ELECTRICAL VORTEX APPARATUS

Product Description

Vortex Apparatus enables students to produce bothfree and forced vortices, and measure the vortex water surface profile.

To produce a free vortex, students place asmaller, perforated transparent cylinder inside the main vessel. This forms anannulus into which a continuous water supply is directed. When the vesselrotates, water passes through the perforations and spirals slowly inwards to asmall hole in the centre of the base of the vessel. The surface falls rapidlytowards the centre and produces an air core. Students measure the surfaceprofile using the traverse probe.

The equipment consists of a transparent vessel ona support frame, which mounts on a hydraulic bench (Gravimetric or VolumetricHydraulic Benches, H1 or H1D - available separately). It may also work withanother suitable clean water supply and drain.

To produce a forced vortex, students add water tothe rotating vessel until it is about half full. A forced vortex forms. After afew minutes the vortex becomes constant, and students can measure the surfaceprofile using the traverse probe. The traverse probe can move both horizontallyand vertically, and both axes have linear scales. Students can also measuredistribution of total head by replacing the traverse probe with a Pitot tube.