University of Michigan – Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory

Description

The Aaron Friedman Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory is a suite of labs and facilities that engage in classic naval architecture experiments, such as calm water resistance, seakeeping, and propeller tests. The MHL supports education and research for the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at the University of Michigan. It is a highly flexible facility that hosts a variety of specialized testing programs for researchers at the University of Michigan, Industry, and Government Agencies. The staff provides technical guidance and support in experiment design, instrumentation used, and conducting the experimental tests. The MHL also conducts fundamental research in areas of current interest such as hull form drag reduction and planing hull and surface effect ship dynamics, renewable ocean energy harvests, advanced material marine propulsors, and control surfaces.

The MHL is home to a suite of facilities. The Physical Modeling Basin (towing tank) which is equipped with a manned bridge carriage and unmanned trailer with speed capabilities of 0.08 to 6.10 m/s, an electrically driven, computerized wedge-type wavemaker that is capable of generating regular waves and irregular waves. A Wind-Wave Tank has both wind driven and plunging wedge wave capabilities. The Recirculating Cavitation Channel is a 1:14 scale model of the U.S. Navy’s Large Cavitation Channel (LCC). The Parallel Flow Mixing Loop includes two vertical laminar and turbulent single and two-phase flows. Also on-site are the Machine, Electrical and Modeling shops which are available for the construction and fabrication of models, instrumentation, specialized experimental and testing equipment, and prototyping.

Tank dimensions:
Length: 109.7m, Width: 6.7m, Height: 6.35m
Max depth: 3.5m

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Points of Contact:
James Gose – jgose@umich.edu
Kevin Maki – kjmaki@umich.edu