Re: [Paddlewise] Paddle tests

From: Michael Daly <mikedaly_at_magma.ca>
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 01:23:05 -0400
On 22 Oct 2004 at 20:40, John Winters wrote:

> You and I both. Bruce Winterbon talked to a fellow physicist who
> figured out a way of doing it that made sense but neither Bruce nor I
> had time to develop the device. Basically it measured the net force
> and its direction acting on the boat and recorded it through out the
> stroke. The seat "floated on sensors in the boat. Sounded good to me
> but maybe some one knows why it would not have worked and will make me
> feel good about not trying it.

If you make a seat-and-footpeg frame and mount it on three supports 
(statically determinate), then put appropriate strain gauges on the 
supports, you could measure the net direction of all forces and 
moments on the kayak due to the paddler.  This would even allow for 
leg power.  With appropriately stiff supports, the paddler would not 
even feel the difference between this and a normal kayak.

However, this would not give much info on the paddle itself.  You'd 
still need to measure its position in time.  With the position of the 
paddle relative to the kayak and the forces on the kayak, you could 
deduce the forces in the paddle at some point (e.g. centroid of 
submerged area - assuming calm water).  Integrating over displacement 
would yield work done.  

Mike
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Received on Wed Sep 22 2004 - 22:20:23 PDT

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