22m Flume Tank

The largest of its kind in the world, the 22 Meter Flume Tank provides the environment to conduct model tests in simulated underwater and near surface conditions. With a width of 8 meters and viewing windows the entire length of one side, the tank is ideal for low speed flow visualization work, with the ability to model multiple component towed arrays. The tank is divided horizontally into two sections. The lower section allows water to circulate, and the upper section holds the test model. Five video cameras and 35 mm still cameras, underwater and above water, are located throughout the tank area. A 32-channel, high-speed, data-acquisition system is used to collect drag forces from the object under test. A number of load cells are available for underwater use with ranges from 2kg to 45kg.

Instrumentation and Equipment:

• Adjustable Height Carriage
  
• 4.7 Tonne Overhead Crane
  
• Current Meters
  
• Load Cells
  
• 32 Channel High Speed Data Acquisition System
  
• Underwater and Viewing Gallery Cameras
  
• Professional Video Recording and Editing Facilities
  
• Frame Grabber Software for Video Analysis
  

Note: Underwater visualization is facilitated by observation windows. The windows allow a 20m by 3m field of view along one side of the tank.

Applications:

• Towed Bodies and Towed Arrays
  
• Underwater Vehicles (ROVs and AUVs)
  
• Risk Assessment of Underwater Systems
  
• Seismic Equipment
  
• Fishing Gear
• Spar Testing

Tests Performed:

• Flow Visualization of Submerged Bodies
  
• Hydrodynamic Force Measurement
  
• Assessment of Fishing Gear Configuration
• Directional Stability

Examples of Projects:

• Vane Performance - An evaluation of seismic spreader vanes, including: reserve floatation tests to investigate the effects of float lift and drag on overall vane lift and drag as a function of float depth in water; float separation tests which investigated methods of float-vane attachment as well as float-vane spacing; investigation into effects of aspect ratio to quantify vane performance as a function of vane height; tests to show full-scale to model-scale correlation based on recent results at full-scale; evaluation of performance changes due to crosstag loads applied to the vane at varying angles to the flow; and tests to reduce the vortex shedding behavior of the vane and to identify a vortex inhibitor to eliminate the problem.
  
• Amphibious Support Vessel with a Dock in the Stern - Tests involving physical and numerical analysis of support vessel and landing craft.

Download Specification Sheet