Project challenge: Simulate rigorous pressure gradients using a hyperbaric chamberNatural Scientific Services was asked to conduct an environmental impact study prior to the building of a dual-direction Hydro Electric dam. Part of the study was to determine whether a specific species of fish could survive passage upstream or downstream, and cross-breed with other fish at the destination – an undesirable upset to a delicate ecosystem.
It was required that we build a device that could accurately simulate the rigorous pressure gradients that would be experienced through the system, the worst of which was 0 bar to 80 bar in 0.2 seconds. |
DETERMINE WHETHER FISH SPECIES CAN SURVIVE THE PRESSURE GRADIENTS
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JAD solution
The requirement was to fill the chamber with water and then rapidly increase or decrease the pressure in the chamber, given a pressure profile from a spreadsheet file.
A typical pump situation profile was required to precisely profile the pressure on the fish from 0 bar to 71Bar ( 942 PSI ) in 170mS within 1% deviation, then release the pressure over a further 30 second. In a typical discharge situation the profile of the pressure on the fish gradually increased from 0 bar to 71 bar over 30 seconds and then released to atmosphere over 170mS via a specific profile. JAD Systems developed a comprehensive solution as follows:
Component breakdown:
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