RETROFITTING VISUAL-LIQUID-FLOW-LABORATORY TRAINER FOR FLUID-MECHANICS STUDIES: A BENCH-SCALE-PROJECT INNOVATION.

George C. Oguejiofor, and Tochukwu O. Nwokeocha

Department of Chemical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

E-mail: oguejioforg@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The strive towards teaching equipment sufficiency in the Faculty of Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka,Nigeria motivated the retrofitting of the viable teaching equipment constructed by engineering students. In this paper, the visual-liquid-flow-laboratory trainer is described. Also, the teaching capabilities of the various components of the test-pipe of the trainer are carefully reviewed with regard to fluid-mechanics phenomena. Retrofitting is the main focus of this paper. The velocity-head and equivalent-diameter approaches are available for the retrofit-design calculations. This work employs the velocity-head approach as the computations will show. Based on the estimations, the equipment is retrofitted with electric-driven pump and tank. It is piped according to the retrofit scheme and piping arrangement. Also, it is wired and painted. Finally, it is leak-tested and commissioned. The costs of the materials used for the retrofitting of the equipment are accumulated and shown in this report. Interestingly, this retrofitting work proved to be a self-help and inward-looking innovation at the bench-scale level. It is hoped that when deployed for teaching, the bench-scale trainer will enhance practical-pedagogic value.

Keywords: bench-scale level, design estimations, fluid-mechanics phenomena, pedagogic capabilities,                retrofitting, velocity-head approach.