Kongsberg Maritime’s Hydrodynamic Research Centre

Over 50 years of testing, research, and design on the hydrodynamics of propellers, waterjets, and hulls

Kongsberg Maritime is the only marine propulsion company with a dedicated, in-house hydrodynamic testing facility and research centre – the Hydrodynamic Research Centre (HRC) – which combines CFD and model tank testing for unmatched results

Take a look inside the Kongsberg Hydrodynamic Research Centre

Attaining perfection in propellers

The work carried out by the HRC allows us to offer our clients unmatched precision and efficiency for all propulsion units. Each unit has been designed, tested, and refined to achieve the toughest performance standards. Our clients’ vessels therefore enjoy advantages in efficiency, propulsion power, bollard pull, underwater noise minimisation, and manoeuvrability.

Propulsion performance analysis

Our engineers at the HRC work with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, but they can also conduct real-world tests on scale models of new designs. This combination of computational analysis and practical analysis allows us to provide validated solutions to new designs that may be beyond the ability of computer systems alone. 

All of our propulsion solutions have been developed and tested over time, creating one of the best product portfolios in propellers, waterjets, thrusters, and rudders. 

Cavitation tunnel testing

The HRC is equipped with two cavitation tunnels, one free-surface and one conventional tunnel, giving us the unique ability to combine in-house experimental testing and numerical simulations for both submerged and semi-submerged propellers.