This investigation focused on the significant issue of energy loss in competitive rowing, where estimates of power losses at the blades were in the order of 20–30% of the rower’s power output, due to hydrodynamic inefficiencies, primarily caused by cavitation and turbulence. This project aims to identify key design factors that will improve energy transfer from the oar to the water, thereby enhancing propulsion efficiency and reducing fatigue in the athlete. An experimental station was engineered to provide precise, linear motion of various blade designs through water, with a pressure sensor quantifying force output. This was complemented by high-speed videography using food dye to visualize vortex formation. Advanced computational fluid dynamics simulation software - Flow 3D - is used to analyze the cavitation and turbulence. The simulation could provide details of pressure distribution and flow patterns which are difficult to observe in empirical experiments. The conclusion is delivered through a comparative analysis of both quantitative force data and qualitative flow visualizations. The findings demonstrate that a simulated blade geometry fundamentally overperforms simple shapes by maintaining superior flow attachment, is better at holding water to withstand a stable pressure distribution throughout the stroke. The project successfully connected the theoretical part of hydrodynamics with practical engineering applications, which provided valuable insights for the development of the majority of the rowing community.

Chen Zhuo. Exploring the Control of Paddle Cavitation and Vortex. Academic Journal of Engineering and Technology Science (2025), Vol. 8, Issue 5: 49-58. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJETS.2025.080507.

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