The Hydrodynamic Test Channel is a unique infraestructure, one of the few existing in Spain, designed to carry out tests with scale models of ships and artefacts to study, among other things, their behaviour at sea in different wave conditions, their anhoring or to carry out self-propulsion tests both in calm waters and in waves.
Facilities.
Teams.
- Gantry crane with a maximum capacity of X kilograms.
- Wall-mounted jib crane with a maximum capacity of 200 kilograms.
The monitoring and tracking trolley is a motorised platform, the movement of which allows both programmableremote control and direct manual control, enabling precise tracking of the models or vehicles being tested. This platform has an approximate weight of 250 kg, a stroke that covers 45 metres of the 55 metres of the total length of the channel and dimensions of 5000 x 1130 x 355 mm. It is electrically driven and can reach a maximum speed of 3 m/s.
The wave generator is o the pivoting flap type, capable of generating both regular and irregular waves according to different typical wave spectra (Jonswap, Bretschneider, TMA), as well as user-defined wave spectra. The generator is also equipped with an active wave absorption system, which allows it to greatly reduce waiting times between wave tests. The generator control software has a system for collecting data on blade movement, wave height and wave period generated.
Instrumentation.
- High-quality Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 recording camera, with the possibility of submersion thanks to the waterproof housing up to 100m depth (10Bar HS-DC-Pn-GH4, waterproof up to 100 m depth).
The underwater motion capture system consists of three cameras (QUALYSIS MIQUS M3), capable of determining the movement parameters of a series of markers placed on the object whose dynamics are to be studied. By processing the data obtained with the cameras, the system is capable of measuring movements in 6 degrees of freedom without the need for physical interaction, which is particularly useful when the movements to be studied are of high amplitude.
The wave measurement system consists of a set of gauges, a data acquisition card and software that allows wave data to be obtained at the points where they are located. In addition, the software allows post-processing of the data for further analysis.
The inertial measurement system consists of a set of wireless IMU’s (Inertial Measurement Units) from the manufacturer XSENSE. They are composed of MEMS sensors including magnetometers, gyroscopes and accelerometers, which provide the angular velocities, accelerations, magnetic field and orientation of the model to be tested.
Models.
- Medium size stern trawler 1:15 scale. Equipped with self-propulsion, computer, wifi antenna, torque sensor, sonar.
- Medium stern trawler in 1:30 scale. Equipped with self-propulsion.
- Artificial reef module scale 1:2
Underwater robots.
- 2 BlueROV 2 underwater robots with manipulators (16 kg, 457 x 575 x 254 mm, vectored thrusters, real-time high-definition video communication and transmission, gripper-type manipulator).
- KAI underwater robot with articulated manipulator (160 kg, 1400 x 700 x 800 mm, vectored thrusters, LIDAR, SONAR, DVL, real-time HD video communication and transmission, articulated manipulator with 5 degrees of freedom).
Types of tests.
Stability and damping tests.
- Stability and damping tests of ships and floating structures.
- Sea performance tests of ships, under the action of any wave direction for zeron speed and under the action of longitudinal waves for self-propelled ships. The waves to be reproduced can be regular or irregular using different spectra.
- Testing of dynamic behaviour of artefacts and installations both fixed to the bottom and floating positioned using mooring systems. For example: offshore platforms or wave power generation systems. Again under both regular and irregular wave action.
- the size of the ship models to be used in these tests will largely depend on the type of analysis to be carried out and the wave conditions to be reproduced. For reference, the following restrictions can be taken into account:
- Stability and damping tests of ships and floating structures.
- All Model tyoes: Longitudinal waves: Beam x Draft < 0.56 m2 and Transverse waves: Length x Draft < 0.56 m2z
Contact.
Email: vicente.diaz.casas@udc.es
Telephone: +34 881013857