This project aimed to improve the performance of a power boat without increasing emissions. Our team designed a stepped hull to minimize wetted surface area, consequently reducing drag and increasing lift. To test our improvements, our team created two scaled physical models, one of a standard boat hull and one of our custom stepped hull. We then used the wind tunnel to simulate the boat moving at high and low speeds. This testing procedure allowed our team to see a relative change in lift and drag between the two hulls. Our group ultimately found that the stepped hull had a lower drag coefficient than the traditional hull, with an 85% reduction in drag coefficient when the boat was at high speeds (~75MPH). We inversely found a 14% increase in drag on the stepped hull at low speeds (~30MPH). Our group proposed the idea of a dynamic stepped hull to achieve the best efficiency. This would allow the steps to be opened and closed depending on the craft's speed. This would increase the complexity of the boat; however, it would minimize any negatives of stepped hulls and maximize the efficiency of the boat hull.

The introduction below covers our team members' personal project interests (3), our projects' relation to solving climate change, and our goals.

Personal Project Interests

Joshua Goff:

Boats have not been a passion of mine at any point in my life. I did not have an upbringing that involved frequent boat outings, nor did I grow up watching boat racing. But I have a vested interest in problem-solving. I spent many of my years in primary school, participating in FRC. This provided me with a skillset to develop mechanisms to overcome presented obstacles. Coming up with new ideas to solve present issues is a passion instilled in me at this age. Ultimately, I am pursuing a mechanical engineering degree to make a career out of problem-solving. When asked to find a way to increase the speed of a boat without increasing the emissions, I did not hesitate to accompany the task. Participating in this project was an exciting way to continue my education and become a better problem solver while completing a degree requirement.

Branden Zielinski:

Starting from a young age, I have been told that I have the mind of an engineer. Whether designing a storage container for toys or analyzing why something was destroyed, with this in mind, I began taking engineering courses at my high school, which included a drafting/CAD class, as well as a design class. Additionally, I joined the FIRST Robotics team, eventually becoming the build team captain and lead design, furthering my technical skills. These taught me to think critically, ultimately leading me to pursue a mechanical engineering degree at Kettering University. As for the project, my family has owned a powerboat since I was born, being a 1996 Black Thunder 43. This boat has a standard-style hull, meaning no steps, which was the leading technology at the time. As technology progressed, however, I started noticing more and more powerboats having steps in the hulls. My father has always talked about selling our boat to purchase a new one with steps. He often talks about how they are better, will make the vessel faster, and will be able to lift out of the water, all benefitting the performance and efficiency of the boat. With this, I decided to participate in this project to finally see what steps do and the performance gains they produce.

Dean Kalebjian:

My interest in this project stems from my natural curiosity and yearning for knowledge. I knew I wanted to take part in a project rather than the final exam, as any opportunity to use the facilities and laboratory equipment that we have available to us as students is of great interest to me, with no guarantee that I will have the opportunity to use such equipment again. I also liked the uniqueness of this project, as it differed from the standard aerofoils that many groups chose to research for their projects. Boat hulls were an area that I had limited knowledge and experience with, making for an excellent learning opportunity, not just in fluid mechanics but also as a relatively common mechanism that plays a role in my life, living in the Great Lakes State. Fluid mechanics and the flow of fluids have long interested me, stemming from the mind of a combustion engineer and increasing the efficiency and power density of internal combustion engines. So, while the application of this project was not directly related to combustion engines, the concepts and principles learned in class that were applied in this project and seen in the testing apply and broaden my overall knowledge of fluid mechanics.

Click here to read the Report.

Click here to view the Presentation.

Click here to view Branden's personal essay.

Click here to view Dean's personal essay.

Click here to view Joshua's personal essay.