Teaching fluid dynamics with the ball-in-tube device

Abstract

Engineering courses strive to equip students with the ability to tackle real-world problems. Often, a few simple experiments are used to illustrate the theoretical principles behind undergraduate-level fluid dynamics. In this work, we demonstrate the use of the traditional “ball-in-tube” control experiment as a teaching module to introduce fluid dynamics. By simply adding an inexpensive pressure transducer, students can use this module to discover and develop their skills by working with concepts such as drag force, pressure drop, and wall effects. This work illustrates a teaching module that is amenable to an introductory fluid dynamics course, and which may be revisited in process control courses.