Update: Wave Tank Test Scheduled for Floating City Project

The study will assess whether the design we’re considering will be comfortable for residents in the floating marine environment where we plan to station the world’s first floating city. Our 50-meter-sided structures have been scaled down to 1.5 meters in the model. All other relevant dimensions are scaled down to match. The University of New Orleans towing tank is 30.8 M long, 4.6 M wide, and 2.4 M deep, with wave-making capabilities for 0.3m – 22m wavelength and a maximum 0.5m wave height. “Model basin testing dates back to William Froude and his work on ship hull forms in the latter half of the 1800s” Capitain explains. “By employing the physical testing methods of the model basin, systematic variation in vessel properties (displacement and weight placement) and environmental conditions (wave heights, lengths, and periods) are iterated, and their effects on vessel performance (speed, stability, seakeeping) are observed. This process directs the design towards a final product of improved performance. The cost savings and ease of property variation make the development of novel systems – such as the Seastead – more attainable, achieving an optimal platform or operational envelope in less time and for smaller budgets.”

Our pursuit of the Floating City Project and other endeavors is only possible with the generous support of the thousands of people who have donated to the Institute. If you want to see our vision become a reality, please make a donation today.

 

With much appreciation, Randolph Hencken, Executive Director