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Emerson Cavitation Tunnel

Emerson Cavitation Tunnel
General information
Type Educational
Location Newcastle University Marine Station, Blyth, United Kingdom
Coordinates 55°07′30″N 1°29′52″W / 55.124894°N 1.497748°W / 55.124894; -1.497748Coordinates: 55°07′30″N 1°29′52″W / 55.124894°N 1.497748°W / 55.124894; -1.497748
Completed 1949, refurbished and relocated in 2017
Owner Newcastle University

The Emerson Cavitation Tunnel is a propeller testing facility based that is part of the School of Engineering at Newcastle University. It is currently the third largest cavitation tunnel in the UK, after those owned by the Ministry of Defence at Haslar, and the University of Liverpool's School of Engineering, respectively.

The Emerson Cavitation Tunnel consists of a water circuit which flows in the vertical plane, within which propellers and other propulsion devices can be tested. The system is powered by a 300 kW (400 hp) pump, with a four-bladed impeller and can produce a maximum water velocity of 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph). The test area has a cross sectional area of 0.99 m2 (10.7 sq ft) allowing model propellers of up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter to be tested. The pressure range of the tunnel can vary from a minimum of 7.6 kN/m2 to a maximum of 106 kN/m2. Cavitation numbers of 0.5 (minimum) to 23 (maximum) can be accommodated for. Measurements can be taken using a 3 Watt, water-cooled, Argon-ion laser, a hydrophone, and two dynamometers. A high-speed video camera is also attached with an imaging frequency of 0–50 frames per second.

Funding for the tunnel's equipment is raised by numerous organisations, including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Scottish Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde.

The tunnel was first established at the University in 1949 after being disassembled and transported from Pelzerhaken, Germany after the Second World War. The tunnel arrived at the University in 1947 and over the following few years the tunnel was heavily modified. The tunnel - which was originally designed to be operated in the horizontal plane - was converted into a vertical loop tunnel and the length was reduced by half. The original observation window was modified and two more added. Because of damage, a new impeller was constructed and numerous pieces of measuring equipment were added. This equipment included pitot tubes, a tachometer, stroboscopic lighting equipment, contact meters and a vacuum pump. The tunnel was connected to an electrical supply in 1949 and entered service late in 1950, after technical problems called for recalibration of some of the instruments. The Cavitation Tunnel is still housed in Newcastle University's old boiler house, where it was originally reconstructed.


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