Energy Systems Lab

Location: Brown Hall Room 108

Coordinator: Steve Idem

The Energy Systems Laboratory is used to introduce students to basic principles of pressure, temperature, and flow rate measurements encountered in thermal systems. These concepts are incorporated in selected experiments. The experiments promote a hands-on and team-work oriented experience that introduces students to fundamentals pertaining to the measurement process, data reduction, and interpretation of the measured results. The laboratory supports education and research in this field, primarily at the undergraduate level. Evaluations of heat transfer and fluid flow processes are addressed in the following experiments:

• Basic measurements using thermocouples, pressure transducers, and thermoanemometers
• Calibration using a deadweight tester
• Liquid viscosity and density measurement
• Measure of liquid and solid thermal conductivity
• Investigations of natural and forced convection heat transfer
• First-order temperature measurement response
• Double-pipe heat exchanger performance
• Vapor-compression refrigeration cycle
• Discharge from vessels
• Turbulent pipe flow
• Duct system flow and pressure measurement
• Centrifugal fan performance testing

Rotating Spindle Viscometer and Hydrometer	Measurement of Solid Thermal Conductivity
Double-Pipe Heat Exchanger Apparatus	Natural Convection Heat Transfer Measurement

Turbulent Pipe Flow Test Setup