Calculating Fluid Dynamic Forces on a Towing Cable

In summary, calculating fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable involves understanding the properties of the fluid, such as density and viscosity, and the speed and direction of the fluid flow. The drag force acting on the cable can be determined by using the drag coefficient and the cross-sectional area of the cable. The lift force can also be calculated by considering the angle of attack and the lift coefficient of the cable. These forces can then be used to determine the overall force and stress on the towing cable, which is important for ensuring safe and efficient towing operations.
  • #1
Imurphy
8
0
I am trying to develop a calculator to approximate the depth of a trolling rig used by fisherman, which is typically a lead weight with a hook (jighead), attached to a single plastic/rubber shad body (http://www.tacklecoveshop.com/images/Product/icon/1734.jpg). The other typical rig is a jig/shad setup with an array of unweighted shad bodies running radially from a single weighted lure (http://www.texstackle.com/merchant/2209/images/large/umbrellas.JPG). There is some empirical studies already which are a good reference, but they are difficult to use when there are any deviations.

I'm trying to use some basic physics formulations without getting into naiver-stokes, flexibility/vibration considerations, etc., to get an accuracy around +/- 7.5% depth.

To solve this problem I'm breaking it down into:

Depth=(L*sin(θ)-Hrod)

Where L is the line length, Hrod is the height of the rod (start of line) above the water level and θ is the angle with respect to the water level.

θ=invtan (Fy/Fx)

Where Fy is the sum of forces in the y direction (weight - buoyancy), and Fx is the drag forces.

It is trivial to get Fy for just the lure, and approximating the drag as a lead sphere is also pretty easy. I may be able to solve for Cd of these lures from the data I have. Although the tail of the shad body oscillates, we should be able to add in a drag/weight/buoyancy for any N shad bodies with some accuracy. With these considerations we get a constant angle independent of line length. The next step is to approximate the weight and drag of the line to add in the decrease in θ as line length increases. This is where it gets tricky. I started off trying to approximate the line as a rigid cylinder but the issue is that the area used to find drag length of line in the water for buoyancy are both dependent of the angle θ. Is there a simple way to iterate this to get the steady state angle that I'm not thinking of? Or can anyone explain to me how to properly find the forces on the line that will add to the total system?

I found this Thesis, but unfortunately I'm not a fluids guy so its hard to get much usefulness from it.

Also, can anyone see anything I may be overlooking with the problem?

Thanks to anyone willing to help, I've been slowly looking into this problems for at least a year.
 
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  • #2
Can you provide a diagram of what you're trying to figure out? I'm not clear on what you want to know. It seems you are asking how to calculate the depth of the "rig" on the end of a cable/line that is being dragged through the water; is that correct?

CS
 
  • #3
Diagram Attached. Hope that helps. I'm looking for Fy,line and Fx,line from Fluid forces, for solving for the Depth of the rig/lure. I'm right now trying to approximate viscous drag and form drag on the line. As you can image, these forces increase as more line is in the water, which typically reduces angle θ. The angle is used to calculate the drag so there arises a paradigm. I was attempting to supply a predetermined angle (say for L=50' theta is 30 and L=100' theta is 20 degrees) to solve for the fluid forces but there are obviously some accuracy issues with that.

Thanks,
Imurphy
 

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  • #4
Could it be related to this thread?

OP cites "intellectual property concerns" as a reason to be cagey about details.
What is the IP policy for PF?
 

1. How do you calculate fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable?

The fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable can be calculated using the equation F = 0.5 * ρ * v^2 * Cd * A, where F is the force, ρ is the density of the fluid, v is the velocity of the fluid, Cd is the drag coefficient, and A is the cross-sectional area of the cable.

2. What factors affect fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable?

The fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable are affected by the speed of the towing vessel, the density and viscosity of the fluid, the shape and size of the cable, and the angle of the cable relative to the direction of fluid flow.

3. How does the angle of the towing cable affect fluid dynamic forces?

The angle of the towing cable relative to the direction of fluid flow can significantly affect the fluid dynamic forces. At an angle of 90 degrees, the force will be at its maximum, while at 0 degrees (parallel to the flow), there will be no force. This is due to the change in the effective cross-sectional area of the cable as the angle changes.

4. Can fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable be reduced?

Yes, there are several ways to reduce fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable. These include using a more streamlined cable shape, reducing the angle of the cable, and using materials with lower drag coefficients. Additionally, reducing the speed of the towing vessel can also decrease the fluid dynamic forces.

5. How are fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable used in engineering applications?

Fluid dynamic forces on a towing cable are important to consider in various engineering applications, such as designing marine vessels, offshore structures, and subsea equipment. Understanding these forces can help engineers optimize the design and operation of these systems to ensure safety and efficiency.

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