Cool technology- Sailing Made Easy with Inflatable Wing Sail
Posted by freedomforall 4 years, 7 months ago to Technology
Yachting World review
http://inflatedwingsails.com/wp-conte...
Inventors' website
http://inflatedwingsails.com/en/conce...
http://inflatedwingsails.com/wp-conte...
Inventors' website
http://inflatedwingsails.com/en/conce...
SOURCE URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJ02kEDtXI
Imagine! Giant freighters with sails to take them across oceans at no fuel cost and no pollution.
The fifteen largest freighters in the world put out more sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide pollution than all the cars on earth because they use heavy fuel oil while at sea.
Sails could greatly reduce those pollutants and save lots of fuel.
This invention is so cool!
The problem with wind power is that it is just not powerful enough for the size of modern tankers, except when there is a hurricane when all systems shut down. This can be seen by the grotesque wind power generators that run on tax money, not wind. They cannot operate in high winds.
Note, the boat carrying teen alarmist Greta across the Atlantic is powered by wind, but there is diesel backup of course.
I am curious, these tankers are now very large, why not nuclear power?
You're right that the ships would require some engine technology due to changing conditions. There will have to be a cost-benefit analysis to weigh the savings in fuel against the additional capital cost of sailing gear.
Something must be done to avoid destroying the ship in a higher wind speed. Traditionally we reefed the sails, This new design certainly suggests the possibility of self-reefing, but the test is to see what happens in that 40 or 60 kt wind.
The next obvious bit of configuration to try is putting this sail on a trimaran with hydrofoils.
What do you do if it gets stuck half way in advisory-force winds, not even yet gale force?
What do you do at the boatyard when they laugh at you and suggest you're going to be staying there for three weeks waiting for parts?
I thought the air wing sail looked ugly and a mess when it was fully collapsed...perhaps it's better once properly stowed.
As I did with my San Juan long ago. Good times (except for stepping the mast, that is.;^)
I'm closing my business end of this year....small tooling / fixturing / repairables shop...and moving to Manitowoc WI. I'm already in the marina and out on home water. I've already been asked if some sort of manufacture / teaching in boats and sailing might entreat the youngsters in a community or club function. Manty has a long history in boat construction and there are human resources with lots of manufacturing skill sets.
This inflatable wing has given me a couple of ideas. This weekend is Sail and Share Regatta on the St Croix river between MN and
WI. Friends from my club started St Croix Sailing School 10 years ago. I'm going to show them the inflatable idea. I think they have 10 420's in the school....and I'm a pretty good manufacturer and seamstress!
So....a choice to take all the skills and pour them into a human / product integrated purpose. I learned my values concepts from home, Lao Tsu, Rand, and a few other sources. I learned more about living objectively, in practicum, through sailing, more so than any other activity
I rediscovered a hobby from my past and started a new business with a friend early this year. Have a look at our current product line:
http://www.tenoctaveaudio.com
Probably add a few smaller products in the coming weeks.
This is one link. We had award for best new tweak at 2005 IES in Vegas. Jeff approached me with the idea of lateral transient noise and hysteresis in 2000 or 2001. I still have the production drawings and tooling.
Where the Aurios footers created conflict in freedom of movement because of 3 bearing balls in each piece and a separator within the device (contact), I created 2 planes of free motion using 3 single bearing balls between 2 15" radiused pucks. We could see the difference in the VU metering it was so substantive. Never got to a point of refining the design application.
It was a fun project but Jeff underestimated costs of marketing. Can't fault him. Do miss him too.....early death.
If I don't have any left in some obscure box.....perhaps make you a set. Shouldn't take but a few hours.
If the wind isnt strong enough, perhaps the freighter could go a bit slower- given the savings on fuel costs, perhaps a little longer sail would be ok
There are also refrigerated containers which would need electricity. Not to mention the amount of electricity thats needed to control these ships as well as provide livng conditions for the crew.
As far as commercial value it may have potential. A lot of testing to scale up. I saw some design mathematics as I was vetting the product. Beneteau has to be working with this for their charter fleet boats by this brand and by Jeanneau brand. As far as the newer Jeanneau boats are concerned....I'll only use these as dock barges from now on. Horrendous handling and lack of safety holds. If Jeanneau outfits new charter boats with these inflatables I'd like to be a spectator.
