The Flume

What is the Flume?

The Flume is a "hands-on" water physics display located at the Redwood Discovery Museum. A flume is an semi-enclosed channel in which water flows from one end to the other. Kids are encouraged to play and learn about the effects of objects in the water’s path, by using the Flume’s various inserts. The inserts represent different obstructions in the path of a flowing water path, like rocks in a river. However, rocks are not the only types of obstructions that can alter the flow of a river. Trees, structures, and damns can also be obstructions.

How does it work?

Water flows from one end of the flume to the other along two channels inside the flume. Children will directly interact with the flume through the use of inserts. The inserts will alter the flow in one channel while the second channel remains constant, allowing the children to compare the obstructed flow and unobstructed flow simultaneously. Each of these inserts can cause the water to change it course, and can create different characteristics of the river’s flow. One such characteristic is called an "eddy." An eddy is like a small whirlpool created by an object directly in the river’s flow path. Boaters and swimmers often use eddies to rest and observe the rest of the river. Be careful though, an eddy is not always a safe place to be. If the current is too great, the eddy can pull you under and even trap you underwater. There are other ways for an eddy to become dangerous too, and that is why the flume is a great way to observe these characteristics. Various inserts will be at your disposal to form the river and it’s flow to your liking. Then you can place objects in the flume to see how they behave in your custom made "river."

READY, GET WET, LEARN…

Why Engineers Use Flumes

By observing the characteristics of the water’s flow, engineers can predict the effects of the river on its environment. This is especially helpful when planning how strong to make abridge, or how to control the flow to avoid flooding of bordering land. More importantly, inserts allow the engineers to observe the normal conditions of a real river on a much smaller scale.

History of the Flume Project

SWE, The Society of Women Engineers, of Humboldt State University received a grant from SWE National and Exxon to build an interactive fluids display for the purpose of educational outreach. The project began in the Fall of 1998 as a class project for the Environmental Resources Engineering fluid mechanics class. The flume at Redwoods Discovery Museum is a composite design developed from the student projects from that class. The flume is intended to demonstrate the mechanics of flow in a river to elementary and middle school aged students. HSU students in the River Hydraulics class have developed the inserts and obstructions to be used in the flume. Although the flume is primarily housed at the Redwood Discovery Museum, the flume is designed and intended to be used by ERE students for educational outreach activities within the community. Many people from the community have donated funding for this project.

Acknowledgements

SWE would like to thank the following people for their support in the Flume Project:

• Exxon Oil Engr 448 and Engr 111, Fall 2000 Engr 333, Spring 1998
• Cliff Sorenson Pauline Phillips ASCE
• Monica Martin ERESA Cal Trans Employees
• Humboldt Loyalty Fund SWE National Women’s Enrichment Fund
• Mary Wells Eileen Cashman Spencer Engineering