DURIP A world-class water channel for naval research at the University of Virginia
Abstract
A first-of-its-kind experimental water channel facility is proposed at the University of Virginia. Its glass test section will be the widest and tallest of any academic recirculating water channel in the world. A channel of this size in a university setting is essential for 1) studying networked, light-weight autonomous vehicles that can outperform traditional vehicles and carry out distributed tasks, and 2) training a new generation of naval engineers who understand the physics that govern these vehicles.In the immediate future, the channel will support a current MURI project involving 3 of the PIs. This project, which is an investigation into the energetics of bio-robotic fish schools, is currently limited to testing small (n<3) schools; a facility of this size will enable direct measurements on large schools (n>10). Studying the physics of larger schools will greatly amplify the DoD relevance of this MURI,because larger schools enable qualitatively different missions, such as distributed sensing or swarm attacks.Beyond the MURI, the channel will support a wide range of ONR-sponsored research over the next few decades. The PIs have been involved in $20M+ of ONR-sponsored research over the past 15 years, including 3 MURI grants involving dozens of students from several Universities. Because of the PIs# pre-established network, and because of the channel#s unique specifications, the proposed facility will become an internationally-renowned hub of ONR research.One key advantage of the channel#s large size is that it can be used to test networked autonomousvehicles at high Reynolds number. The PIs, along with other research teams, use Computational Fluid Dynamics to study these scenarios, but there is no way to validate the results. With the new channel, the PIs will publish vehicle-interaction data at Reynolds numbers up to ~1,400,000, offering unprecedented validation data#not just to the University of Virginia, but to computational teams across the world.In sum, because of its size, its recirculating nature, and its location at a university, this channel will be transformative for naval science and education. To students, it will be a source of inspiration for degrees and careers in marine science and engineering. To the PIs, it will be a career-defining piece of equipment for themselves and their professional networks. To ONR, it will be an essential facility for studying the next generation of collaborative, autonomous underwater vehicles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 15, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412234
Entities
People
- Daniel B. Quinn
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Virginia