Author(s): Mario Oertel; Hauke Willems; Biruk Belay

Linked Author(s): Mario Oertel, Biruk Belay

Keywords: 3D Print; Hydraulic Performance; Discharge Coefficients; Cost; Time

Abstract: 3D printing represents a fast-growing industry in numerous scientific disciplines; e.g. mechanical or civil engineering. For hydraulic engineering investigations in hydraulic laboratories, the experimental model fabrication represents a key element and can be majorly improved through the use of 3D printers. 3D printing guarantees an accurate and time-effective geometry fabrication and produces comparable results as classical models, made of Plexiglas or other common materials. The current investigation focused on model preparation time and hydraulic performance of scaled ogee weir models. Model costs and production times were improved through the use of 3D printing compared to a conventional weir model. All models were tested in a rectangular, 15 m long and 0.3 m wide flume for a discharge range of 1 l/s up to 30 l/s. Discharge coefficients and resulting rating curves were obtained from experimental data. 3D printed models with varying layer properties show similar hydraulic performance than the conventional model and resulting discharge coefficients are in good agreement within a 3 % relative error bound. Moreover, the results of this study explored the opportunities of utilizing 3D-printing technology in hydraulic laboratories in which good data quality can still be achieved while minimizing the cost and overall preparation time for physical models.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/IAHR-39WC252171192022723

Year: 2022