Crikey! Okay, this has all the ingredients of something I should like. It’s a catamaran (multihull…check!). It uses renewable energy (wind turbine…check!), and it does something interestingly unique (it can go straight upwind). And yet it’s missing something…maybe if it was a proa! Hmmm. Maybe not.
To the skeptical out there, the upwind thing really does work. Various experimenters have been doing it for a long time. I wish I could find the reference the Victorian era naval designer who first built a working version. From what I recall there are some curious challenges to contend with. For one thing there is pretty strong gyroscopic effect to deal with, that can cause some unpleasant motion as the vessel pitches through waves.
I think I’ll leave being on the cutting edge with this technology to others (getting hit with one of those rotor blades can’t be good).
This Most Radical sailing craft utilizes a windmill geared to drive a large 6-bladed underwater propeller. Testing has provided positive results. Unlike a normal sailing craft this vessel makes its’ best time sailing straight into a headwind.
Source: Revelation II Wind turbine powered sailboat
Via: Treehugger
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
We used to have a wonderful gent here in Camden, Captain Havilah Hawkins, who not only built and ran a gorgeous schooner (The Mary Day, still going) but also a 30′ open boat with turbine power. At that size the blades were well below head height, plus the shaft and gear box were exposed. He never got hurt but I rarely saw a passenger as he whomped around the Bay.
heres an idea for someone with more money than me haha—how about TWO turbine blades, mounted to balance each other out AND add a bit of technology in with a self-balancing computer, so that it becomes a strength rather than a weakness? Would take some $$ to develop–but with computers doing so much these days, all one would need to accomplish is first connecting both turbine blade’s cranks with electric motors, fit the shaft of the turbine with a simple balance/plum/square sensor that feeds the computer the info, and then the computer tells the motors how fast to run to get back to plum/square–thereby increasing stability of the entire craft in the most vicious waves. imagine a boat that stable?!! and the sensors could be turned off when not needed/wanted, and the two turbines would supply enough power to run essential accessories as well as propel the craft and function the elec motors that balance the craft.. just a thought for someone who isnt a broke, starving artist/songwriter like me:)
Why not a vertical turbine system instead of a rotor system? Vertical turbines would eliminate the chance of getting decapitated by the blade and would eliminate the gyroscopic impact on the vessel. They could also take advantage of wind coming from any direction.