Marine, Offshore and Subsea Technology Facilities

Models and workshop capabilities

We have dedicated workshops that provide maximum flexibility in setting up models, jigs, and fixtures, and adapting test programmes to suit client needs.

We are able to work with models provided by clients, but we can also draw on a range of highly skilled external model makers to manufacture models to client designs, ready for us to adapt to our test equipment.

Please contact us to discuss the options that are available.

Instrumentation

We offer a wide range of instrumentation, which we adapt to suit individual test scenarios. This includes:

• a range of load cells
• six axis devices
• vectrino 3D ultrasonic water sensors
• pitot tubes
• differential pressure sensors
• the Qualisys IR Tracking System

Contact

For further information, contact:

Weichao Shi
Reader, BEng, MEng, PhD, MRINA, FHEA
Net Zero Maritime Systems (Marine renewable energy and marine propulsion)
Tel: +44 0191 208 6722
Email: weichao.shi@newcastle.ac.uk

Upgrades

Recent upgrades include the installation of a state-of-the-art motor control system to enhance very slow speed and high-speed testing capabilities as well as the latest wavemaker control software.

A recent innovation is a modern telemetry system which allows data sampling without any wired connections between the carriage and shore-based equipment.

Specifications

• Tank length: 37 m
• Width: 3.7 m
• Water depth: 1.25 m
• Normal Carriage velocity: 3 m/s

Wave capability

• Period range: 0.5 - 2 Sec
• Wave height: 0.02 - 0.12m (period dependent)

Testing capabilities

The wind, wave, and current tank is capable of testing:

• wind loading on wet and dry structures
• resistance measurements
• seakeeping tests
• combined wind/wave/current interaction
• flow visualisation experiments

Specification

• Flume length: 11 m
• Width: 1.8 m
• Normal water depth: 1 m
• Air clearance: 1 m
• Central measurement section: 3 m
• Maximum water velocity: 1 m/s
• Maximum wind velocity: 20 m/s

Wave capability

• Spectra: Pierson-Moskowitz, JONSWAP, Bretschneider, Neumann
• Period range: 0.8 - 4sec
• Wave height: 0.02 - 0.12m (period dependent)

Specification

• Maximum water velocity: 13.4 m/s
• Maximum wall shear stress: 256 Pa
• Measurement section: 1500 x 292 x 20 mm
• Pump power rating: 15 kW
• Pump capacity: 90 litres/s at 10m head
• Operating temperature range: 28 °C to 3 °C
• Medium: fresh and salt water

Teaching

Each year students carry out experimental and practical projects in the laboratories. Teaching includes work relating to:

• marine diesel engine construction
• operation and performance assessment
• heat exchanger design
• exhaust gas emission measurement and analysis

The laboratory has a diesel engine test bed which has been adapted to operate using different fuels. This allows research into methods to improve engine efficiency, fuel consumption, and emissions.

Instrumentation

In addition to traditional instruments for engine tests, the Jones Laboratory has state-of-the-art portable engine emissions measurement equipment.

This equipment is capable of determining all kinds of species from the engine exhaust gases such as NO, NO₂, HC, CO, SO₂, CO₂, O₂.

Workshop capabilities

The laboratory is fully supported by marine, mechanical and electronic technicians. It has facilities for fabrication and machining to allow test rigs and prototype equipment creation in-house.

This provides the maximum flexibility and adapting test programmes to suit client needs.

Contact

For further information, contact Dr Weichao Shi at:

• Email: weichao.shi@newcastle.ac.uk
• Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6722

Historical resources

The Collection contains 318 linear metres of shelving (127m company documents, 191m technical publications) and the British Shipbuilding Database (BSD) of 80,000 UK-built merchant ships. Please download further details about our Historical Resources.

The Collection’s strength is that many of the company documents and some of the database’s ship information are unique. They are also supported by a wide range of associated technical publications in magazines, journals, textbooks, design rules, etc together with the subject expertise of our staff.

Opening hours and visiting

We welcome enquiries and visits from researchers and the general public, including individuals or groups for an informal tour and introduction to our range of resources.

The Collection can only accept visits made by appointment. To arrange an appointment e-mail marine.archive@ncl.ac.uk

Other times may be arranged, although we close on public holidays. All visits are by prior appointment only.

Please contact us to discuss your needs and/or to arrange your visit for a day and time that The Collection is open and to ensure that the materials you intend to consult are available. Identification is required.

Our expert staff offer a free advice service for simple, short enquiries only. Please download our example Enquiries Questions asked and questions searched for on the British Shipbuilding Database. Requests for more detailed research services will be considered case-by-case on a fee-paying basis.

Please download our Guidance for Visitors including handling, copying, photographing of materials, copyright, and our form Copying Declaration for Visitors.

Our team

Our staff are retired and have voluntary part-time appointments, including Doctor Ian Buxton a world-renowned expert on many aspects of shipbuilding and marine technology, and maritime history; compiler of the British Shipbuilding Database and the driving force for the establishment of The Collection.  In June 2021 Ian received the prestigious award of an M.B.E. for services to the preservation of British maritime history. Other staff volunteers are Richard Carter, Prof. George Bruce, Richard Holme.

Donors and funding

Newcastle University’s Marine Technology Special Collection is possible thanks to generous support from Alumni and others. Please download Donors and Funding.

