Water VISCOSITY

[Joe Warren]

The "sticky water" is really an issue called surface tension. The tension (ability of water molecules to stick together and stick on other things) is electical charges within the molecule. Many things can either enhance this ability or degrade it such as disolved minerals, temperature, other pollutants. If someone had an Ohm meter that would read small enough, the resistance for specific lakes could be measured and a correlation set up for the strength or weakness of that resistance and then how it relates to the surface tension.On the other hand, if this hobby were to get that scientific, I certainly would hope the purse money be proportional!

Cabin feaver shows itself in all sorts of ways!

I will admit I definately noticed a difference in the water tension at Seville OH during the 07 internats. the water seemed to stick like glue.

gh

Yes when we must Ohm the water before we launch, Cabin fever has arrived....... Maybe just a Good Spray of nitro in the face from a Twin would help at this point?? :lol:

Joe

Maybe you could just come on down to Fl. for a weekend and play in the Sun and NITRO

Walt Barney

Good Luck @ the Winter Nats Walt if you are attending...... Just work for me right now. I dont get to play untill April... Are you attending Atlanta?

 

[Bill-SOCAL]

Probably more information than you really want, but this is an interesting topic. It's come up lately on a couple of other forums as well. Viscosity is likely the best parameter that we have to understand how our boats interact with the medium in which they operate. Here's a good reference on the important types of viscosity (yes, there are nore than one):

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/dynamic-...sity-d_412.html

 

[Walt Barney]

The "sticky water" is really an issue called surface tension. The tension (ability of water molecules to stick together and stick on other things) is electical charges within the molecule. Many things can either enhance this ability or degrade it such as disolved minerals, temperature, other pollutants. If someone had an Ohm meter that would read small enough, the resistance for specific lakes could be measured and a correlation set up for the strength or weakness of that resistance and then how it relates to the surface tension.On the other hand, if this hobby were to get that scientific, I certainly would hope the purse money be proportional!

Cabin feaver shows itself in all sorts of ways!

I will admit I definately noticed a difference in the water tension at Seville OH during the 07 internats. the water seemed to stick like glue.

gh

Yes when we must Ohm the water before we launch, Cabin fever has arrived....... Maybe just a Good Spray of nitro in the face from a Twin would help at this point?? :lol:

Joe

Maybe you could just come on down to Fl. for a weekend and play in the Sun and NITRO

Walt Barney

Good Luck @ the Winter Nats Walt if you are attending...... Just work for me right now. I dont get to play untill April... Are you attending Atlanta?

Joe,

Could not make the winter nat's to many things to take care of 1st. Will be Running in Brandon on the 2ed of Feb. to see how every thing runs and then in March again in Tampa.

I WILL BE IN ATLANTA!!!!!!!!!!

Walt Barney

 

[Andy Greene]

The "sticky water" is really an issue called surface tension. The tension (ability of water molecules to stick together and stick on other things) is electical charges within the molecule. Many things can either enhance this ability or degrade it such as disolved minerals, temperature, other pollutants. If someone had an Ohm meter that would read small enough, the resistance for specific lakes could be measured and a correlation set up for the strength or weakness of that resistance and then how it relates to the surface tension.On the other hand, if this hobby were to get that scientific, I certainly would hope the purse money be proportional!

Cabin feaver shows itself in all sorts of ways!

I will admit I definately noticed a difference in the water tension at Seville OH during the 07 internats. the water seemed to stick like glue.

gh

Yes when we must Ohm the water before we launch, Cabin fever has arrived....... Maybe just a Good Spray of nitro in the face from a Twin would help at this point?? :lol:

Joe

Maybe you could just come on down to Fl. for a weekend and play in the Sun and NITRO

Walt Barney

Good Luck @ the Winter Nats Walt if you are attending...... Just work for me right now. I dont get to play untill April... Are you attending Atlanta?

Joe,

Could not make the winter nat's to many things to take care of 1st. Will be Running in Brandon on the 2ed of Feb. to see how every thing runs and then in March again in Tampa.

I WILL BE IN ATLANTA!!!!!!!!!!

Walt Barney

Walt, look forward to seeing you at one of those 2 races , it's been a while.

