The 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.
