Bivalves
A 9-foot flume for bivalve aggregations — Carleton College
A custom 108 × 24 × 24 in Alpha Flow Chamber for studying large bivalve aggregations, with ±0.01 cm/s flow resolution from brushless pumps — running on a standard 120 V / 20 A circuit.
Institution: Carleton College
System: Custom Alpha Flow Chamber, 108 × 24 × 24 in
The challenge
Studying how bivalve aggregations interact with flow requires a working section large enough to hold a realistic bed, flow that is uniform and finely adjustable, and water clear enough to observe the animals over long trials.
What we built
- A 108 × 24 × 24 in custom-integrated Alpha Flow Chamber with high-transparency viewing panels for precise observation.
- A series of brushless water pumps providing fine flow control with ±0.01 cm/s resolution.
- An integrated filtration system to maintain water clarity during long-term trials.
- Efficient design that runs the entire system from a standard 120 V, 20 A circuit — no special electrical infrastructure required.
The result
A research-grade flume that fits a teaching-and-research college lab, with the precision needed for hydrodynamic studies of benthic communities.
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