The development of a high-speed water tunnel

Large water tunnels are essential tools for studying how water flows around models that represent real-world objects, like marine structures or parts of ships. These tunnels help scientists observe and understand how water behaves under various conditions, but building them is a major engineering challenge due to their high cost and complex design requirements. This study focuses on the creation of a medium-speed, large-scale water tunnel with adaptable test sections that allow researchers to switch between a fully enclosed environment and one with a free water surface.

The design aims to achieve flow speeds of 3 to 4 meters per second through a test section measuring 1 by 1 meter, with low turbulence at the tunnel’s entrance to ensure clear and stable water flow. This setup provides a controlled environment to test interactions between water and structures in both single- and multi-phase conditions, with excellent visibility for detailed observations over extended test durations.

Using simulation software, Ansys CFX, we modeled the tunnel’s water flow to fine-tune the design and enhance its performance. The simulations revealed unique wave patterns on the free water surface, which we analyzed to adjust the tunnel’s design and improve stability when running in open-surface mode. The results of this study present a cost-effective and versatile design approach for water tunnels, contributing valuable insights to the development of testing facilities that support advanced studies in hydrodynamics.