Indian Institute of Technology Madras has launched a state-of-the-art Circulating Water Tunnel facility at its satellite campus, Discovery, in Thaiyur near Chennai, with funding support from Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.
The advanced ocean engineering research facility has been constructed with ₹4.5 crore in Corporate Social Responsibility funding from Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), a Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking.
The facility is now fully operational, according to the statement.
The hybrid wind and circulating water channel facility was inaugurated in the presence of IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti and Capt. Jagmohan, IN (Retd), Chairman and Managing Director of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, along with senior officials and stakeholders from both organisations.
The facility will provide a stable, uniform-flow test section for advanced hydrodynamic investigations involving ship models, propellers and bluff bodies.
It will support experimental studies related to marine vehicles, offshore systems, underwater structures and fluid dynamics.
The facility is also expected to strengthen research and training capabilities in the Department of Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras.
Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean of Alumni and Corporate Relations at IIT Madras, said the facility will strengthen technology development in ocean engineering and create valuable research opportunities.
Capt. Jagmohan said such academic collaborations are important for accelerating indigenous capabilities and advancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the maritime sector.
The launch also opens the possibility of wider collaboration between IIT Madras and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in advanced maritime and naval engineering research.
The two institutions are exploring future collaborations, including the large-scale HYDRA Centre featuring a 500-metre towing tank.
They are also looking at research on indigenous high-efficiency subzero refrigeration systems for naval submarines.
The facility is expected to support India’s maritime research ecosystem by enabling advanced testing and training in areas linked to ship design, underwater systems and offshore engineering.
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