Investigation of Ship Wakes
Aleksandra Petkova · Sofia, Bulgaria
H. Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research ($10,000) · Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair · 2025
A study of how vessel speed shapes wake patterns, combining aerial photography of real wakes with controlled trials using remote-controlled boats, to predict the speed that minimises drag for a given hull size.
Two evidence streams that check each other: field photography gives realism, the model boats give control. Neither alone would have supported the conclusion.
- Aerial photography of vessel wakes
- Remote-controlled scale boat trials
- Wake pattern analysis
- Speed and drag relationship modelling
- Pair an uncontrolled real-world observation with a controlled scaled-down version of it
- Fluid dynamics is testable at hobby scale — the constraint is measurement, not equipment budget
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