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It's a Drag

CSEF · 2005 Aerodynamics/ Hydrodynamics

Christine Dempster, Heather Kroll, Elizabeth Leire · La Reina High School, Thousand Oaks

Overview

Objectives/Goals By exploring the characteristics of the different materials that may compose a ship's hull, this experiment seeks to find that material which creates the least amount of friction with water. By decreasing this friction or drag, it is possible in the long run to increase boat speed and reduce energy cost. The more efficient the material of the hull is, the more cost effective the vessel. Methods/Materials The first steop in the process was to build the frame of the stand, which would hold the test pipes of each material. This stand included a socket to place each test strip, legs that could angle the ramp to exactly 30 degrees, and a reservoir overhead to accurately and uniformly drop the water on each bar of material for every test. Water would then be let out of the reservoir, ignite the start clockk, travel down the ramp, and set off the stop clock to reveal a length of time unique to each material and test. This process was repeated 12 times for each of the 8 material (polyurethane-coated aluminum, naval bronze, aluminum, copper, plastic, steel, scratched plastic and welded steel). The result was a collection of data that, when averaged for each pipe material, would provide a comparison chart of times identifying which materials created the least amounts of friction with the water and which were the most consistent Results Averages of times for all materials seconds: Aluminum-Polyurethane- 4. 598; Naval Bronze-2.266; Aluminum-3.225; Copper-2.239; PVC-2.467; Steel-2.536; PVC-keyed-3.594; Welded steel-3.655. Standard Deviation of all Materials: Aluminum-Polyurethane-.991; Naval Bronze-.369; Aluminum-.590; Copper-.358; PVC-.287; Steel-.430; PVC-Keyed-1.461; Welded Steel-.709. Conclusions/Discussion Copper proved to create the least amount of skin friction with the water because of its smooth and uniform surface. In addition, we observed that the test results of some materials were less consistent than others. The range of results for scratched PVC was the greatest while that of normal PVC was the smallest (most consistent). This revealed the great importance of not only the selection of material, but also each material's composition.

Summary statement

Our project is about friction and its relationship with the surface material and the material's composition on the hull of a ship

Help received

Friend helped cut the materials and orded the pipes, another friend helped wire the clocks

Competition history

  • CSEF 2005 Aerodynamics/ Hydrodynamics · Entry S0104

Resources

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