User:Vincecate/Todo

Some things I might get around to doing sometime:

Structure Modeling

I would like to do a wiki page on structure scaling issues as you scale up a model. Several different people have said they don't think my models scale up. I am sure they do. However, seasteaders really need a wiki page with general rules for structure modeling and scaling structure from models to prototypes. My grandfather was a civil engineer and told me some of the rules when I was like 12, but in 1 hour of searching with google I have not found the kinds of simple rules he talked about. Things like, "if you make a horizontal beam twice as thick top to bottom then it can carry 4 times the weight". If anyone knows of a URL or the right keywords to find such, please let me know. It seems like it should be "structure modeling" or "scaling rules" or something, but I have not found what I am looking for yet.

Note that this is a different issue from modeling wave action on a model. This is looking at things like when will a beam break and how different would it be in a full scale version from a model.

Couple of books I ordered:

Structural Modeling and Experimental Techniques (Mathematics and Its Applications. Statistics, Operational Re)- Gajanan M. Sabnis

Offshore Structure Modeling (Advanced Series on Ocean Engineering ; V. 9)- Subrata K. Chakrabarti

Measure Accelerations

I have a "G Data Logger" and have not used it on either models or a real boat yet. Could be good to quantify the accelerations so can compare to written sources for what Gs bother people.

Measure force to move models

Measure force needed to move models at 1/5 MPH and 2/5 MPH to simulate 1 and 2 MPH. Also thinking of measuring force to move one of the barrels for the 1/5th scale model to be able to estimate how fast a kite will make that model move.

Test tiling idea for WaterWalker

I could build several WaterWalkers and try connecting them together to verify the tiling plan. I ordered some extra foam balls and made a second WaterWalkers but kids played with the balls first and now they soak up water too fast. So have not done this yet. Need to order more balls again or paint the outside so they are water resistant again.

Villa Idea, propulsion

I think my next big step should be my floating villa idea. But I also think about ways to make that self propelled. With propulsion it is more of a real seastead and maybe I could go to nearby islands.

If the 3 floats each had some sort of keel we could do kite power. If the 3 floats were fixed we could steer by moving the kite attach point back and forth. Maybe near the edge but then have a bit of trouble going from left edge to right edge. Maybe along the top but then more tipping torque than we would like. Maybe down low on rope between the legs. For an experiment we could just have kite on me and me tied to the platform.

For production seasteads solar/electric propulsion is probably the way to go. It takes less work, should be more reliable, and is easier to imagine a retired couple operating. If we have 3 thrusters and they are on floats that can turn, the seastead should still be able to function even with 1 or 2 thrusters broken. So it should be possible to design a very reliable system. I would be fun to start experimenting with PropellerEfficiency but I am not sure the education is worth the cost. If I could get a big used propeller and make something it might be reasonable.