Alden Research Laboratory
Encyclopedia
Alden Research Laboratory, Inc. (Alden) (Holden, Massachusetts
) was founded in 1894 as part of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(WPI). It is the oldest continuously operating hydraulic laboratory
in the United States
. Today, as an independent entity, Alden has become a recognized leader in the field of fluid dynamics
research and development.
, and a 36" by 16" Herschel Venturi flow meter
from the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition
. These state of the art
instruments were used by students to conduct experiments on the efficiency of full sized turbines, measure flows and head loss, and test an hydraulic ram
. In 1908 a wooden rotating boom was constructed on one of the ponds on the property to test large hydraulic equipment including current meters. In 1911 it was replaced by a steel boom which was used for the same purpose and eventually to test airplane propellers; it is now an ASME Historic Landmark .
During the 1950s, the increase in power use demanded expansion of generation capacity and led to increased use of physical models for solving problems with circulating water systems, including the use of hydro-thermal modeling to meet water quality requirements. This need resulted in the construction of 10 large test sheds to house these models. Physical models were applied to various flow problems such as pump intakes, emergency core cooling sumps, riverine problems, etc.
Alden Research Laboratory today consists of over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of enclosed space located on the original 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) of land in Holden, MA. It has also expanded to include an office in Fort Collins, Colorado
.
.
(CFD) modeling are used.
laboratories with several weigh tanks with capacities from 1,000 to 100000 lb (45,359.2 kg).
Holden, Massachusetts
Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1741, and the Town Square was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts.The population was 17,346 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
) was founded in 1894 as part of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private university located in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the United States.Founded in 1865 in Worcester, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities...
(WPI). It is the oldest continuously operating hydraulic laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Today, as an independent entity, Alden has become a recognized leader in the field of fluid dynamics
Fluid dynamics
In physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
research and development.
Industrial Revolution
In light of the industrial revolution, the widespread use of water powered mills, and the need for higher and higher efficincies, Professor George I. Alden of WPI saw the need for a new lab. The Hydraulic Testing Lab at WPI was established in 1894 on the site of an old woolen mill donated to the institute by Stephen Salisbury III. It was the third of its kind in the US . The first two instruments obtained for the lab, a wooden framed structure only 90' by 40', were a copper-lined weigh tank on a Fairbanks scale from the Philadelphia Centennial ExpositionCentennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
, and a 36" by 16" Herschel Venturi flow meter
Venturi effect
The Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe. The Venturi effect is named after Giovanni Battista Venturi , an Italian physicist.-Background:...
from the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
. These state of the art
State of the art
The state of the art is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field, achieved at a particular time. It also refers to the level of development reached at any particular time as a result of the latest methodologies employed.- Origin :The earliest use of the term...
instruments were used by students to conduct experiments on the efficiency of full sized turbines, measure flows and head loss, and test an hydraulic ram
Hydraulic ram
A hydraulic ram, or hydram, is a cyclic water pump powered by hydropower. It functions as a hydraulic transformer that takes in water at one "hydraulic head" and flow-rate, and outputs water at a higher hydraulic-head and lower flow-rate...
. In 1908 a wooden rotating boom was constructed on one of the ponds on the property to test large hydraulic equipment including current meters. In 1911 it was replaced by a steel boom which was used for the same purpose and eventually to test airplane propellers; it is now an ASME Historic Landmark .
Mid-Century
Alden contributed to the war effort in the 1940s through studies of the physics of the entry of projectiles into water. Early high speed photography equipment was developed for use with strobe lights to document the effect of projectile shape on entry stability in large glass sided tanks.During the 1950s, the increase in power use demanded expansion of generation capacity and led to increased use of physical models for solving problems with circulating water systems, including the use of hydro-thermal modeling to meet water quality requirements. This need resulted in the construction of 10 large test sheds to house these models. Physical models were applied to various flow problems such as pump intakes, emergency core cooling sumps, riverine problems, etc.
Incorporation
In 1986 the Alden Hydraulic Lab became Alden Research Laboratory and was incorporated as an entity separate from WPI. Since that time Alden has added on to its original Hydraulic and Calibration Groups and formed its Environmental, Numeric, Air and Gas , and Field Service Groups.Alden Research Laboratory today consists of over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of enclosed space located on the original 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) of land in Holden, MA. It has also expanded to include an office in Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
.
Major Innovations
In recent history, Alden's team of engineers have worked on several influential projects including:- The design and testing of the Alden/NREC Fish Friendly Turbine
- And the writing of EPRI's "Wet Stack Design Guide"
Alden Today
Alden Research Laboratory today consists of over 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of enclosed space located on the original 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) of land in Holden, MA. It has also expanded to include an office in Fort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
.
Hydraulic Modeling
Alden's Hydraulic Modeling Group conducts model studies for hydropower intakes, flood and drainage canals, spillway discharge systems, water and waste water systems, industrial flow processes, ocean energy technologies, navigation models, and many other flow related projects. Both physical and computational fluid dynamicsComputational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...
(CFD) modeling are used.
Environmental
The Environmental Group at Alden evaluate fish protection technologies, alternative technologies, cooling water intake structures, upstream and downstream fish passage designs, hydroelectric entrainment and mortality, and aid in strategic planning for 316(b) compliance.Air and Gas Flow Modeling
The Air and Gas Modeling Group at Alden is responsible for modeling many aspects of fossil fueled power plants and air pollution control systems. This group also uses both physical and computational models.Numeric Modeling
Alden's Numeric Modeling Group solves many complex flow-related problems involving liquid and gas flows, hydraulic flows, heat and mass transfer, as well as particles and sprays.Calibration
Alden is the largest independent supplier of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable water flow meter calibrations in the United States. The facility has two calibrationCalibration
Calibration is a comparison between measurements – one of known magnitude or correctness made or set with one device and another measurement made in as similar a way as possible with a second device....
laboratories with several weigh tanks with capacities from 1,000 to 100000 lb (45,359.2 kg).