THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND COMMISSIONING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO SWIMMING FLUME

Abstract

In 1997 the Human Performance Centre commissioned the only swimming flume in Australasia. The flume is a pumped circulating water channel (like a water treadmill) that allows a swimmer or boat to be propelled against a controlled water current for testing purposes. The design, construction, and commissioning of the flume are the subject of this paper. From the initial concept in 1992, the design, and development project took five years to complete. The final design parameters called for a channel 2.5 m wide by 1.5 m deep with a propulsion system able to deliver a steady uniform flow of 3 ± 0.1 mls. The flume water temperature is controlled at 28±0.5 0C using an energy efficient heat pump and water quality is suitable for video analysis of both above and below water events.