Behind The Scenes at Marsh-McBirney Testing - Alden Research Laboratory

Alden Research Laboratory in Holden, Massachusetts is an acclaimed fluids flow engineering laboratory providing analytical and physical modeling capabilities, extensive testing facilities, flow meter calibrations, and field measuring services for over 100 years.  For Marsh-McBirney it is one of the best places to go when we need to test and verify the accuracy of new technologies we introduce to the marketplace.

So, when we added the Surcharge Velocity Sensor (SVS) to our revolutionary Flo-Dar flowmeter we set out to Alden for testing.One of the best features of Alden's facility is the wide range of pipe sizes and flow rates that are available.  This is especially important to Marsh-McBirney as our products are routinely used in all manner of pipe sizes and flows varying from trickles to raging torrents.

The photo at right shows the outfall of one of the 36 inch diameter pipes we used in this test.  As you can see the flow rate is quite high.  Eventually we achieved flow rates high enough to cause a simulated "surcharge event" - the very conditions required for our test.

Observing, collecting, and analyzing data from controlled tests will keep our people busy for days at a time.  Mike Naylor (left) and Jim Darby (right) shared the responsibility for the Flo-Dar SVS testing.

Now you see it. Then you don't.
In a simulated surcharge event, the Flo-Dar sensor gradually becomes submerged. Carefully controlled testing proved to us that the self-contained velocity sensor meets our high standards for accuracy.