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Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel
Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel, March 2014
General information
Status Complete
Type Educational, R&D
Location University Park, Pennsylvania
Address North Atherton Street, University Park, PA, 16801
Coordinates 40°47′35″N 77°52′06″W / 40.793054°N 77.86822°W / 40.793054; -77.86822
Construction started 1948
Completed October 7, 1949
Opened March, 1950
Renovated 1992
Client ARL, U.S. Navy
Owner Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory

The Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel is a special place where the U.S. Navy and Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) do important science experiments. It was built in 1949 and started working that same year. The tunnel is named after Lieutenant W. Garfield Thomas Jr., a Penn State student who died during World War II. For many years, it was the biggest water tunnel of its kind anywhere! It's even been recognized as a historic landmark for engineering.

Today, this tunnel helps with many projects. It's used to test things like pumps for the Space Shuttle, special propellers for ships, parts for heating and cooling systems, and even artificial heart valves. They also test vacuum cleaner fans and other similar devices.

History of the Water Tunnel

After World War II, the U.S. military started putting a lot of money into universities across the country. At the same time, Harvard closed its Underwater Sound Laboratory (USL). This lab had invented the first torpedo that could find its target using sound.

Penn State then hired Eric Walker, who was a leader at Harvard's USL. He came to Penn State to head their electrical engineering department. The Navy also moved the USL's torpedo research to Penn State. This became the Ordnance Research Laboratory (ORL). The ORL later grew into the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL).

The Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel was built at Penn State with help from the ORL. Its main purpose was to do more research on torpedoes. Construction finished on October 7, 1949. The tunnel started working six months later. Since then, the facility has expanded its research. It now studies how liquids flow, sound, waves, and even wind.

In 1992, the entire facility was completely updated and improved.

How the Water Tunnel Works

Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel
The main water tunnel can be seen from the outside through the glass windows.

The Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel has several different types of tunnels. These include closed-circuit tunnels, which means the water flows in a loop.

Types of Water Tunnels

The facility uses four main water tunnels for its experiments.

The Main Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel

The Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel is the biggest one at the facility. It is 100 feet long and 32 feet high. It holds 100,000 gallons of water! A powerful 2,000-horsepower pump moves the water. This pump has a special four-blade propeller that can change its angle. It can make the water flow as fast as 40.91 miles per hour. The tunnel can also change the water pressure inside.

This large tunnel has many tools to help with experiments. These include devices to measure propeller power, special probes to check water pressure, and Pitot tubes to measure speed. They also use lasers, other pressure sensors, and hydrophones (underwater microphones). There are also tools to measure forces and movement.

Smaller Water Tunnels

The facility also has two smaller water tunnels. One is 12 inches wide, and the other is 6 inches wide. Both of these tunnels also have water flowing in a closed loop. The 12-inch tunnel has a 150-horsepower system. It can make water flow up to 54.53 miles per hour. The 6-inch tunnel has a 25-horsepower system. It can make water flow up to 47.74 miles per hour.

Both of these smaller tunnels are equipped with lasers, pressure sensors, and hydrophones.

Ultra-High Speed Cavitation Tunnel

There is also a very fast 1.5-inch tunnel. It can make water flow incredibly fast, up to 187 miles per hour! This tunnel is made of strong stainless steel. It has a 75-horsepower motor. It can handle high pressures and temperatures ranging from 16°C to 176°C. This tunnel is used to study "cavitation," which is when bubbles form in a liquid due to changes in pressure.

Other Research Facilities

Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel front
Water tunnel main entrance.

Besides the water tunnels, the facility also has other special areas. These include wind tunnels, glycerin tunnels, and an "anechoic chamber." An anechoic chamber is a room designed to absorb all sound, so there are no echoes. These areas are used to solve many different physics problems.

The Boundary Layer Research Facility (BLRF) has a 12-inch pipe where thick glycerine flows. This helps scientists study how fluids behave near surfaces. There is also a 20-horsepower fan that can move air at 81.83 miles per hour. This fan is used to study how fan blades work. Another large 2.75-meter wide, 100-horsepower closed-circuit tunnel is used to study how fluids flow next to a wall on a large scale.

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