Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Numerical modelling of rowing blade hydrodynamics

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sports Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The highly unsteady flow around a rowing blade in motion is examined using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model which accounts for the interaction of the blade with the free surface of the water. The model is validated using previous experimental results for quarter-scale blades held stationary near the surface in a water flume. Steady-state drag and lift coefficients from the quarter-scale blade flume simulation are compared to those from a simulation of the more realistic case of a full-scale blade in open water. The model is then modified to accommodate blade motion by simulating the unsteady motion of the rowing shell moving through the water, and the sweep of the oar blade with respect to the shell. Qualitatively, the motion of the free surface around the blade during a stroke shows a realistic agreement with the actual deformation encountered during rowing. Drag and lift coefficients calculated for the blade during a stroke show that the transient hydrodynamic behaviour of the blade in motion differs substantially from the stationary case.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Concept2 (2008) Choosing the right blade. http://www.concept2.com/us/oars/selection/blades/blades.asp. Accessed 28 Oct 2008

  2. Macrossan MN (2008) The direction of the water force on a rowing blade and its effect on efficiency. Mechanical Engineering report no. 2008/03. University of Queensland, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  3. Nolte V (1993) Do you need hatchets to chop your water? Am Rowing 25(4):23–26

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kleshnev V (1999) Propulsive efficiency of rowing. In: Sanders RH, Gibson NR (eds) Proceedings of the XVII International Symposium on Biomechanics in Sports. Perth, Australia, pp 224–228

    Google Scholar 

  5. Caplan N, Gardner TN (2007) A fluid dynamic investigation of the big blade and macon oar blade designs in rowing propulsion. J Sports Sci 25(6):643–650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Caplan N, Gardner TN (2007) Optimization of oar blade design for improved performance in rowing. J Sports Sci 25(13):1471–1478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Leroyer A, Barré S, Kobus JM, Visonneau M (2008) Experimental and numerical investigations of the flow around an oar blade. J Mar Sci Technol 13:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Hirt CW, Nicholls BD (1981) Volume of fluid (VOF) method for the dynamics of free surface boundaries. J Comput Phys 39:201–222

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. Gueyffier D, Li J, Nadim A, Scardovelli R, Zaleski S (1999) Volume-of-fluid interface tracking with smoothed surface stress methods for three-dimensional flows. J Comput Phys 152:423–456

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Menter FR (1994) Two-equation eddy-viscosity turbulence models for engineering applications. AIAA J 32(8):1598–1605

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Menter FR, Kuntz M, Langtry R (2003) Ten years of industrial experience with the SST turbulence model. In: Hanjalic K, Nagano Y, Tummers M (eds) Turbulence, heat and mass transfer 4. Begell House Inc, New York, pp 625–632

    Google Scholar 

  12. Jones WP, Launder BE (1972) The prediction of laminarization with a two-equation model of turbulence. Int J Heat Mass Transf 15:301–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Coppel A, Gardner T, Caplan N, Hargreaves D (2008) Numerical modelling of the flow around rowing oar blades. In: Estivalet M, Brisson P (eds) The Engineering of Sport 7. Springer, Paris, pp 353–361

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  14. Coppel A, Gardner TN, Caplan N, Hargreaves DM (2009) Simulating the fluid dynamic behaviour of oar blades in competition rowing. J Sports Eng and Technol (in press)

  15. Kleshnev V (2007) Rowing biomechanics newsletter (December). In: BioRow. http://www.biorow.com/RBN_en_2007_files/2007RowBiomNews12.pdf. Accessed 12 Nov 2008

  16. McCroskey WJ (1982) Unsteady airfoils. Ann Rev Fluid Mech 14:285–311

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kleshnev V (2009) Personal communication

  18. Atkinson WC (2007) Validating the ROWING model. In: Rowing computer research (or: how rowing really works). http://www.atkinsopht.com/row/validate.htm. Accessed 19 Nov 2008

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Ontario, L8S 4L8, Canada

    Andrew Sliasas & Stephen Tullis

Authors
  1. Andrew Sliasas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stephen Tullis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrew Sliasas.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sliasas, A., Tullis, S. Numerical modelling of rowing blade hydrodynamics. Sports Eng 12, 31–40 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-009-0026-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-009-0026-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation