Richmond Field Station
Physical Model Test Facility
A College of Engineering towing and wave tank used for undergraduate and graduate education, research, and commercial work.
The Physical Model Test Facility at Richmond Field Station is a College of Engineering facility. Associate Professor Simo Mäkiharju is the facility's director (since 2024, after serving as co-director from 2017 alongside Professor Ömer Savaş). If you are interested in testing at the facility, contact the director.
Key specifications
- Tank: 2.40 m wide × 1.80 m deep × 64 m long, with observation pit
- Manned carriage: maximum speed 1.75 m/s
- Unmanned carriage: maximum speed 8 m/s — up to 12 m/s achievable for some tests
- Wave maker: O(10 cm) amplitude waves at up to O(1 Hz)
- Model-building and electrical shop rooms providing workspace to students
