ScienceDaily (May 29, 2009) — The Mechanical Engineering Motorsports Center in the William States Lee College of Engineering will unveil the fifth largest and newest water tunnel in the United States, Friday, May 29. The tunnel has been under construction for more than a year, holds thousands of gallons of water and has taken more than 5,000 man hours to build to its current state. Weighing 57,000 pounds with approximately three-and-a-half miles of welded bead in the tunnel, the performance of UNC Charlotte’s water tunnel surpassed tunnels at the University of Minnesota and NASA Dryden. The tunnel features a 3 feet square by 10 feet long test section with thick glass surrounding the front, back and bottom to allow for laser measurements and easy viewing. Water tunnel research applications include the study of race car aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, aerospace experiments, submarine/surface vessel efficiency as well as sports applications including swimwear efficiency, baseball bat, golf club and cycling aerodynamics and environmental studies such as fish schooling and soil erosion.

Tags: of, leonardo da vinci paintings, leonardo de vinci, leonardo da vinci, sfumato-fumo, tunnel, famous artist, water