Andy

 

[Rick Doane]

The "sticky water" is really an issue called surface tension. The tension (ability of water molecules to stick together and stick on other things) is electical charges within the molecule. Many things can either enhance this ability or degrade it such as disolved minerals, temperature, other pollutants. If someone had an Ohm meter that would read small enough, the resistance for specific lakes could be measured and a correlation set up for the strength or weakness of that resistance and then how it relates to the surface tension.On the other hand, if this hobby were to get that scientific, I certainly would hope the purse money be proportional!

Cabin feaver shows itself in all sorts of ways!

I will admit I definately noticed a difference in the water tension at Seville OH during the 07 internats. the water seemed to stick like glue.

gh

Greg is on the right track here. Surface tension is much more important than water density when running on fresh water.

Many things will effect surface tension. There are devices for measuring suface tension.

More surface tension will cause a prop to lift more because the surface is more difficult to pierce.

Boats will launch easier and run cleaner on high surface tension for the same basic reason.

Every pond is generally different. There are many different things that effect surface tension.

When it comes to set up, there is definately a "home court" advantage.

It's getting interesting now. Besides the TDS and TSS in the water, (Total Dissolved Solids and Total Suspended Solids) the surface tension is the unknown. All you have to do is spread some soap around the race course to relieve the surface tension. It does not take a lot. Send the retrieve boat around the course with some powdered Tide and see what happens. Maybe it will clean out your cooling system too!

Rick

 

[AndyBrown]

The "sticky water" is really an issue called surface tension. The tension (ability of water molecules to stick together and stick on other things) is electical charges within the molecule. Many things can either enhance this ability or degrade it such as disolved minerals, temperature, other pollutants. If someone had an Ohm meter that would read small enough, the resistance for specific lakes could be measured and a correlation set up for the strength or weakness of that resistance and then how it relates to the surface tension.On the other hand, if this hobby were to get that scientific, I certainly would hope the purse money be proportional!

Cabin feaver shows itself in all sorts of ways!

I will admit I definately noticed a difference in the water tension at Seville OH during the 07 internats. the water seemed to stick like glue.

gh

Greg is on the right track here. Surface tension is much more important than water density when running on fresh water.

Many things will effect surface tension. There are devices for measuring suface tension.

More surface tension will cause a prop to lift more because the surface is more difficult to pierce.

Boats will launch easier and run cleaner on high surface tension for the same basic reason.

Every pond is generally different. There are many different things that effect surface tension.

When it comes to set up, there is definately a "home court" advantage.

It's getting interesting now. Besides the TDS and TSS in the water, (Total Dissolved Solids and Total Suspended Solids) the surface tension is the unknown. All you have to do is spread some soap around the race course to relieve the surface tension. It does not take a lot. Send the retrieve boat around the course with some powdered Tide and see what happens. Maybe it will clean out your cooling system too!

Rick

Actually Rick a couple of laps with a twin will do the trick if you want to lower surface tension (but you really don't).

Oil reduces surface tension.

A certain amount of surface tension is required for wind to build ripples and waves.

Did you ever go to the practice pond alone....make a few laps with your boat then bring it back in.

After doing this on a day where there is a light breeze you can see small ripples on the pond everywhere except for the

big oval where you just made the laps. There, it is perfectly slick. This is where you just layed down a path of oil and it has

reduced the surface tension and the small ripples now will not form easily.

If the pond has had a lot of boats running on it you will not see this because the surface tension is already too low

for small ripples to form. You will only see larger ripples/waves from stronger winds.

High surface tension is faster.

Clean, cold water is faster too!! Hot, dirty "bathtub" water is slow!!

Electric guys!! Don't let the internal combustion guys mess up your "good" water at record trials!!

 

[mark voorhies]

Probably more information than you really want, but this is an interesting topic. It's come up lately on a couple of other forums as well. Viscosity is likely the best parameter that we have to understand how our boats interact with the medium in which they operate. Here's a good reference on the important types of viscosity (yes, there are nore than one):
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/dynamic-...sity-d_412.html

Thanks Bill,

Now I have even more info. that makes my brain hurt.

Dynamic, Absolute and Kinematic Viscosity

I know there is math and science here relating to our model boats, I

need much more time to figure it all out. Never a dead end on makin your

boat faster.