This electronic brochure highlights our capabilities and activities in the area of Mechanical and Fluids Engineering. Please sign our guestbook. For additional information, e-mail Danny M. Deffenbaugh, Southwest Research Institute.

Mechanical and Fluids Engineering

The mechanical and fluids engineering program at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is internationally recognized for its contributions to machinery and piping technology, structural dynamics, acoustics, multiphase/multicomponent flow, microgravity fluid dynamics, hydrodynamics, gas dynamics, and fluid/thermal systems diagnostics and automation.

The Gas Technology Institute's national Metering Research Facility at SwRI is a new industry resource for research, development, and testing of flow meters, and it provides a laboratory for programs concerned with gas handling machinery and piping systems.

Research, development, testing, and field consultation services are provided for an international spectrum of clients in the oil and gas, petrochemical, paper and pulp, utility, aerospace, and automotive industries, and for such U.S. government agencies as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The engineers, scientists, and skilled technical staff of the SwRI Mechanical Engineering Division are widely known as problem-solvers in the design and operation of fluid mechanical systems. Many are recognized authorities in their fields who share their expertise through technical publications and training course offered regularly at the Institute and around the world.

More than 25,000 square feet of fluid and machinery dynamics laboratory facilities are dedicated to mechanical and fluids engineering programs, and outdoor test areas are available for large-scale investigations. Laboratories are augmented by a network of computerized data acquisition and analysis equipment. An extensive inventory of diagnostic and test instrumentation is used for in-plant measurements by our field service personnel. Many of our investigations involve both experimental work and analytical or numerical modeling to achieve optimum solutions.

The Institute's customized consultation services, field investigations, and in-depth laboratory and analytical studies can help solve your most complex and challenging mechanical and fluids engineering problems. Our strengths are the talents and experience of a dedicated staff, coupled with extensive facilities. We are proud of our record of accomplishment during more than 40 years of service to our clients, and we invite your inquires.

Fluid Machinery and Structural Dynamics

Research, Development, Design, and Field Services

Applied Machinery and Piping Technology

Rotating Machinery Analysis

  • Multiplane field balancing
  • Critical speed identification
  • Rotor stability assessment
  • Torsional stress evaluation
  • Blade resonance detection

Field Performance and Diagnostics

  • Reciprocating pumps and compressors
  • Centrifugal pumps and compressors
  • Internal combustion engines
  • Fans, motors, and generators

With a goal of improving compressor performance, new diagnostic software developed by SwRI provides insight into the detection of faults and their economic impacts.

Structural/Foundation Analysis

  • Modal analysis of structures and foundations
  • Machinery/structure/soil interactions
  • Vibration and stress assessment
  • Foundation/platform shaker tests

Piping Fluid Dynamic Analysis

  • Flow-induced pulsation
  • Transient flow analysis, steam and water
  • Cavitation and waterhammer
  • Pulsation suppression
  • Pulsation effects on metering
  • Noise analysis and control
  • Piping/support systems shaker tests

An Institute engineer uses a portable spectrum analyzer to conduct a vibration survey of a large electric power generator.

Piping Vibration Analysis

  • Dynamic stress measurement
  • Vibration assessment and control
  • Pier and restraint design
  • Piping flexibility analysis

The SwRI staff provides on-site, rapid response, problem solving for the nuclear industry.

Structural Dynamics and Acoustics

A NASA propfan test assessment aircraft is readied for an SwRI-directed ground test to acquire data for estimating in-flight levels of structure-borne noise.

Structural Dynamic Response

  • Nonlinear vibration analysis
  • Modal analysis and synthesis
  • Aero/hydroelastic analysis
  • Fluid/structure interaction
  • Seismic engineering
  • Dynamic load analysis

Structural Testing

  • Components and systems
  • Dynamic loading/response measurement
  • Design and fragility testing
  • On-site modal analysis

Acoustics

  • Structure-borne noise
  • Acoustic intensity measurement and analysis
  • Duct mode analysis
  • Noise control

Liquid/structure interaction studies are conducted on a NASA mockup of a spacecraft propellant tank.

Environmental Testing and Evaluation

Structural/Fluid System Performance Testing

Qualification Testing

  • Military and industrial standards
  • Client specifications

Multi-axis Vibration Testing

  • Seismic event simulation
  • Random, swept sine

Temperature, Pressure, Humidity, Shock, and Vibration Testing

Full-scale test fixtures for space-based systems allow the development and environmental qualification of components on earth to ensure mission integrity during launch and in space.

Facilities

Structural Dynamics

  • Biaxial seismic simulator (6,000-lb d.w.l.)
  • Electromechanical shakers (1,600- and 6,000-lb force)
  • Portable shaker (10,000-lb force)
  • Phase matched modal shakers (50 lb)
  • Shock test facility (1,000-lb programmable)
  • Structure-borne noise facility

A shock machine with 1,000-lb payload and half-sine and shock load capability is used to test for shock resistance.

Environmental Testing

  • Vacuum chamber (3 ft diameter x 6 ft long)
  • Environmental chambers (40, 60, 640 ft3, temperature and humidity control)
  • Altitude and temperature
  • Salt fog
  • Blowing and settling sand

Complex specimens are accommodated on shaker tables with payload capabilities to three tons.