Right now I'd only use something of this for day sailing. The fabric and seaming would cause my biggest reticence in the event of a real blow. Hulls for this type of sail require new design for weight and balance....as in some of the Freedom designs. Weight, or pressure, forward to keep the bow cutting in heavier air.
Secondary and tertiary pressurization systems needed for offshore safety. Potential for induced pressurization through some creative ducting and ancillary fans or turbines is feasible. Some other offshore / cruising things to consider are radar reflection, visual signalling, identification lighting for a few.
I've only seen films of upwind so far. On a reach or downwind with a main, jib, 2 jibs on a cutter rig and a spinnaker I bet I'd make a lot of time on any match hulled vessle outfitted with inflatables. And then there are the skill sets these guys are targeting. Ease of use and handling look real minimal for beginners.
I knew these guys worked on the North 3DL layout for sailmaking. Still, I've raced my Dacron 135 against 150 3DL's in light air.....4 to 8 knots, and far outperformed the technology my substantive seniors were using. My Dacron sails also have a 2x life as the higher tech.
I've bookmarked this as it may get very interesting, and profitable.
Our Yacht, the Carlinda, used battens in the sail that were weaker in the middle and they would create a wing shape. Surprisingly, very little wind was needed to create that shape.
If we were sailing at 8knots the added shape added 2knots just on the apparent wind we created so theoretically we were 2+ knots faster than other 37' yachts.
One the best experiences was when we caught a 12 foot wave and were able to ride it at a total speed of 18knots until the wave encountered a shallower bottomed area (ocean floor) and we backed off the wave.
I was standing on the captains seat, yelling "I'm the king of the sea"...laughing like I was a kid again.
But I'll take credit for keepin it there until we hit the shallows, (went from 360' depth to 20' within a 1/2 mile in Plumb Gut, Long Island Sound.)....it was a nice easy landing (so to speak)
That boat was part of me or me a part of it, I don't know which.
In 2010 I was sailing Great Abaco. We got down there right after the Newport / BVI cruise / race passed. A couple, short-handing, got fatigued and decided to make a cut into the East side of the island just south of Hope Town harbor. Sea level nominal was 8 feet in the cut and they were in 8+ seas on the inbound. They hit bottom full force. Life raft got deployed and a large wave separated the couple.....she was never found...no evidence. As I understand these folks were seasoned sailors....one simple mistake or overlooked item or an assumption....
Stanza from a song I embrace:
Put me on my belly on the water
Let it kiss me like a water bug
half of me above
half of me under
Where the air and water are in love
And the two would fly away together if they were released from gravity......
And then, in my experience, we rounded up. I was on the low side....sitting.....grinding an asym spinny for the trimmer and keeping the main preventer under watch. 3 foot wall of water doused me and went right up my foulies.
That was my first Lake Superior enema
I realize the great lakes can be just as foreboding as the ocean.
As far as safety concerns; I'd rather be in a storm on open ocean than the Great Lakes. They are beautiful; when placid and pernicious bitches when riled. Short hard wave form and really cold water up until July on all but Superior. That beauty runs in the lower 40's sub-surface in Aug.....consolation.....the best drinking....water...water...yeah....
I've been out in 50knot winds, first time on purpose to see what it was like and how to handle our heavy 37' hunter...shortened the main and never leaned more that 25 degrees...second time, got caught in a freak storm, (an hour before marine band said clear sailing) it crept up fast but we were prepared and experienced, after entering the sound, we caught a fast easterly... downwind to home.
In short, we lucked out.
You did not luck out. Sailing is about being prepared for the worst, that the best can be lived. Proof: Vessle is sound, all passenger accounted and all cargo / accoutrements in tact. This is why I raced so much. It is the best, safest reactionary training one can experience.
New boat owner on the St Croix river Hudson, WI. New Bavaria 34....in 2011 or thereabouts. Drove the damn thing right under the rail tressle swing bridge. A half dozen boaters and the bridge attendant were screaming to stop. He's alive. Stupid wasn't fixed.
PM me for continuity
https://tenoctaveaudio.com/wp/contact/ or use the email shown there and we can discuss it offline. ;^)
Except check the area code on phone....612 is correct