The Hydrodynamic Experiences Center of El Pardo was created in 1928 by the Spanish Navy and is dedicated to research and experimentation in the field of hydrodynamics, mainly in the field of shipbuilding. Its functions are based on optimizing the operating conditions of ships in order to increase their safety, by optimizing fuel consumption and improving navigability conditions.   

It has a calm water channel, a cavitation tunnel and a ship dynamics laboratory.

Main features

The canal of calm waters has dimensions of 320 meters long, 12.5 meters wide and 6.5 meters deep. It allows speeds of up to 10m/s with maximum acceleration of 1 m/s² and has a software that allows to set the speed profile of the test automatically. It is designed for the performance of resistance, propulsion, open water, wake measurement and current line visualization tests. The cavitation tunnel allows to optimize the design of propellers by checking and studying the generation of cavitation, the risk of erosion, the pressure fluctuations and the noise production inherent to cavitation. The Vessel Dynamics Laboratory has modern wave generation technology and instrumentation for testing the movements of ships, offshore platforms and floating devices in waves and wind. This laboratory has a canal of 150 m long, 30 m wide and 5 m deep which at one of its ends has a square of 10 m of side with an additional 5 m deep (total depth 10 m) and a wave generator.