Offshore Fluid Mechanics

O-tubeThe Offshore Fluid Mechanics team at UWA have developed a range of experimental facilities in order to further their research and support industry needs.

Apparatus include:

  • Large recirculating water tunnel flume (known as the Large O-Tube)
  • Small and Mini O-tubes
  • Wave flume
  • 6-Degree of freedom sloshing tank
  • In-situ/Ex-situ erosion testing apparatus
  • Particle Image Velocimetry for flow visualisation
  • Wind tunnels
  • Riverlab

General information about the key experimental facilities used by the Offshore Fluid Mechanics team at UWA is located here.

The large and a mini O-tubes are unique to UWA. They operate by rapidly circulating water to simulate realistic near-seabed wave and current conditions, including extreme events. These facilities can be used to create cyclonic conditions in a controlled experimental environment in order to assess how seabed sediment, pipelines, other infrastructure and flora interact in the marine environment. Further information is available here.

The RiverLab is a unique initiative aimed at developing innovations in offshore engineering via research, education and outreach. To achieve this aim it is bringing together a community of researchers and a collection of equipment to enable unique field measurements and experiments in the Swan River. Further information is available here.

 

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