Five undergraduate courses, which require the knowledge of single- or multi-phase (involving solid-liquid or gas-liquid) flow in an open duct or a pipe, are taught at the department of Geology and Geological Engineering of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T). At present, these courses are taught with theoretical interpretation and abstract visualization of the flow process. This project provides a single- and multi-phase flow loop for the departmental undergraduate laboratory that will be used by all five courses. The flow loop will be used for the following applications: (1) single phase flow experiments with Newtonian and Non-Newtonian fluids; (2) pressure drop experiments for horizontal well drilling; (3) pressure drop experiments for gas-oil flow through horizontal wells and production pipelines; (4) flow visualization and quantitative analysis under slurry flow conditions; and (5) flow visualization and quantitative analysis of fluvial deposition. The flow loop will also be used for undergraduate design and research projects. The experimental setup will be fully used throughout the summer for conducting undergraduate research. Moreover, plans are underway to hold workshops for training regional high school science teachers. This will generate interest in petroleum and geological engineering topics through indirect impact on high school students.
