https://www.electrifying.collopy.net/files/original/45f38d56beef2705d9e125353ef075de.pdf 66f9e74a97e3ed583785ec0061a5052e Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technical Report on Hydraulic Machinery Laboratory Description An account of the resource In 1933, the greater Los Angeles region saw renewed interest in hydraulics as a source of energy and began laying the foundations for a modern Western water–energy infrastructure. Drawing on a lifelong interest in hydraulics, Theodore von Kármán championed the creation of a hydraulics program at Caltech, arguing it would hold “a unique position in this country and almost in the whole world” (Boronkay, 1985). The document shown here is a technical report describing the establishment and early work of the Cooperative Hydraulic Machinery Laboratory (informally known as the Caltech pump lab), a joint research facility created by Caltech and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. In November 1933 the two organizations signed a three-year agreement to design and build the laboratory, which was completed in August 1934 and soon placed into continuous operation. At the time, the laboratory’s primary engineering challenge was addressing problems faced by District engineers in the design of pumping plants for the Colorado River Aqueduct. The aqueduct was planned to deliver roughly 1,600 cubic feet of water per second across nearly 300 miles from the Colorado River to Southern California municipalities. To reach the Los Angeles basin, the water would need to be lifted nearly 1,700 feet, requiring approximately 350,000 horsepower—making it the largest pumping project in existence at the time (Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, n.d.). Under the supervision of von Kármán, R. L. Daugherty, and R. T. Knapp, the laboratory conducted pump studies and precision model tests to guide the aqueduct’s engineering design. Von Kármán himself played a central role in shaping the laboratory’s direction and work and was marked as an irascible personality within the team (Housner, 1984). WORKS CITED: Boronkay, C. (1985). The sleeping giant must stir. Focus on Water, no. 3. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Housner, G. W. (1984, July 2, 3, & 11). Interview [Interview]. Conducted by R. Prud'homme. Oral History Project, California Institute of Technology Archives.<a href="http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechOH:OH_Housner_G"> http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechOH:OH_Housner_G</a> Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. (n.d.). Colorado River Aqueduct virtual tour. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from<a href="https://www1.mwdh2o.com/vr-tours/CRA.html?appid=a5e959ec1c544e1cbeaf63d6ecd56128"> https://www1.mwdh2o.com/vr-tours/CRA.html?appid=a5e959ec1c544e1cbeaf63d6ecd56128</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Report on Hydraulic Machinery Laboratory, Box: 107, Folder: 10. Theodore von Kármán Papers, 10143-MS. Caltech Archives and Special Collections. https://collections.archives.caltech.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/46089 Accessed March 17, 2026. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Caltech Archives and Special Collections Repository 1200 East California Blvd. MC B215-74 Pasadena California 91125 United States of America Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1933 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Technical Report, Physical Document