Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics Lab Equipment and Facilities

The Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics Lab is one of the largest research and teaching laboratories of its kind in North Texas. The lab is located in Nedderman Hall (B14), University of Texas at Arlington. Occupying 5,000 square feet, excluding the sump, storage area, and workshop, the lab is equipped with ten hydraulic benches, four flumes, and a variety of advanced instruments for studying hydraulics, fluid mechanics, and sediment transport. The lab supports a wide range of research, teaching, and outreach activities.

There are four experimental flumes in the lab: a 60-ft and a 17-ft hydraulic flume for open channel flow research, a 7-ft hydraulic flume primarily used for instruction and outreach, and a river flume dedicated to sediment transport and stormwater research. The lab is equipped a variety of laboratory and filed instruments for studying hydraulics, sediment transport, and water quality.

Laboratory Head: Habib Ahmari, Ph.D., P.E.

Equipment

Hydraulic Flume

The lab’s largest hydraulic flume measures 60 ft in length, 3 ft in width, and 4 ft in depth, with a flow capacity of 6,000 gallons per minute (gpm). This large-scale facility supports advanced experimental research in open channel hydraulics, energy dissipation, and hydraulic structure performance.

Wave Flume

The 17-ft long, 1-ft wide, and 1.5-ft deep hydraulic flume is equipped with multiple flow sensors and a wave generator, allowing precise measurement and control of flow conditions. It is particularly suited for studying wave–current interactions, sediment transport under oscillatory flows, coastal and hydraulic structure performance, and scaled physical modeling experiments.

Instructional Flume

The 7-ft long, 4-in wide, and 6-in deep hydraulic flume is primarily used for instructional purposes and outreach activities. It provides hands-on experience for students in flow measurement, basic open channel hydraulics, and visualization of flow patterns, helping bridge theoretical concepts with practical demonstrations.

Sediment Transport Flume

The 18-ft long, 4-ft wide, and 1.5-ft deep river flume is designed for sediment transport, stormwater, and ecological flow research. Its adjustable slope and precise flow control allow experiments on channel morphodynamics, scouring, sediment deposition and erosion, and pollutant transport under realistic conditions in both stormwater systems and natural rivers.

SonTek 16-MHz MicroADV (3D)

The SonTek 16-MHz MicroADV (3D) provides high-resolution, three-dimensional measurements of flow velocity and turbulence in water. It captures instantaneous velocity components in all three directions (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical) at a point, making it ideal for detailed studies of sediment transport, hydrodynamics, and flow structures in laboratory flumes.

SonTek FlowTracker Handheld ADVs (2D)

The lab is equipped with two SonTek FlowTracker Handheld ADVs (2D), which measure two-dimensional flow velocities, capturing longitudinal and transverse velocity components. These instruments are well suited for field or laboratory applications, including stream gauging and small-scale flume experiments.

ISCO Water Samplers

The ISCO 6712 automatic samplers are used for collecting water samples in the field. These samplers are used for analyzing water quality parameters, suspended sediments, and other hydrological or environmental indicators in rivers, streams, and stormwater systems.

Load and Torque Cells

The lab is equipped with an Interface Model 3A100-100N-D11 load cell (100 N capacity) and an Interface Model MRT2 torque cell (10 N·m capacity). These sensors can be installed on any hydraulic structure simulated in the flume to measure the forces and moments exerted by water flow. They provide accurate real-time data on hydrodynamic loads, which is essential for studying structural responses, sediment–structure interactions, and flow-induced forces in laboratory experiments.

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) System

A custom-built, low-cost Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system is developed to investigate flow dynamics in laboratory experiments. The system comprises a laser light source, a high-resolution camera, seeding particles for flow visualization, and a mirror for light reflection. This setup enables quantitative measurement of velocity fields with high spatial and temporal resolution, making it suitable for studies of turbulent structures, sediment-laden flows, and hydraulic interactions.

Administration

Melanie Sattler, PhD, PE
Dr. Syed Qasim Endowed Professor and Chair
NH 406

Shih-Ho Chao, PhD, PE
ACPA Tom Wheelan Endowed Professor and Associate Chair for Research and Graduate Studies
NH 407

Arpita Bhatt, PhD
Associate Professor of Instruction, Associate Chair for Student Success
NH 336

Civil Engineering Staff