Science Magazine wrote a hell of an article giving an in depth explanation of the fluid mechanics at work in Kelly Slater’s now famous wave pool. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
“The Surf Ranch, a rectangular pool that was originally an artificial water skiing lake. The hydrofoil—imagine a vertically oriented, curved, stubby airplane wing—sits in water a few meters deep. It’s attached to a contraption that’s the size of a few train cars and, with the help of more than 150 truck tires and cables, runs down a track for the length of the pool at up to 30 kilometers per hour. This creates a soliton that stands more than 2 meters tall. The pool’s bottom, which has the springy feel of a yoga mat, has different slopes in different parts, and the contours determine when and how the soliton breaks. The patents also describe “actuators” in the hydrofoil that make it possible to adjust the size and shape of the wave to suit different skill levels.”
….seriously if you like to get rad and have a scientific mind THIS ARTICLE is going to light you up.
***READ FULL ARTICLE HERE***
***READ FULL ARTICLE HERE***
***READ FULL ARTICLE HERE***
[images from sciencemag.org]