test tank for river dories

[river runner]

There might be a way of testing some aspects of dory design without having to build one and take it down a river. That is, build a test tank and models.
I'm picturing two large tanks, one slightly above the other, with a chute or flume between the two and an irrigation pump pumping water from the lower tank to the upper tank. The angle of the flume would be adjustable Features could be placed on the bottom of the flume to create waves of different types and the moving water coming down the flume and hitting the standing water in the lower tank would create standing waves.
One problems I see is you can't adjust the flow of an irrigation pump. The irrigaion pumps I have experience with are either full on or full off. There is no in between. Another problem is, unlike the TV ad, I can't teach hampsters to row the models. Most of the time, in real life, you would be back rowing to slow the boat down, so I could attach a fishline to the back of the model and use something to apply a little drag to the line.
A sensitive scale attached to the model, with line, while it is in the current could be used to see which design has the least resistance, and therefore be easiest to row against the current.
I know this all sounds pretty expensive and elaborate, but that might be better than designing and building a full size boat that ended up perfoming below expectations.

[michael pierzga]

The only system I know of is several full size designs of various shapes and a Greyhound bus full of tourists. Fill these test bed designs full of tourists, give each tourist a handy video phone to record seakeeping ability, then send them down the rapids.

Review the survivors videos on Youtube ....And the winner is .......

Perhaps you can claw back your design teams investment by marketing the test as a reality tv show called..."Dem's dat died were the lucky ones."..

[gonzo]

They are already made and working.
http://www.sintef.no/dk
http://www.amhrc.edu.au/facilities/flumetank-info.html
http://ittc.sname.org/facilities.htm

[michael pierzga]

How will you simulate the movement of the few hundred kilos of water and human operators onboard ?

[gonzo]

You put the boat and crew in the tank.

[Dirteater]

Hi Gonzo,

I say do-able!, and I believe the flow of water could be controlled via
a series of (remote) locks and curves from the water source, or another approach would be similar to a "swim tub" (or both). An amazing project to say the least

I'm sure you're way ahead of me Gonzo
I can only hope to see the outcome.
thanks.