Final Project Report Part 2: Vortex Fountain

I really enjoyed my previous course I have taken with this instructor which was Flow Visualization. So for my final project I thought it would be neat to showcase aspects of both courses.  I wanted something small that I could potentially put on my desk at my new job after college and that would be a conversation starter. It therefore had to be small enough to fit on a desk, not require any special equipment to setup, and not include any dangerous or hazardous elements such as fire or excessive noise or heat.

I knew that a fountain would be allowed in the office and add a sense of tranquility to the florescent jungle of the office.  This would incorporate fluids and the peaceful sounds of water might help me to be less stressed about work. But it couldn’t just be a normal fountain because lets face it, that would be boring.

After doing some research I was inspired by these large vortex fountains some people put in their yard.  I was excited at this idea because it was the perfect balance between flow visualization and aesthetics of design.  It shows the power of centripetal force, vortex development, and is aesthetically pleasing.

I had initially planned to make a hidden compartment wood sculpture but time, budget and my limited experience with woodworking caused me to change my idea and narrow the scope of the project. I did not think I would be capable of the skilled woodworking in the time allotted. This project was much more manageable and more suited to my skill set.

I was going for a minimalist rustic aesthetic.  I believe I achieved this goal with the type of pot and rocks I chose. The pot has a burnished metal design on the top that I really enjoy. In the future I would maybe like to add an LED to the bottom so that the vortex is lighted up. This could be achieved with a submersible led strip placed in the water below. I would also like to add a switch with a timer so that it turns off and on every few minutes so people can see it fill and drain which is fun to watch.  This would also allow for more easily turning off the fountain as the only way to do this currently is to unplug it. If I had to do it again I would have made sure to keep the vase as level as possible when attaching it to the base so the overflow would come out more evenly. I believe I can fix this though with some leveling feet on the bottom.

Finally I am really glad that I took this course. It helped me see that the aesthetic of something is a very pivotal role in a project and shouldn’t just be seen as an after thought. At the end of the day if it is not appealing to the masses and draws someone in to pick it up then you could have the coolest design in the world but it would go nowhere. I will be reminded of these lessons every day in my job by this little fountain chugging away on my desk at work.

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Summing up 2019
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Final Project: Final Report Part One(Self Watering Planter)

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