User talk:Vincecate/Tension circle house

Idea for 30 foot PVC model

The wall does not really need to be a wall shape. Could be sections that were round like a pipe. In fact, I could make a large scale model using PVC pipe for the outside flotation. For 30 foot diameter probably use 16 sections of 5 foot pipe each. Pipe diameter is probably between 6 inches and 1 foot. Can use 22.5 degree joints to hold the 16 pipe sections together. Could make smaller one with 8 sections and 45 degree elbows. Vincecate 04:17, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Putting in Youtube videos

Cool! I did not know how to do this. I have added the videos to my pages. I think we should remove that other page now. Vincecate 11:53, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Ok, i'll remove it. It's a MediaWiki extension, it won't work on Wikipedia. Joep 11:59, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Thanks much. Really makes the page better having the videos there. Vincecate 13:33, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Hanging

If the walls were much higher (or when the cables do not start on top of the walls but from poles on top of the walls), you could hang the house, leaving some room for it to move (instead of being hold in place with tight cables like in the video). Would that add to stability? Joep 12:24, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Not sure on that. Another idea is to make a big dome from the wall going up to the center and the house inside the top part of the dome. Then we might just need cables around the wall and no other cables. Vincecate 13:33, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Boat for comparison

Hi Vince,

I looked at the slow motion video, and though the waves are relatively huge the house itself seems to move a lot. I was wondering if in a next video you could place a normal (scaled) boat next to the experiment for comparison? Joep 15:35, 17 July 2008 (UTC)

With 1 foot waves I am simulating 25 foot waves for a full scale prototype. If I put a 1 foot toy boat it is sort of like a 25 foot boat in the real world. But a 25 foot boat should not be in 25 foot waves. I have been bringing a toy boat to the beach each day but really it would sink in these waves so I either need to find another toy boat or put some foam inside it before doing this. Vincecate 02:58, 19 July 2008 (UTC)

Influence by waves

I think the amount of movement up and down by the circle is influenced by the shape (profile) of the circle. A wide and flat circle (your PVC model) will follow the waves very quickly. A high and narrow circle (your wooden model) will not be as influenced by waves. The high wall might be more sensitive to being pushed sideways by waves though. And it will provide a better breakwater.--Vtoldude 15:45, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

A good point. Vincecate 16:03, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

Flexibility/Rigidity of plastic pipe

The plastic pipe seems rather too flexible to be able to span any greater distance. I think the circle needs to be quite rigid.--Vtoldude 15:45, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

This is a good concern. A larger diameter pipe is less flexible. If I bind 7 large pipes together (maybe 1 foot diameter each), it will be even stiffer. For some diameter tension circle it seems like there will be some size pipes where a group of them will be stiff enough to make it work. I could also put more and more strings so that the pipe needed to be stiff over a short distance. So I think it can be made to work. Vincecate 16:02, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

If the pipes flex and bend with the waves there might be fatigue problems in the long run. They might still be good for experimentation though.--Vtoldude 19:49, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

Yes. I think a bundle of pipe with all the ropes from the central column holding them in place really won't flex. But this is an issue. If I were a government agent deciding if this thing looked safe enough for tourists, I think I would feel a lot better if the circle were made out of steel or aluminum and filled with foam than made out of plastic and filled with foam. There is 2 and 3 foot metal pipe, some with threads even. So today I am thinking if we want to put tourists on it, metal might be the way to go.