Inside Secret US Facility Designing & Testing Futuristic Navy Ships

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Fluctus channel. When one looks at some of the warships sailing the oceans of the world, we don't always understand the full scope of what went into designing them. Today we will take you into one of the world's largest indoor pool test facilities. Every U.S. Navy warship starts off its testing here. The Carderock Division of Naval Surface Warfare Center began its history in the late 1800s when a naval architect from the Naval Academy, Rear Admiral David Taylor, invented experimental methods to forecast ship performance. Providing innovative research and development for surface warships, submarines and unmanned marine systems, Carderock has been the Navy's top innovator and ship design center for almost 120 years. Built during the 1930s, the David Taylor Model Basin is the crown gem of Carderock. Two large tow tank basins, one 50 feet wide and another 22 feet wide, containing over 30 million gallons of water and spanning almost five-eighths of a mile in length, define this complex. Engineers create complex scale models of up to 30 feet long that are hauled through these basins using specifically designed carriages. The direct influence of the gathered hydrodynamic data on resistance and powering needs on final vessel designs guarantees optimal designs. The first stop on our tour is the world-famous David Taylor Model Basin, named after Rear Admiral David Taylor. Constructed in the late 1930s, these tow tanks consist of actually two basins. A 50-foot wide basin and a 22-foot wide basin. And they contain over 30 million gallons of water. There's a series of carriages on each of the basins that will tow surface ships or submarine models through the water. And we can test up to about a 30-foot model. But there's more. Carderock's large cavitation channel provides unmatched materials testing capacity that is vital for Navy use. This remarkable covered water tunnel lets engineers explore cavitation, creating vapor-filled bubbles in the liquid that could seriously compromise marine parts like propellers and rudders. Using the special high Reynolds number hydrofoil test piece of the facility, engineers analyze several systems like rudders under precisely controlled settings that nearly reflect full-scale operating environments. Researchers get hitherto unheard-of data impossible elsewhere by subjecting materials to cavitation pressures. This innovative work closes a major knowledge gap between real fleet performance assessments and modest laboratory benchtop studies. The facility allows the validation of theoretical ideas generated at collaborating universities against practical settings. Combining scientific knowledge with industrial-scale testing capabilities not available in academic environments, the large cavitation channel embodies an addition to Carderock's unique value to naval engineering. Cavitation can actually damage or erode your material over time. And the goal of this project is to get data at conditions that are very similar to what you might experience at full scale, but in a well-controlled environment. With this test article and that facility, we're going to get data that's never been gotten before. How this system is powered is just as interesting. The remarkable hydrodynamic properties of the large cavitation channel are dependent on a massive powertrain system that is an engineering marvel. To fulfill peak power demands surpassing 4 megawatts, the entire system needs its own dedicated electrical substation. This facility is especially helpful because unlike towing tanks, where test runs are constrained by basin length, it can sustain steady flow conditions for extended periods of time. Turning vanes and sophisticated flow conditioning screens guarantee consistent velocity profiles necessary for precise data collection. Models or structures for testing must be constructed. The vital link between conceptual naval design and actual testing is Carderock's model fabrication facility in Building 9. Here, talented engineers and artisans use both conventional and innovative manufacturing processes to convert intricate CAD models into accurately scaled ship and submarine prototypes. The facility has an astounding array of technology, such as metal and polymer 3D printers for quick prototyping, 5-axis CNC machines with micron-level precision, and specialized tools for the layup of composite materials. Every test object is painstakingly hand-finished by master model builders to guarantee hydrodynamic accuracy at scales ranging from 1 one-hundredth to nearly full-size components. Additionally, the factory produces one-off experimental equipment, custom mounting gear, and specialized text fixtures to assist research in all Carderock divisions. What they sometimes build is quite fascinating. At Carderock's Structural Evaluations Laboratory, the large-scale, additively manufactured ALSAM ship model testing program is a groundbreaking development in naval design. Characterizing the structural performance of 3D-printed ship models in comparison to their conventional fiberglass counterparts is the goal of this engineering division. The group has outfitted an ALSAM model with a wide range of sensors, including sophisticated fiber-optic sensors and traditional strain gauges placed along the keel and on both sides. The model's unusual size and shape are accommodated by the facility's movable reaction walls and adaptable test equipment, which enables engineers to apply exact cantilever forces and gather thorough structural response measurements. This technology is called large-scale additively manufactured. Code 85 has done some hydrodynamic testing in David Taylor with this model, but they approached us to sort of start working towards being able to use this type of model for structural response measurements and also kind of to be able to characterize the differences between the structural response between an additively manufactured model and a fiberglass model. At the forefront of naval structural resilience testing is Carderock's Underwater Explosion Research and Development section, where mechanical engineers perform critical impact studies at Building 19's dedicated B-Bay Annex facility. Engineers evaluate the resistance of several bolted connections to dynamic loading circumstances akin to underwater explosions using a high-tech lightweight shock machine. By producing precisely calibrated impulsive forces, this pendulum-based device reveals performance characteristics and failure points under harsh circumstances. Numerous fastener types that are present in naval vessels are the subject of research, ranging from specialist countersunk fittings to basic socket and hex head bolts. The variables being examined include production procedures, installation techniques, and material composition. A substantial knowledge gap about fastener performance during shock events is filled by the data obtained from these control trials. By avoiding disastrous connection failures during combat operations, the results have a direct impact on design standards for upcoming ship classes and submarine construction. Thereby saving a significant amount of time and money. Originally built in 1962 to replicate difficult ocean conditions, the Maneuvering and Seakeeping Basin, MASC at Carderock, is one of the most advanced test facilities in naval engineering. With 216 computer-controlled wave-making paddles around its circumference, this indoor facility, which is 360 feet long and 240 feet wide and 35 feet deep, can create accurate wave patterns from any direction. These vital blue paddle assemblies, as well as their intricate mounting and electronic control systems, were produced by Long Island, New York-based companies. Before full-scale production starts, engineers may test ship and submarine models in realistic sea conditions using this amazing basin, assessing maneuverability, stability, and seakeeping performance, and potentially saving millions of dollars in design changes. Also known as the Navy's Indoor Ocean, MASC at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock is one of the world's largest indoor ocean habitats. Measuring 240 feet wide by 360 feet long and containing over 12 million gallons of water, ship model testing at this facility offers vital performance data before full-scale vessel construction begins. Warships are critical war assets. Therefore, the Navy should maintain the initiative with the best vessels. By maintaining state-of-the-art testing facilities, such as MASC, which are difficult to replicate, the USA has the initiative to know what its vessels are capable of. That's the end of this video. I hope you enjoyed it. Make sure to subscribe to this channel so you don't miss any of our new content. See you next time!