A large low temperature (-60 degrees F) chamber is used for environmental testing.

Compressor, Pump, and Piping System Design Facility

  • Acoustic simulation of compressor and pump systems (analog and digital)
  • Modeling of compressor manifold systems for vibration/stress control
  • Valve performance analysis and prediction
  • Thermal/flexibility analysis
  • Support design and evaluation
  • Compressor valve dynamics modeling
  • Detection of common compressor malfunctions, including valve leaks and piston blowby

This compressor, pump, and piping system performance simulator is used in the Pipeline and Compressor Research Council's Center for Applied Machinery and Piping Technology located at SwRI.

Fluid Systems

Research, Development, Design, and Testing Services

Hydrodynamics and Aerodynamics

  • Microgravity fluid dynamics
  • Fluid/structure interactions
  • Turbulence and jet mechanics
  • External and internal viscous flows
  • Flow-induced vibrations
  • Transient and steady state loads
  • Computational fluid dynamics
  • Physical modeling/similitude analysis
  • Instrumentation and control system development

An engineer observes laser illuminated dye patterns of highly separated flow over an oscillating lifting surface in one of the Institute's large water tunnels.

Space Fluid Systems

  • Design and test of propellant management systems
  • Development of prototype fluid handling equipment
  • Analysis and test of microgravity fluid dynamics problems
  • Analysis, design, and development of space flight experiments

The SwRI research program to establish significant variables affecting separator efficiency has improved the technology of fluid separation in oil and gas processing.

Multiphase Flow

  • Multiphase/multicomponent flow analysis
  • Slurry flow analysis
  • Fluidized bed thermal analysis
  • Flow-induced erosion/corrosion studies
  • Gas particle flow analysis
  • Drilling hydraulics

A fuel sloshing experiment is performed on a full-scale model of the propellant tank used in the microgravity environment of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.

Thermal Sciences

  • Thermal hydraulics
  • Transient and steady state heat transfer
  • Thermal-induced stress analysis
  • Waste heat recovery system design and analysis
  • Alternate energy system design and analysis
  • Environmental control and life support system design and analysis
  • Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning design and analysis

Computer printout shows the time-dependent simulation of flow fields from the ignition of a space shuttle solid rocket booster.

SwRI conducts experiments to establish important parameters in drilling hydraulics as a part of our non-Newtonian flow research.

Environmental Fluid Mechanics

  • Industrial stack plume modeling
  • Contaminant spill modeling
  • Health and safety evaluation
  • Ventilation mechanics
  • Environmental field evaluations

Chemical spills are studied with the aid of this 3,600-square-foot tank that replicates the environmental condition of a lake or inland bay.

Facilities

The Institute's 30-inch water tunnel is used in a wide range of hydrodynamics/acoustics research programs.

Sonic nozzles are used for flow measurement and control in this recirculating gas flow facility.

Liquid Flow Facilities

  • 0-25,000 GPM 30-inch diameter water tunnel
  • 0-6,000 GPM low turbulence water tunnel
  • Accelerating water tunnels, 0-10 g at 0-40 fps
  • Two-dimensional, fully developed flow channel (2 inch x 10 inch, 0-300 GPM)
  • Water tank (5 ft x 8 ft x 50 ft)
  • Contaminant spill pond (3,600 ft2)
  • 15,000-gallon flow sump

A special facility is used in basic research to establish particle dynamics and thermal performance of fluidized beds.

Gas Flow Facilities

  • High pressure (2,500 psi), large volume (750 ft3), N2 gas blowdown system
  • Low pressure (to 200 psia) natural gas recirculating loop (to 6 MMSCFD)
  • High pressure (to 1,400 psia) natural gas recirculating loop (to 165 MMSCFD)

Multiphase Flow Facilities

  • High temperature (800 deg F), high pressure (20 atm) fluidized bed facility
  • Inclined annular flow slurry facility (0-600 psia, to 15,000 Bbl/day)
  • Transparent slurry facility (50-ft test section, 8-inch diameter)
  • Oil/water separator research facility

Instrumentation/Data Acquisition

  • Two laser Doppler anemometers (5 watt, 2 color, 2 component, ion-argon lasers)
  • Four-channel hot wire anemometry system
  • Multichannel dynamic and static pressure, temperature, and flow instrumentation
  • Multi-channel spectrum analyzers
  • Acceleration and acoustics instrumentation
  • Flow visualization/high speed video motion analysis system
  • Real time radiographic system

Prototype Hardware Design, Fabrication, and Development

Hardware Development Capabilities

  • Concept identification and screening
  • Prototype design and performance simulation
  • Prototype fabrication and testing
  • Performance monitoring, evaluation, and upgrading
  • Component and integrated system development

Prototype logging tool developed for dry borehole geophysical measurements.

Prototype components under fabrication in the model shop.

Prototype compressor developed by SwRI for use in a space station.

Complex plexiglass model of a nuclear reactor cooling water system fabricated for SwRI study.

For further information, link to telecommunications.swri.org.

This brochure was published in April 1995. For more information about mechanical and fluids engineering, contact Danny M. Deffenbaugh, Vice President, Mechanical Engineering Division,Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510, Phone (210) 522-2384, Fax (210) 681-9661.

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