Philip Jama

Anchor Physics

Simulation of anchor + chain physics as an example of Verlet integration (numerical method), rendered on HTML5 Canvas.

Project Overview

A rope or chain hanging between two points forms a curve known as a Catenary, which has an analytical solution for a static system. However for a system with various simultaneous forces, a numerical approximation offers better insights. The numerical method, Verlet integration, can simulate dynamic physics, such as an anchor-chain system.

The above simulation aims to provide an intuitive demonstration of how boat anchoring is affected by various factors, including wind force (exerted on the boat, or ship), surface waves, water current, and chain weight.

Furthermore, the numerical simulation reacts to collisions, and boundary conditions. In reality, an anchor will 'drag' if the applied force (magnitude and direction) exceeds a certain threshold.
Can you cause the above anchor to drag?

Project Details

Date:

May 2016

Role:

Research + Development

Tags:

JavaScript, Numerical Methods, Physics, Simulation

Repo:

github.com/pjama/anchor-physics-js