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cranfield university mahadi abd murad an integrated structural ...

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welded weld neck fl<strong>an</strong>ge at both ends <strong>an</strong>d has a total length of 0.83 m. The overall<br />

height of the test rig was designed up 0.92 m after taking ergonomics into consideration<br />

<strong>an</strong>d the whole length of this versatile structure is supported by two simple, yet rigid,<br />

supports. Each side of the test rig structure was closed by a blind fl<strong>an</strong>ge <strong>an</strong>d several<br />

parts were welded or joined to it. For example, the front side (head) of this test rig was<br />

equipped with a safety feature, namely a pressure relief valve. The incoming cold water<br />

from the water tap that flowed via PVC hose was controlled by the steel ball valve at the<br />

water inlet <strong>an</strong>d the water pressure in the test rig was increased by a m<strong>an</strong>ual (h<strong>an</strong>d) water<br />

pump.<br />

In this experiment, a heavy duty polymer hose with a withst<strong>an</strong>d capacity up to<br />

69 bar (1000 psi) was used <strong>an</strong>d a check valve was connected between the inlet at the<br />

blind fl<strong>an</strong>ge <strong>an</strong>d this polymer hose. This check valve ensured the water flowed in a one<br />

way direction only so there was no ch<strong>an</strong>ce of <strong>an</strong>y backflow of pressurised water from<br />

the test rig. There was <strong>an</strong>other steel ball valve joined to the highest side of the pl<strong>an</strong>e<br />

surface of the blind fl<strong>an</strong>ge <strong>an</strong>d this valve functioned as a ―control gate valve‖.<br />

Therefore, the test rig will never be fully filled up with water because by the time it<br />

reaches the control gate valve, it will be drained out <strong>an</strong>d this always ensures there is a<br />

space inside this liquid-closed piping system (pressure vessel). This safety guideline<br />

refers to pipeline design <strong>an</strong>d construction (Mohitpour et al., 2003) <strong>an</strong>d is considered to<br />

be one of the safety measures taken during the course of this PhD experimental work.<br />

The pressure in this piping system was monitored by the pressure gauge installed at one<br />

of the inlets at the front side of this test rig. These installations are illustrated in Figure<br />

4.6.<br />

139

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