Virtual Instrumentation Used in Engineering Education Set-Up of Hydraulic Pump and System

Abstract

Numerous students attend courses in hydraulic turbo pumps at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering University of Belgrade, as well as from other faculties. They have oral lectures and exercises with numerical tasks, but also laboratory exercises. This easily driven upgraded installation is very convenient for laboratory exercises for various groups of students. In this paper is demonstrated upgrade of the present installation with transducers instead of U-tube analogue manometers, acquisition system and LabVIEW application for hydraulic pump diagnostics and flow meter calibration. Pressure transducers are also previously calibrated. This installation has three regulating valves and two for tanks emptying. In this way students could form two simple and one complex pipeline. Serious and parallel combinations of pipe lines could be demonstrated, as well as pump by-pass regulation. Hydraulic pipe curve could be formed for one position of the valve on the pump pressure side and various pump frequencies. This could be repeated for other valve positions. In addition pump head characteristic for one rotation number is formed by changing the valve position. Good overlapping with manufacturer's curve is demonstrated. Cavitation and turbulent swirling flow phenomena could be also visualized and demonstrated on this installation with transparent pump housing, as well as partly suction and pressure pipes.