PNNL Bio-Acoustics & Flow Laboratory (BFL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Support Types:

Non-Open Water, Numerical Modeling & Analysis, Laboratory & Bench

Application Areas:

Environmental Effects, Hydrodynamics

Technology Relevance:

Current, OTEC, Tidal, Wave

Location: 3335 Innovation Blvd, WA

Facility Overview

BFL is accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to ISO/IEC 17025:2005, the international standard for calibration and testing laboratories. The scope of accreditation (Certificate Number 3267.01) includes hydrophone sensitivity measurements and power level measurements of sound sources at frequencies ranging from 50 kHz to 500 kHz. This certification enables us to perform primary certified testing on instruments developed both externally and in-house.

Our facility includes a flap-type wave maker capable of generating short-period directional waves, with wave heights up to 0.3 meters and periods ranging from 1.5 to 3 seconds in a 1.0-meter water depth, enabling repeatable wave environment simulations. BFL also includes two fresh-water test tanks, and a shear tank capable of generating controlled, high-velocity flows.

BFL supports projects ranging from sensor development and instrumentation testing to full-system integration and evaluation, and BFL capabilities and instrumentation can be integrated with PNNL-Sequim’s open water capabilities.

PNNL Bio-Acoustic and Flow Laboratory - Big Blue Tank

PNNL Bio-Acoustic and Flow Laboratory - Low Frequency Acoustic Tank

PNNL Bio-Acoustic and Flow Laboratory - Low Frequency Wave Tank

Facility Capabilities

Shear Tank - The Shear Tank is a 30 ft × 4 ft × 4 ft flume designed to generate controlled, high-velocity flows using interchangeable nozzle configurations. It supports evaluation of biological responses to shear forces and testing of flow-through structures and instrumentation. Transparent viewing windows near the nozzle allow for high-speed video capture of flow conditions and organism behavior. Various flow scenarios can be configured by modifying nozzle geometry. Big Blue Tank - PNNL’s Big Blue Tank is a 20 ft × 10 ft × 6 ft deep water tank used for calibration, testing, and validation of underwater systems. It supports testing of hydrophones, transducers, sonar systems, ROVs, sensor platforms, and fish behavior studies. The large volume and controlled environment allow for repeatable experiments. The tank can be customized with equipment mounting structures, dividers, and retrofitting as needed. Indoor Low Frequency Acoustic Tank - The indoor low frequency acoustic tank is housed in a climate-controlled facility and measures 24 ft long × 7.7 ft wide × 5.7 ft deep, with walls lined with anechoic materials. The facility supports the use of river water, chilled well water, and city water, and includes a portable A-frame gantry for lifting heavy equipment. Each end of the tank is fitted with a programmable motion system: one is fixed at a set distance from the tank end and provides full-width travel, 360° rotation, and 27 inches of vertical travel; the opposite system has identical capabilities plus 129 inches of longitudinal travel. Acoustic testing - PNNL maintains a suite of instruments for generating and measuring particle motion. Available equipment includes low-frequency transducers, particle motion sensors, and hydrophones. Wave Environment Simulation - PNNL operates a flap-type wave maker designed to simulate short-period directional wave environments under controlled conditions. The system features an aluminum waveboard (1.5 meters high) driven by a three-phase electric motor, with a stroke length of up to 0.9 meters. It can generate wave periods from 1.5 to 3 seconds and wave heights between 0.15 and 0.3 meters in a 1.0-meter water depth. The system supports repeatable testing of device performance and environmental response under wave forcing.

2 Facility Capabilities

Motion Testing
Noise & Vibration Characterization

Contact

Daniel Deng

zhiqun.deng@pnnl.gov

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We apply advanced computational methods to address challenges spanning the full spectrum of acoustic systems, from instrumentation performance to complex propagation modeling in diverse environments. Our expertise enables us to evaluate sensor and transducer behavior, signal fidelity, and system integration, while also simulating acoustic wave propagation through various media to support system design, performance prediction, and operational planning. These modeling efforts incorporate a range of environmental variables—including bathymetry, sound speed profiles, and seabed composition—to provide realistic, high-resolution predictions of acoustic field behavior. By integrating physics-based models with empirical data, we identify potential limitations, optimize system configurations, and inform the development of robust acoustic technologies tailored to specific mission requirements and operating conditions.

1 Facility Capability

Acoustic Modeling

Contact

Daniel Deng

zhiqun.deng@pnnl.gov

View Website

3335 Innovation Blvd, WA

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