Numerical methods for the design of rowing boats

 

The dynamics of competition rowing boats is a complex fluid structure interaction phenomena where the complex dynamics of the rower-boat system interact with free surface flow.

Energy is dissipated non only by viscous and wave drag forces but also by the surface waves radiated  from the boat because of the strong acceleration and deceleration it experiences at every rowing cycle. Indeed, the weight of the rowers greatly exceeds that of the boats, inducing strong periodic inertial forces. In collaboration with an Italian manufactured of competition rowing boats we have developed an integrated system able to analyse boat performance for a given configuration and characteristic of the athletes.

 

L. Formaggia, E. Miglio, A. Mola and A. Montano, A model for the dynamics of rowing boats. Int. J. Numer. Meth. Fluids, 61(2):119-143, 2009
L. Formaggia, A. Mola. N. Parolini and M. Pischiutta. A three-dimensional model for the dynamics and hydrodynamics of rowing boats. Journal of Sport Engineering and Technology, 224(1):51-61, 2010.
L. Tamellini, L. Formaggia, E.Miglio and A. Scotti. An Uzawa iterative scheme for the simulation of floating boats. Computers and Fluid, 68:148-158, 2012
A. Mola, M. Ghommem, M.R. Hajj, Multi-physics modeling and sensitivity analysis of olympic rowing boat dynamics, Sports Engineering, 14(2-4):85-94, 2011