Volunteering

We welcome applications from people with a keen interest in marine technology historical research, together with industrial work experience, or appropriate qualifications to work with us as volunteers to assist with cataloguing and developing our Special Collection.

Contact and location

Our collection is housed in the Armstrong Building on Newcastle University’s central campus. Please see our campus and city map for directions.

The Marine Technology Special Collection
Newcastle University
Armstrong Building (Room 3.32)
Queen Victoria Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
United Kingdom

Email: armstrong.reception@newcastle.ac.uk or  marine.archive@newcastle.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 6718 (Enquiries, School of Engineering, Armstrong Building) or +44 (0)191 208 3522 (MTSC)

Many are unique, including:

Company records including correspondence, ledgers, minutes of meetings. Company publicity brochures and catalogues (not unique).

• Photographs: of company activities and their ships.
• Plans: layout plans of ships, yards, works, machinery, and equipment.
• Trials: ship and marine engine trial records.
• Letterheads of marine businesses are included in many of the above materials.

Most of these materials are from industrial companies of shipbuilding, shipbreaking (The Collection has the largest and most complete shipbreaking collection in the UK), ship repairing, and marine-engine building companies.

See also Companies, Company histories, Marine Engineering, Shipbreaking, Shipbuilding and Ship repairing.

The Collection divides technical publications and shelves them by type, including:

• Periodicals: lists the Collections holdings including trade and industry magazines & research journals e.g. The Motor Ship, e.g. Trans RINA. Histories of each title with example pages are in:
• Periodicals Histories A
• Periodicals Histories I
• Periodicals Histories M
• Periodicals Histories N
• Periodicals Histories S
• Periodicals Histories V
• Books: mainly historical textbooks.
• Company Histories: books about the detailed history of individual companies.
• Statistical & Market Reports: e.g. LR World Fleet Statistics. Examples given in Statistical & Market Reports Examples.
• Rules and Regulations: including national and international laws, design standards, etc. E.g. GB Department of Trade; IMO. See also Classification Societies, Government.
• Ship Registers: ship register books are official lists “directories” of the world’s ships. Examples given in Ship Registers Examples. See also Classification Societies, Trade Directories.
• Trade Directories: lists of companies and organisations with their facilities, services, products, staff, and addresses. Examples given in Trade Directories Examples. See also Ship Registers.
• Bibliographies: lists of references and indexes on specific subjects.
• Biographies: books about the lives of individual famous people. See also People.
• Dictionaries: including English and other languages, and translating dictionaries.
• Maps & Almanacs: Including maps, charts, & almanacs.

The Collection has other finding aids, including:

• British Shipbuilding Database: an authoritative and uniquely detailed database of 80,000 British-built ships of the 19th and 20th century. See also Ships.
• Classification Societies: including ‘ship register books’ for ABS, CCS, BV, DNV, GL, LRS / LR, NKK, RI. See also Rules & Regulations, Ship Registers.
• Companies: including shipbuilders, shipbreakers, ship repairers, marine engine-builders:- British Shipbuilders. Hughes Bolckow. Middle Docks & Engineering. North Eastern Marine. Shipbreaking Industries Faslane. Swan Hunter. T. W. Ward of Sheffield. William Allan Scotia Engine Works. See also Marine Engineering, Shipbreaking, Shipbuilding, Ship repairing.
• Government: mainly Great Britain, Board of Trade. IMO (International Maritime Organisation). See also Rules & Regulations.
• Learned Societies: professional trade associations for people such as naval architects. Including IMarE, NECIES, RINA
• NECIES Index to Publications 1884-1993 (PDF: 2MB)
• Shipbreaking
• Naval Architecture
• People: specific famous people including naval architects Bocler, H.; Telfer, E. V. See also Biographies.
• Shipbuilding
• Shipping and Maritime
• Shiprepairing
• Ships: specific famous ships including Great Eastern; Majestic, Mauretania; Olympic; Turbinia. See also British Shipbuilding Database.

For further information, contact:

School of Engineering
Merz Court
Newcastle University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU

Phone: +44 (0) 191 208 2222

Email: business@ncl.ac.uk

Take a tour of the newly refurbished Cavitation Tunnel, relocated to its new home in Blyth.

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 The drive system is a four-bladed axial flow impeller with thruster control drive system.

Type 1 - Kempf & Remmers H33 propeller dynamometer

Type 2 - Kempf & Remmers R45 with vertical adjustable drive system

Suitable for placement inside of hull models.

Type

Bruel & Kjaer 8103 miniature hydrophone and associated instruments.

Location

In a water-filled, thick-walled steel cylinder placed on a 30mm Perspex window above a propeller.

The Tunnel allows us to conduct conventional and unconventional propeller performance tests, including shaft inclination in three axes.

This facility can host boundary layer and drag tests with flat planes, submersible bodies, and propellers with coating.

Propeller testing in simulated ice blocks.

The Tunnel is also used to test wake simulation using:

• wake screens
• flat plate pressure pulse measurements
• a dummy hull model (including hull surface pressure measurements)

We conduct cavitation and noise tests in uniform and non-uniform streams, and study tidal or current turbine performance.

Using this facility, you can measure and analyse flow using 3D LDA/PDA and stereoscopic PIV systems.

Load is also measured with submerged bodies.

Still and high-speed video cameras record the nature and extent of cavitation.