Service One
Flow Path Architecture
Flow path architecture is the discipline of shaping the route air takes through a facility
so that the working section receives clean, uniform and predictable flow. We model the
intake bell, settling chamber, contraction cone, honeycomb straightener and diffuser as a
single system, because a defect anywhere in that chain reaches the model. The contract
ratio is chosen against the turbulence target, the straightener cell size is matched to
the largest eddy the screens must break, and the diffuser angle is set to recover pressure
without separating.
The output is a construction ready geometry package with tolerances, surface finish notes
and an access plan for maintenance. For retrofit projects the same package documents how
an existing shell can be modified while it remains structurally sound. Digital flow
modelling runs first, then a reduced scale check in our own tunnel confirms that the
predicted profile survives contact with real hardware.
- Intake, settling chamber and contraction cone design
- Honeycomb and screen selection with pressure loss budget
- Diffuser recovery analysis and separation margin
- Construction tolerances and inspection points
Service Two
Load Testing Programs
A load testing program converts an engineering worry into a measured load envelope.
Clients bring models, brackets, panels, fixtures and full sub assemblies that must survive
wind, vibration, thermal cycling or mechanical abuse. We plan the load cases, instrument
the article, run the campaign and reduce the data into envelopes that a design team or a
regulator can act on without guesswork.
Force balance readings are sampled at high rate alongside strain, displacement and
pressure channels. Every load case is repeated at least once so that scatter is visible
in the final report. Where a test article fails or behaves non linearly, we document the
failure mode and propose a revised configuration, then re-test. The program is written so
that an independent engineer can reproduce the campaign from the record alone.
- Load case definition and test matrix planning
- Force balance and strain gauge instrumentation
- High rate sampling with repeat runs for scatter
- Documented load envelopes and failure modes
Service Three
Instrumentation Rigs
The measurement is often the weakest link in an otherwise sound test. BioZent LLC builds
instrumentation rigs that place sensors accurately and hold them there. A rig might carry
a pitot rake of five probe tubes, a traverse of hot wire probes, a grid of pressure tap
dots across a model surface, or a sting mount that sets angle of attack to a fraction of
a degree. Every position is indexed, numbered and recorded, so a point measured today can
be measured again next year in exactly the same place.
Rigs are designed around the realities of a working tunnel: they must be stiff enough to
avoid vibration, compact enough not to disturb the flow they are measuring, and simple
enough to be serviced with hand tools. Where a rig will be used repeatedly we build the
fixture, wiring loom and data channel naming convention together, then hand over a
documented assembly that a trained operator can install without supervision.
- Pitot rakes, traverse systems and sting mounts
- Pressure tap dot grids with labelled channels
- Strain, displacement and thermal sensor integration
- Wiring looms and channel naming conventions
Service Four
Turbulence Retrofit Design
Many tunnels were built to a budget and behave accordingly. They carry swirl from the
fan, an uneven boundary layer from a short settling chamber, or a separation bubble that
no amount of calibration can remove. A turbulence retrofit redesigns the conditioning
hardware rather than the entire shell. We survey the existing flow, identify where the
disturbance is generated, and design replacement screens, straighteners and turning vanes
that fit inside the current envelope.
The work respects the structure already in place. We measure the space available, the
existing loads and the access routes, then specify components that can be installed
through the available openings. Before and after surveys quantify the improvement in flow
uniformity and turbulence intensity, giving the client evidence that the retrofit money
was well spent. In several cases a modest conditioning change has lifted an old tunnel
back into useful service for another decade.
- Baseline flow survey and disturbance diagnosis
- Replacement screens, honeycomb and turning vanes
- Installation plan fitted to existing openings
- Before and after uniformity comparison
Service Five
Calibration Runs
Calibration runs protect the credibility of everything else. On a scheduled basis we
check probes, balances, pressure transducers and the data acquisition chain against
traceable references, then record the deviations. A probe that has drifted, a channel
with a noisy amplifier or a balance with a cracked flexure will all be found here, before
they quietly corrupt a campaign.
Each calibration run produces a dated report listing the reference used, the as-found
condition, any adjustment made and the as-left condition. Reports are archived so that a
client can demonstrate continuity of measurement over several years. Where a client
operates their own tunnel, we can calibrate on site and train staff to run the routine
checks between our visits. The report is deliberately written in plain engineering
language so that it supports certification without translation.
- Probe, balance and transducer verification
- Data acquisition chain checks
- As-found and as-left deviation records
- Archived dated reports for audit continuity
Service Six
Sustained Support Contracts
A tunnel that matters to a business must stay available. A sustained support contract sets
out how that happens across a year or more. The agreement covers preventive maintenance
on the drive, bearings, seals and controls, a spare parts holding for critical components,
operator refresher training and an agreed response window when something unexpected
stops a run. Clients know in advance what is covered, what is charged and how quickly we
will be on site.
Contracts are written to fit the client rather than a template. A teaching laboratory
needs different coverage from a commercial test house running three shifts. We agree the
service level, the maintenance calendar and the escalation route, then report against
them. Over time the maintenance records themselves become valuable, because they show how
the facility has aged and which components deserve replacement before they fail. That
foresight is the real product of a support contract.
- Preventive maintenance calendar and records
- Critical spare parts holding
- Operator refresher training
- Agreed response window and escalation route