Founded in 1928 by the Spanish Navy, the El Pardo Centre for Hydrodynamic Research is dedicated to research and experimentation in the field of hydrodynamics, in particular shipbuilding. Its main functions include optimising the operating conditions of vessels with a view to increasing their safety by optimising fuel consumption and improving seaworthiness.

It has a calm water flume, a cavitation tunnel and a vessel dynamics laboratory.

Main features

The calm water flume is 320 metres long, 12.5 metres wide and 6.5 metres deep. It permits speeds of up to 10m/s with a maximum acceleration of 1 m/s² and is equipped with software that automatically sets the test velocity profile. It is designed to carry out drag, propulsion, open water, wake measurement and streamline visualisation tests. The cavitation tunnel helps to optimise propeller design by testing and studying cavitation generation, erosion risk, pressure fluctuations and noise production inherent to cavitation. The Ship Dynamics Laboratory is equipped with modern wave generation technology and instrumentation for testing the movements of ships, off-shore platforms and floating artefacts in waves and wind. It has a 150 m long, 30 m wide and 5 m deep flume with a square section at one end measuring 10 m on each side with an additional 5 m of depth (total depth 10 m) and a wave generator.