by 6 inches deep. The width of 8.5 feet is essential in that it is the

maximum width that we can have on a trailer legally. The length will have to be modified

to extend another 5 feet to accommodate our flume. The structure of the base frame is

constructed out of 5 inch channel beam aluminum. This will provide the essential

strength and rigidity needed. Using more 5 inch channel, Bill Bailey, from the FIT

machine shop, will weld on the additional components needed.

The next step will be to construct the outer support structure. This truss structure

will be bolted to the base frame and the top will be bolted to the inner grid system

attached to the walls of the flume. The outer sheet aluminum walls will then be attached

to the grid structure on the back side of the flume. The 12 feet of plexi-glass will be

13

installed on the front section. Since plexi-glass comes in 4 foot by 8 foot sections, the top

4 feet will be visible while the bottom 2.5 feet will be sheet aluminum.

Phase II (6/13-6/22)

The next step towards completion will be to weld in the cross supports outlining

the curvature at each end of the flume. Sheet aluminum will then bolted in place over the

cross supports. Rubber gaskets and silicone will be applied with the bolts to assist in

waterproofing. The floor of the flume can also be installed using the sheet aluminum and

bolting it to the base frame.

Phase III (6/22-7/06)

The Tesla Disk drive can now be constructed and installed. The individual disks

will each have 1/2 inch radii cut out of there centers. They will then be welded to the

aluminum 1 foot cylinder which will be notched slightly to provide additional strength.

The inside of the aluminum cylinder will have aluminum cross supports inside to retain

rigidity. Support rods will then be added between the disks to keep the disks from

sucking together due to low pressure at high speeds. These rods will have to be

hydrodynamic so as not to disturb the water flow too much. Trailer bearings will now be

mounted in place inside the flume. A gear cog will be attached to the steel axel coming

through the trailer bearing on the outside of the flume. The steel axel will be welded to a

plate bolted to the aluminum cylinder. Above the tesla wheel, the 20 hp electric motor

will be mounted onto the top of the flume. The gear and chain will then be added to the

motor and connected to the gear cog on the axel.

The next step for this phase of the build will be to construct the water column

divider. First we will frame out the water divider using the materials and dimensions

mentioned in the previous section. Sheet aluminum will then be bolted to the framed out

divider and water proofing methods will then be applied. The curvature will also be

framed out in a similar manner and will use sheet aluminum as well. The slats will then

be cut and welded into place in front of the tesla drive.

14

Phase IV (7/06-7/15)

This phase will consist of assembling the flume and performing any final touches

before testing. Attaching electrical connections to motor will be a main focus as well as

installing a video camera, piedo tube for indicating velocity, and grid lines painted in the

area behind the plexi-glass.

Phase V (7/15-7/24)

The final phase of our build will be the testing of the flume and will include

model and AUV testing. Here we will be able to quantify our results, analyze our project,

and draw conclusions.

3.3 Computer Models

3.3.1 Pro E

The design of the Portable Test Flume has changed dramatically from conception

to final design. Aspects of the design that have changed include the propulsion system,

the size and shape of flume, and location where the flume will be tested. The following

figures will help show how the flume has evolved into the final design.

Figure 1 displays the first design of the Portable Test Flume that was designed to

function in water or under water completely. The intake under the flume would dispense

water through nine bilge pumps that would create a laminar flow inside the tank by

pulling the water through the test are of the tank. Since the entire apparatus would be in

or under water, legs and anchors would have been needed to support the flume. Without

these leg supports and weights, the bilge pumps may have caused the entire flume to

move around in the water, thus hindering the flume’s testing abilities and accuracy in

experimental measurements. Due to these factors and possible problems with the water

flow in the flume, the design was changed.

15

Figure 1: Bilge Pump Flume Design

The new design that was proposed can be seen in Figure 2. The shape of the

flume was completely changed as well as the conditions in which the flume was to

operate. The shape was changed to an enclosed, free standing tank that operated out of

the water. Therefore, the tank would have operated the same way a wind tunnel does, but

instead of pushing air around the test subject, the flume would have pushed water around

the test subject.

16

Figure 2: Paddlewheel Flume Design

This new design involved a completely different system of propulsion to move the

water through the flume. This new propulsion system is illustrated in Figure 3. The new

system involved a paddle wheel. The degree of difficulty required to create a laminar

flow using water jets, along with the cost of each jet, was very high. Since the

paddlewheel would be relatively cheap to construct and could more effectively create a

laminar flow inside the flume, the bilge pump propulsion system was scrapped. The

paddle wheel would rotate in the flume, pulling water through the test area of the flume

and pushing water through the flume between the bottom of the flume and the water

column divider.

