Chronos - desktop water tunnel
A desktop water tunnel with a rotatable airfoil and a calendar, clock, and music interface.
the problem
I wanted a visually appealing fluid dynamics display for my work desk which could also display the time, remind me of meetings, and enable me to switch my music without additional distractions. The inspiration for this project came from the water tunnel built by the YouTube channel Visual Thinker.
what I did
Design, manufacturing, and testing of the water tunnel using primarily acrylic, FDM printed parts, a Raspberry Pi, and a submerged fountain pump. I performed hand calculations for Reynolds number, pump flow, and the screw loads on the acrylic. The flow is seeded with mica particles for visualization.
what happened
A beautiful fluid visualization tool, built in September 2026, that has been running constantly with no leaks or breakages, which I reference every day for time and calendar purposes.
what I learned
Construction and analysis of sealed chambers, types of pipe fittings for fluid systems, and basic electronic component selection and programming.
what I would do next time
I would use clamps instead of screws to compress the acrylic and rubber seal sandwich. Screws and screwholes put unecessary stress concentrations into the acrylic, and clamps would let me open and close the chamber far more easily. I would also make the reservoir bigger so it needs filling less often, and put a port in the top for refilling and for stirring the particles back into suspension.
