Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics Lab
Overview
The Fluid Mechanics & Hydraulics Lab (FUHL) supports undergraduate laboratories, design projects, and research in fluid mechanics, open-channel flow, hydraulic machinery, and water resources management. The lab enables hands‑on experiments aligned with ABET outcomes, from Bernoulli verification to pump systems and turbine performance. The flume facilitates demonstrations of open‑channel phenomena such as specific energy, critical depth, and surface profiles.
Key Facts
Some key facts are;
- 13+ central apparatus available for teaching and research.
- Open‑channel flume: 2.5 × 0.053 × 0.12 m.
- Pump rigs: series/parallel configurations and variable‑speed control.
- Hydraulic Machinery: Pelton Turbine Performance Mapping.
Laboratory Facilities
The lab is equiped with following equipments;
- H1F – Digital Hydraulic Bench
- H5 – Bernoulli’s Theorem
- H7 – Friction Loss in a Pipe
- H8 – Impact of A Jet
- H10 – Flow Measurement Methods
- H11 – Centre of Pressure
- H16 – Losses In Piping Systems
- H19 – Pelton Turbine
- H52 – Series and Parallel Pumps
- H53V – Variable Speed Series and Parallel Pumps
- H408 – Fluid Friction Apparatus
- H410 – Viscosity and Particle Drag
- FC50 – 2.5 × 0.053 × 0.12 Metre Flume
Teaching & Research Capabilities
Hydrostatics
- Centre of pressure experiments; buoyancy and stability demonstrations.
- Manometry fundamentals and pressure measurement techniques.
Internal Flow
- Pipe friction in laminar and turbulent regimes; Moody chart use.
- Series/parallel pipeline effects and network behavior.
Hydraulic Machines
- Pump characteristic curves and efficiency mapping.
- Series and parallel pump operation; variable‑speed control.
- Pelton turbine performance under varying load and flow.
Open‑Channel Flow
- Specific energy, critical depth, and flow regime identification.
- Calibration of weirs/orifices; surface‑profile studies in the flume.
Courses
Course supported includes;
- CEE242: Fluid Mechanics
- CEE448: Special Topics in Environmental Engineering
- CEE 490: Senior Design Project
Student Activities
Some of the students' activities in the lab
Lab. Coordinator
Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim
Assistant Professor, College of Engineering, Prince Sultan University
Email: aibrahim@psu.edu.sa