Engineering Consultants to the Maritime Sector and Fluid Dynamics Experts
The Wolfson Unit has provided testing and consultancy for ventures in the maritime engineering, naval architecture, yacht design, offshore, sports, aerospace and defence industries since 1967.
Our role is to provide bespoke engineering consultancy with access to world class experimental facilities and simulation tools so that you can progress your project, fast.
Why choose Wolfson?
Our Services
Explore our comprehensive marine technology and industrial aerodynamic services to find out how we can enhance your next project.
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Model Basin and Towing Tank Testing
Traditional towing tank experiments, flow visualisation and analysis, wake surveys as well as bespoke tests for the offshore and renewables sector.
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Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
We have extensive CFD capabilities which complement the experimental testing and other services we provide, offering a cost and time effective solution to hydrodynamic design studies.
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Wind Tunnel Testing
The Wolfson Unit offers several wind tunnel experiment services including: measurement of aerodynamic forces and moments, flow visualisation and other measurement techniques (e.g. LDA and PIV).
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Wind Assisted Shipping
Tailored packages to test and evaluate wind assisted technologies.
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Marine Consultancy
Stability booklets, inclining experiments, ship powering, propeller sizing, yacht performance prediction, hull lines measurement and ships lines generation.
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Full Scale Trials and Instrumentation
Measurements of vessel while completing sea trials. 6 axis motions, forces, moments, accelerations, temperatures, pressures, and engine data.
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Product Development
Dynamometers, custom force and torque sensors, electro-mechanical systems and outboard thrust meters.
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Vessel Safety
Stability assessments, model testing and research, accident investigation, safety guidance and the Wolfson method.
Take a look at our software
Who we work with
Our Facilities
Our location on the south coast of England gives us easy access to some world leading facilities. Using state of the art, research level equipment, we deliver exceptional results for our customers.
Model Basins
Towing Tanks and Ocean Basins for model ships and offshore structure testing.
Wind Tunnels
We use Wind Tunnels to test the aerodynamic performance of models.
CFD Capability
The powerful Iridis Super Computer enables us to conduct complex analyses.
“The Wolfson Unit have carried out tank testing and wind tunnel work on the majority of our designs over the past 20 years, with Aquel being the first Superyacht in 1985. We have an excellent relationship with the Wolfson Unit and would not hesitate to recommend them.”
Malcolm McKeon
Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design
The latest from the Wolfson Unit
See more of our projects and insight on our Linkedin
Excitement around the Louis Vuitton Cup
The Wolfson Unit MTIA are watching the Louis Vuitton Cup and the AC 75’s with interest, observing the various aerodynamic and hydrodynamic developments. The sails and aerodynamic detailing have clearly been subjected to detailed development using CFD , with wind tunnel testing not allowed under the current protocol.
The Unit has supplied CFD expertise and modelling capabilities to two of the teams in this campaign, as well as having worked with many others in the past. In addition, we have a strong link to North Sails providing a turnkey CFD system to their designers for the past 15 years.
Introducing Hullscant Multihull
The Wolfson Unit has recently launched a multihull module to its popular Hullscant structural scantlings software package. Where the original Hullscant module assessed against the 12215-5 :2019 ISO standard, this new module assesses against the 12215-7:2020 ISO standard, covering sailing and motor multihulls.
Early sales show there is definitely a demand for software covering part 7 of the standard, with the software speeding up the process of going from hull surface files with defined panels to structural assessment for the Recreational Craft Directive, this is supported by various notified bodies that accept Hullscant files directly as part of the certification process.
Hullscant modules for other parts of ISO12215 are in software development, so there are more to follow.
If you are interested in multihull or other modules please find info at: Hull and Scantlings Design
Or contact us at wumtia@soton.ac.uk
