PaddleWheel Propulsion (Sizing of)

How does one go about sizing the paddlewheel requirements on a boat for a specified power and speed. Are there any standards or would one look at it empiricaly and comparitively.

[Jeff]

I don't have a good answer for you, but I'm curious. What reasons do you have for wanting to use a paddlewheel and what size boat is this for?

[Portager]

Most paddlewheels nowadays are only ornamental, too inefficient and too much maintenance compared to a prop. The exception is people who compete in the paddle boat races in Peoria.

Cheers;
Mike Schooley

[lockhughes]

I gather paddlewheelers still make appearances at the Human Powered Boat meets. The prop folks take the records for sprint and distance, but the wheel folk tend to beat `em at the bollard pull. The wheel folks also tend to to better while the prop guys are clearing the weeds off their props <smile>
Lock

Thanks for your replies. The paddlewheel propulsion method is a request from a client on a 9m flat bottom river boat to be used in fairly shallow water and only for recreational purposes.
I am going to have to go about this from scratch, using a few precedents of course, and having the paddles interchangable so as to adjust later if neccesary.

[Portager]

Here are some links that might help. All I had time to find.

http://www2.cemr.wvu.edu/~venable/asa/padlboat.htm
http://www.americansternwheel.org/main.htm check out their links page.
http://gemort.wirefire.com/Contents.htm

Cheers;
Mike Schooley