G. Still (2001)

This project deals with the development and empirical testing of a spatially varying flow model for analysis of rainwater flow in gutters. This area is of interest for rainwater harvesting, which is particularly relevant for providing cheap access to water fit for domestic use in developing countries. A theoretical model was developed, and a computational model created to allow testing of the model against experimental data. Experiments were conducted on a test rig designed to simulate the flow conditions in the gutter. Good agreement was found between the computational model and the experimental results, validating the model as sufficiently accurate for the applications being considered.

The principal outcome of the work is a computational design tool that can be used to improve gutter performance considering a variety of factors (gutter geometry, slope, rainfall intensity and gutter material).

 

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