17

Figure 3: Paddlewheel

The paddle wheel would have worked, but it would have created a lot of

turbulence in the wheel housing making it more difficult to create the desired laminar

flow everywhere else in the flume. Due to this, the design of the wheel was changed. The

new and final design of the wheel can be seen in Figure 4. This is the Tesla Disk wheel.

Tesla Disc propulsion system can create a laminar flow, while limiting the amount of

turbulence created. Using the friction between the discs and water, each disc will pull the

water around it to propel it through the flume. This system will take longer to create a

laminar flow that is at the desired velocity, because the Tesla Disc system will have to be

spooled up over a period of time so that turbulence does not occur. It may take longer to

get the water flow through the flume up to speed, but a better laminar flow with minimal

turbulence should result from this propulsion system.

18

Figure 4: Tesla Disc Wheel

Figure 5 shows the final design of the frame for the Portable Test Flume. The

right side of the frame is the housing for the Tesla Disc propulsion system, which will use

the Tesla Disks to pull the water in from the test area of the flume, and propel it out

through the bottom of the bottom of the flume. The top of the frame will be raised and

open to allow testing for models that function at the water line, instead of completely

submerged under the water line. Since the Portable Test Flume will be a self-standing

tank of water, the forces from the hydrostatic pressure of the water, will create large

pressure forces on the walls of the flume. The red and yellow framing around the flume

will reinforce the walls of the flume, limiting the chance of the walls to fail under the

pressure created by the weight of the water inside the flume.

19

Figure 5: Tesla Disc Wheel Flume and Frame Design

20

3.3.2 Hand Sketches

The following figures show the original hand drawings of the final design of the

frame, flume, and propulsion system.

Figure 6: Frame Design Overview

21

Figure 7: Flume Design Overview

22

Figure 8: Tesla Disc Wheel Overview

23

4.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, we have designed a re-circulating flow tank for the testing of

AUVs, ROVs, and ship models. This will be built to the following specifications: 25 feet

overall, 6.5 feet wide, and 6.5 feet tall. The frame will be constructed of aluminum beams

and the siding of aluminum sheeting. To power the flow, a Tesla Disk drive wheel will be

constructed out of aluminum disks spaced 22 centimeters apart. The disks will have a

three foot radius and the final assembly will span the width of the tank. This will create a

uniform even flow through our test channel.

This testing device will be assembled at the machine shop using the milling and

cutting tools located there, all the welding will be done by Mr. Bill Bailey. Material

safety data sheets will be on hand for all materials utilized in the construction.

Construction will begin mid way through May once all the parts are drawn to

specification and the final assembly diagrams are created. Construction is expected to

take approximately a month and a half, with completion being around July 10th

, 2011.

Upon completion, testing will begin of Dr. Woods AUVs and the Archimedes Screw,

which was developed last year as an alternative energy source. We expect this project to

prove our theory of the feasibility of creating a more compact yet equally useful and

versatile alternative to traditional tow tank systems.

24

5.0 References

Dean, R.G., and R.A.Dalrymple, 1991. Water Wave Mechanics for Engineers and Scien-

tists. Advanced Series in Ocean Eng., Vol.2. World Scientic Publishing. 353pp.

Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics, 6th Edition, by Munson, Young, and

Okiishi (2009).

Rawson, K. J., and E. C. Tupper. Basic Ship Theory. Vol. 2. Boston: Butterworth-

Heinemann, 2001. Print. Pages 412-414.

Wikipedia contributors. "Blasius boundary layer." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Apr. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

Wikipedia contributors. "Osborne Reynolds." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Feb. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

Wikipedia contributors. "Tesla turbine." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia,

The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Apr. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2011.

25

6.0 Appendix

6.1 Flat Plate Boundary Layer

Boundary layer thickness, δ: The distance across a boundary layer from the plate to a

point where the flow velocity has essentially reached the ‘free stream’ velocity, U. This

distance is defined normal to the plate, and the point where the flow velocity is

essentially that of the free stream is defined as the point where u(y)=0.99U

The boundary layer thickness, δ, is important to know and understand when using the

flume tank. If the boundary layer thickness is minimal then we do not have to worry

about compensating for the no flow condition that exists at the surface of the plate, u=0.

To find the displacement thickness, we must first find the Reynolds number, Re, of our

flow. The density, ρ, is 1000 kg/m3. The U is the velocity of the flow which is expected

to be 2.5 m/s and µ represents the dynamic viscosity, 1.519*10-3

Ns/m2.

u=0

U= 2.5 m/s u(y)=0.99U