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Major Advance in Maritime Security and Technology Development: Re-Built and Upgraded Ocean Engineering Facility Reopens on Shore of Hudson River Across From Midtown

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 December 2006, 12:00 CST

HOBOKEN, N.J., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Maritime safety and security, environmental insight and design know-how will all take a major leap forward as Stevens Institute of Technology opens an expanded, state-of-the-art test facility to study the way ocean and harbor water interact with ships, shorelines, and monitoring and detection systems.

The Towing Tank at the Davidson Laboratory -- part of Stevens Center for Maritime Systems -- has been a major force in maritime research since it opened in 1944. It will re-open with a series of events December 11-13 after a 16-month expansion project that puts it in shape to meet today's most significant maritime challenges:

* Detecting attackers in ocean and harbor waters. * Protecting the shoreline from devastating storms and climate change. * Designing fast, stealthy ships for commerce, pleasure and national defense. Interviews and Photo Opportunities Available

To attend ceremonies, photograph or view the tank in action, meet with Stevens and/or other officials who will be putting the tank into action or to receive a schedule of events, please contact Adria Greenberg at Sommerfield Communications, Inc. at 212-255-8386 or adria@sommerfield.com

Meeting Today's Security and Environmental Challenges

Davidson Laboratory is located near the Hudson River shore in Hoboken, directly across the river from midtown Manhattan. "Today, we face critical challenges -- ranging from terrorist threats to natural disasters to the need to enhance trade and competitiveness through advanced technologies. All of those challenges have a bearing on - and will be met by - state-of-the-art maritime research. We will be better able to address those challenges with the knowledge created by the new tank, which will be the most advanced facility of its kind in the United States," said Hal Raveche, president of Stevens.

Bigger and Better

The recently completed renovations have significantly enhanced the facility's capabilities. The Towing Tank is now:

* 65 percent larger, so that it can test bigger models and more complex ocean behavior. * Equipped with better viewing areas to allow researchers to visualize the effects of water on hull forms and shorelines. * Outfitted with a new Planer Motion Mechanism, which simulates complex lateral wave movements against a hull that is moving forward, modeling the full complexity of interactions between a ship and the ocean.

The expansion and renovation was conducted with the help of funding from the U.S. Navy as well as a prestigious Department of Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) award. "The U.S. Navy and the Defense Department are vital partners of the laboratory, and we are pleased that we are able to contribute to security through our research," Dr. Bruno said.

Understanding the Ocean - and the "Urban Ocean"

According to Dr. Michael Bruno, director of the Davidson Laboratory, the Towing Tank plays a critical role in adding to our understanding of the ocean -- and of the "urban ocean," the complex urban port environment that is central to the economy and security. "We are in the early stages of mapping the way waters, tides and currents interact in an urban setting -- and what the implications are for detecting attacks and preventing environmental disasters," Dr. Bruno said. "Our research involves the deployment of sensor systems and extensive fieldwork - but the insight that can be generated in the controlled environment of the Towing Tank is invaluable."

"In an age of computer modeling, sometimes there's still no substitute for physical testing, and the Towing Tank allows us to conduct it with a high degree of accuracy," Dr. Bruno added.

Major Projects Underway The Towing Tank will be engaged in major projects, including: * Designing advanced multi-hull ships for the U.S. Navy. * Studying the impact of major coastal storms on the New Jersey shoreline -- in order to take steps to better protect it in the event of a Katrina-like hurricane. * Working with Team Oracle to make their fast racing yachts even faster. In the past, the Davidson Laboratory has contributed to the design of America's Cup racing yachts.

To attend any of the events on December 11-13, receive a schedule of events, or to schedule interviews or visits to the Davidson Laboratory, contact Adria Greenberg of Sommerfield Communications at 212-255-8386 or adria@sommerfield.com.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Established in 1870, Stevens offers baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science, management and technology management, as well as a baccalaureate in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. Located directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan, the university has enrollments of approximately 1,780 undergraduates and 2,700 graduate students, and a current enrollment of 2,250 online-learning students worldwide. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.Stevens.edu. For the latest news about Stevens, please visit www.StevensNewsService.com.

Stevens Institute of Technology

CONTACT: Adria Greenberg, Sommerfield Communications, Inc.,+1-212-255-8386, adria@sommerfield.com, for Stevens Institute of Technology

Web site: http://www.stevens.edu/http://www.stevensnewsservice.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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