INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS PUBLISHING MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Meas. Sci. Technol. 16 (2005) 1701–1709 doi:10.1088/0957-0233/16/9/001 High Reynolds number experimentation in the US Navy’s William B Morgan Large Cavitation Channel Robert J Etter 1 , J Michael Cutbirth 2 , Steven L Ceccio 3 , David R Dowling 3 and Marc Perlin 4 1 Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, 9500 MacArthur Boulevard, West Bethesda, MD 20817, USA 2 Naval Surface Warfare Center Memphis Detachment, 2700 Channel Avenue, Memphis, TN 38113, USA 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA 4 Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA Received 30 September 2004, in final form 13 April 2005 Published 25 July 2005 Online at stacks.iop.org/MST/16/1701 Abstract The William B Morgan Large Cavitation Channel (LCC) is a large variable-pressure closed-loop water tunnel that has been operated by the US Navy in Memphis, TN, USA, since 1991. This facility is well designed for a wide variety of hydrodynamic and hydroacoustic tests. Its overall size and capabilities allow test-model Reynolds numbers to approach, or even achieve, those of full-scale air- or water-borne transportation systems. This paper describes the facility along with some novel implementations of measurement techniques that have been successfully utilized there. In addition, highlights are presented from past test programmes involving (i) cavitation, (ii) near-zero pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers, (iii) the near-wake flow characteristics of a two-dimensional hydrofoil and (iv) a full-scale research torpedo. Keywords: flow testing at high pressure, high temperature, high Reynolds number (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version) 1. Introduction This paper describes the William B Morgan Large Cavitation Channel (LCC) and some of the attendant instrumentation that has been used there for high Reynolds number tests. It is intended to concisely convey the wide range of experimentation that is possible at high Reynolds numbers in the LCC. No single prior report on the LCC contains all the material presented here, and in addition, some new experimental results are provided to illustrate recent research conducted in the LCC. Plans for the LCC began in 1982 at the US Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC). From the beginning, it was designed to be sufficiently large so that Reynolds number scaling of model test results to full-scale devices or prototypes would either be unnecessary or at most would involve an extrapolation of only one order of magnitude or so. Approximately 10 years later, the facility was operational. After a decade of use, it was renamed on 27 April 2001, for retired NSWC engineer and hydrodynamicist, Dr William B Morgan, a leader in the effort to make this facility a reality. The LCC was designed to be a modern hydrodynamic and hydroacoustic test facility (Etter and Wilson 1992, Etter 2001). Although its size makes it unique, it also combines much of the best water tunnel engineering available and has the necessary supporting and auxiliary systems for testing complete powered hull–propulsor–appendage systems. Furthermore, the LCC’s main drive system, turning vanes, flow management section 0957-0233/05/091701+09$30.00 © 2005 IOP Publishing Ltd Printed in the UK 1701