Recently HMB completed an interesting project at the Australian Maritime College’s Hydrodynamics Centre. The facility consists of a 105 metre long towing tank holding 500,000 litres of water with a carriage running along train rails either side of the tank. Experimental scale models of ships are towed along the tank through the water by the carriage in an attempt to simulate conditions found at sea.

The process allows designers to refi ne the design of the hull of a ship and obtain accurate data in relation to its performance before production of the full-scale vessel is commenced. The facility has also been used to test such things as semi-submersible oil platforms. Key to the success of the test facility is the reliable transfer of power to the carriage.

With this in mind the Wampfl er 831 conductor rail system was chosen for it’s compact design, ease of installation and robustness. The 831 system with its compact multi-pole design and in this case 100A copper rail was deemed ideal for the application and environment.

The principle electrical contractor on the project was Russell Smith Electrical and according to the project manager, Chris Jones “the Wampfler product exceeded expectations in relation to ease of installation and we were also impressed with the compact design of the 831 system”. So the next time you see a ship passing on the
horizon, it’s possible that Wampfl er product played a part in its design.