Canoe paddles have been in continuous use for thousands of years. Over that period, the paddle has remained virtually unchanged in basic form and materials. Today, paddles are produced in many different designs by a large number of manufacturers. Prominent within the many factors differentiating the best paddles from the worst is their propensity to resonate during use. This resonance has been so prevalent historically that it has been given its own name: a paddle’s song. The major drawback with paddle resonance is that it is accompanied with the penalty of increased fluid resistance. Paddle manufacturers have long tried to reduce or eliminate paddle resonance, but it is still recognized by paddlers as a significant factor in choosing an optimal paddle. This study examined canoe paddle resonance in laboratory, open water, and computer modelling environments. The goal was to investigate the characteristics of this commonly occurring phenomenon and validate the techniques used in the modelling studies. The hypothesis tested in this paper is that by employing and comparing scientific measurement and modelling techniques it would prove possible to examine the relationship between physical paddle structure, fluid-based excitation, and resonance observed during paddle use. The obtained results indicated that the paddle being studied displayed a number of different characteristic resonance patterns or modes depending on the velocity of water flow over the blade. The results of the computer modelling studies on the resonance modes were found to be in good agreement with the observations made in laboratory and open water experiments.
The canoe paddle has immense cultural and historical significance. Recognized throughout the world, the paddle has remained largely unchanged since its inception thousands of years ago. A major characteristic of performance in a recreational canoe paddle, and one that distinguishes a good paddle from a bad one, involves its tendency to resonate during use. With paddle resonance comes increased fluid resistance and a less efficient stroke. This study compared resonance tendencies of two major types of recreational canoe paddles, the ottertail and voyageur styles, in stiff and flexible formats. Data was acquired during open water canoe use and canoe velocities up to 2.0 m/s During testing two 3-axis accelerometers were mounted on the shaft of the subject paddle. These accelerometers were then connected to onboard data collection instrumentation to record paddle resonance behaviour. Concurrent GPS-based canoe velocities were also recorded. The conventional J-stroke was used for all testing, and the canoe was repeatedly paddled between known points spaced approximately 100 m apart. Fluid driven resonance was observed at two specific phases of the J-stroke, the beginning of the control phase and the beginning of the recovery phase. The magnitude and characteristics of paddle resonance varied with the specific phase of the stroke, canoe paddle stiffness, style and velocity. The combination of these factors that resulted in the lowest paddle resonance of the combinations studied was a flexible ottertail style paddle, being paddled in the range of 1–1.8 m/s.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.