Watching the airflow - Absolute beginners

[Chippy]

Just an idle thought really, people are chasing wetflow ideas in order to replicate exactly what goes on in a port, but has anyone tried or thought of using some kind of dust sucked through and watching how it performs? I'm pondering also about throwing some glitter through as I guess this will show up really well, especially if you were filming it.

I know it will have been done before along with many other hairbrained ideas, but just wondered what you thought of it.
I'm pondering over mounting a head over a clear plastic tube the same diameter as the cylinder bore and seeing if it tumbles and swirls, not sure if it will replicate real life though.....

[johno]

Best ways iv found are string, flow-balls and a nightclub smoke machine!! :;):

[coulterracn]

I read an article many years ago in Hot Rod or Car Craft. Smokey Yunick used smoke to monitor the way air flowed around the valve and valve seat area. The picture in the article showed the smoke going around the valve and coming back together in a V-shape. Smokey said this was the ideal set up for the valve angles and bowl work.

Ray

[blaktopr]

If glitter goes into the machine, you would still have to get it out somehow.
Dust may never settle, and go through the machine to the motors easier than liquid. Dusts and electric sparks are a no no. The amount of dust used would make it a "hazardous" location in the electrical field. You would have to make the electric of the bench and motors "explosionproof"

It's known as class 2 division 1 and class 2 division 2.

A half inch piece of string on the end of a thin rod shows some chamber activity as well as in the port. The string does not need to be frayed to see "curls" of air.
I would think you would need lots of smoke. I've used a ciggarette, but you can only see it a little in the port. By the time it reaches the chamber, it's invisible. Smoke will turn easier than liquid. The discharge out of the valve will be more uniform with smoke than with liquid, but you can still get some ideas.
Johno, doesn't the smoke machine use dry ice? I heard a little about using that.

[bruce]

My smoke machine uses mineral oil based product. I've used it a few times on my old bench and it will fill the shop really quickly with smoke

[johno]

Yeah mate, the smoke machine we'v used has dry ice in it!! It also helps if you have a uv light to veiw it with as, just like in a nightclub, items of clothing and such that are coloured white, will glow like posphorous!!

[Chippy]

Thanks for your thoughts guys, would any glitter not just blow straight through Blaktop? If it didn't I wonder if it would be a problem....

Should have known about the explosive dust problem from my Carpentry days, tut.

Probably getting ahead of myself anyhow, haven't even built my bench yet!

Thanks for all the help via the email Bruce, I got a letter from our UK postal service today and I've got to drive down to the depot and pay the duty on something from the US.......... :;):
I reckon on the way back I'll pick up 3 sheets of MDF too.....

[blaktopr]

I'll throw some glitter through my machine and see what happens Chippy. I have remote motors plus using junk shop vac ones to boot for bench testing. I'll track it and let you know. I feel the glitter is heavier than dust and may just settle. But it depends on the bench design. And if it gets to the motors and thrown out......well..... make sure your wife/girlfriend knows you were in the garage and not out. She may think you got a lap dance with all the gliiter stuck to you!:D