Development of a Large-scale Surface Effect Ship Bow Seal Testing Platform

Abstract

A large-scale surface effect ship (SES) bow seal testing platform was constructed by the University of Michigan and is presently being commissioned at the U.S. Navy's Large Cavitation Channel (LCC) in Memphis, TN. Using a recently installed (2008) free-surface forming gate, the test platform is capable of investigating the physics of the two-dimensional planing seal and three-dimensional finger-type bow seal in calm water conditions and at scales relevant to SES designers and numerical modelers. The LCC environment permits extended run times at high Reynolds number and provides unfettered optical access to the seal geometry and flow field. This article describes the development of the testing platform and presents some preliminary results. The test platform is nominally 7.9 m long, 1.52 m wide, and 2.0 m tall and of welded and bolted steel construction. The seals are nominally sized similar to those currently used by the U.S. Navy's Landing Craft Air Cushion class. An extensive measurement suite was integrated with the test platform. The goal was to provide numerical modelers a data set with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to validate their models of the experiment and, where appropriate, to develop new analytic models. The results of this effort demonstrate a feasible system for investigating surface effect ship seal physics within a large free surface water channel.