LABORATORY MANUAL

HELE-SHAW APPARATUS H9
TEAM EX-AERO
SUBMITTED BY;
MT POYRAZ
NYAZ ENOL
KEREM GNAYDIN
ALPAY SANCAR
 1. OBJECT
In this labwork the main object is to investigate the experimental equipment hele-shaw
apparatus h9. Basically, this equipment is used for the flow visualization and demonstrating
potential flow in fluid dynamics.

2. BASIC CHARACTERISTICS

2.2 Operating conditions

This equipment is designed for the laboratory environment. The storage temperature range for the
transport is between -25 C degrees and +55 C degrees. The operating temperature range for the
laboratory environment is between +5 C degrees and +40 C degrees.

2.3 Physical Specifications

Net dimensions : 720 mm x 520 mm x 470 mm
Packed dimensions and weight : 0.176 m^3 and 18 kg
Channel working section : Nominally 300 mm x 250 mm , depth 0.75 mm
Rubber sheet (from which to cut models): Approximately 0.4 m^2 , 0.76 mm thick.
Ancillaries (included)
o All necessary pipe clips connectors pipes an tubing
o Dye bottle, clamp and dye
o Water jet vacuum pump
o Retort rod and clamp
o Adaptor
o Spare tap
o Transfusion clips

3. THEORY
Potential flow seems like the wrong way to analyze fluid flows. But if you accept the non-viscous fluid
assumption, it is possible to use potential flow to solve the problems of velocity and pressure
distribution.

Prandtl showed that when a body is immersed in a fluid flow, the flow has two parts.

A free stream
A boundary layer

Potential flow never separates from a surface, as separation only happens in a viscous fluid. However the
streamlines in the Hele-shaw apparatus will show regions of adverse gradient. Changes to surface
contour can be made and the flow pattern optimized. If the problem is where the pressure decreases in
the same direction as the flow, the streamline pattern for a real fluid is similar to that in potential flow.

Potential flow methods can show the problems of water seepage through the solids and flow problems
in other branches of engineering. For example a circular cylinder in a uniform stream produces a unique
streamline pattern. This pattern could show;

The flow of electric current through a bus bar in which there is a bolt hole , or
The heat flow through a conducting medium in which there is an insulator or circular section.

Also, this apparatus can simulate any process satisfying Laplaces equation in two dimensions.

4. AREA OF USAGE
Sources and sinks in a uniform flow
Doublet in a uniform stream
Flow around a cylinder and an airfoil , flow through an orifice and a diffuser
Flow through a heat exchanger
The momentum equation
Laminar flow relationship for flow between two parallel plates
Mean velocity equations
Potential flow relationships

5. TEST PROCEDURE

Figure 1 Flow Directions

 Figure 2 Components of Hele-Shaw

First, to incorporate models into the free stream of the apparatus and study the effect on
streamlines , cut the shapes you need from rubber sheet.
Sandwich the model between the two plates of the apparatus.
Start the water flow
Open a dye valve just enough to produce easily visible streamlines
Use valves to allow water to flow from a source or drain into a sink point or various combination
of flow or sink points. The vacuum pump strengthens the sink points.
6. RESULTS

Figure 3 Flow related to Disk

Figure 4 Flow related to Disk - Position 1

Figure 5 Shapes related to Disk Position 2

Figure 6 Flow related to Diffuser