Automatic In-Plane Water Flow Tester - QualiGTX™ IPF A
QualiGTX™ IPF A Automatic In-Plane Water Flow Tester determines the flow rate per unit width and hydraulic transmissivity of geotextiles, geonets, and drainage geocomposites under a constant head and controlled normal stress. Qualitest built the IPF A for accredited laboratories, geosynthetics producers, and engineering consultancies that report drainage capacity as a contractual deliverable. The system holds a 200 × 300 mm specimen between platens, loads it from 10 to 250 kPa through a servo-driven normal force system, and drives water along the plane of the material. Industrial touchscreen computer control runs the sequence and produces the test report automatically.
Water conditioning separates the IPF A from simpler transmissivity rigs. A dedicated tank supplies water at a regulated temperature anywhere from 5 °C to 60 °C, with 0.1 °C resolution, so viscosity stays under control across a long test program. An integrated dissolved oxygen analyzer tracks the aeration state of the supply water and confirms the specimen sees properly deaerated flow rather than water carrying entrained gas.
Automatic timing records elapsed duration and cumulative throughput, then compiles the results into a report without manual transcription. Operators set the normal stress steps and hydraulic gradient once, and the instrument repeats them consistently across specimens and shifts. Laboratories running acceptance testing on shipments of drainage products get a defensible audit trail alongside the flow numbers.
