U.S. Navy Tests Warships in a 12-Million Gallon Indoor Ocean
Sunday, Sep 28, 2014
Before the Navy plunks down billions on new ships, it tests how they float in 12-million gallon indoor ocean.
Inside the football field-sized basin, scaled-down fiberglass models – about the size of a canoe – feel the wrath of the ocean.
Equipped with 216 electronically controlled wave boards, it precisely simulates the conditions of all seven seas – from calm to typhoon-like.
Floating isn’t the only test on deck at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, either. How do ships hold up under pressure with a full tank versus running on empty? Can sailors handle their duties without losing their lunch?
These are the questions Naval engineers hope to answer in about six weeks of trials per vessel.
Production time? Not so fast. According to Smithsonian Mag, a recently tested submarine won’t hit the high seas until 2031. And when that time comes, we’ll be standing by dockside with the toughest casters on the planet.