Diseño de un simulador de flujos de ríos como implemento de laboratorio para la Universidad Santo Tomás – sede Villavicencio

Abstract

Currently, the laboratory equipment of the University are basic, it has repercussion in the building of an elementary knowledge and a null ability to fathom in more complicated topics in order to pursue the good of the educative community. The purpose of the following degree work is precisely to partially replace this issue by designing, developing and delivering an innovative laboratory instrument such as the river flow simulator. That instrument has particularly characteristics to effectuate essential practices in the fluvial hydraulics area, hydrology, and open channels, among others, which will have a vital importance for the learning of the engineering students in the hydraulics field. The making of the instrument is grounded in the hydraulics studies, soil mechanics and structural systems. The totality of the exposed theories take an integral part of the structuration phases of the project, investigation, building and start-up of the laboratory instrument. During the build-up of the instrument, multiple essay tests were done with different variations of discharge as a result of pumping variations, purity of the materials used and different slopes. As a result of the studies developed, although some difficulties were found to harmonize the pumping power with the selected sample due to issues found in the pump and the potentiometer that were finally overcome. It was possible to prove that is cheaper to build the instrument than buying it, and it works perfectly and its utility will be fundamental to the investigation and learning of the whole educational community of the Santo Tomás University.