2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

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Michael Brigg
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:11 pm
Location: Gosport, UK

Re: 2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

Post by Michael Brigg »

...and here is a link to a definitive website for this kind of thing.

http://www.fionamsinclair.co.uk/yachts/auto/index.htm

Amazing!

Badger hair I thought was for Shaving brushes.

Apparently the chinese farm them for this a bit like Sheep! (Its humane, they shave the tail and it regrows I'm told.

See this link about humane collection of hair...

http://fliiby.com/file/13660/zpakqe95yt.html

Ed, since we are talking of going round and round, how about this. (Sorry about the thread drift, but it is about inventions!!)

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/01/page/4/
Michael Brigg
chris
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Re: 2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

Post by chris »

Badger's hair also makes a gilder tip which is a very wide brush with just a few hairs for picking up gold leaf which is only a few molecules thick and easily turns to dust. Neil next time....I could do with a bit of badger hair please.
Rick Cavallaro
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Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 5:52 pm

Re: 2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

Post by Rick Cavallaro »

jpa_wfsc wrote:If sailing dead downwind means within 5 degrees of dead down wind then of course it is possible - its just extending the broad reach screamer a little bit.

But 0 degrees, dead downwind - no way - and was not claimed anyhow. The craft actually was sailing at 5 degrees to the true wind direction for most of the exercise. http://www.nalsa.org/BlackBirdDDWSR/Obs ... 032010.pdf

Which is still very impressive!! But is not 'dead downwind'.
Actually our claim *is* dead downwind.
roger
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Location: Frome Somerset UK

Re: 2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

Post by roger »

thanks Rick I have read your explanation on the Merlin site and although it made my head hurt I think I have got it. Many congratulations for the result. Now you need to make it commercially viable so we can give up feeding Exon and BP. Mind you they would probably offer you a life times supply of beer tokens not to market it.

Rog
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
Hornet 610 Final Fling
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Rick Cavallaro
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Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 5:52 pm

Re: 2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

Post by Rick Cavallaro »

Unfortunately, commercial viability probably doesn't include wind powered cars on our roads, but it may involve harnessing wind energy more effectively than we do with stationary wind farms. There are already two companies that are working to take advantage of the principle with flying wind turbines - Makani Power and our Sponsor Joby Energy.
Michael Brigg
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:11 pm
Location: Gosport, UK

Re: 2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

Post by Michael Brigg »

Rick Cavallaro wrote:Unfortunately, commercial viability probably doesn't include wind powered cars on our roads ***, but it may involve harnessing wind energy more effectively than we do with stationary wind farms. There are already two companies that are working to take advantage of the principle with flying wind turbines - Makani Power and our Sponsor Joby Energy.
Surely you missed out the "YET!"

If Nuclear power was felt to be too dangerous in future, and Oil/gas etc peter out or become excessively expensive, or politically/tactically unavailable, then surely the Wind will become a commercially viable option (again). It is simply a case of efficiency economics and need.

The modern need for predictable delivery etc means it might always have to be part of a hybrid power scource, but remember the first ever Internal combustion engines were much bigger than todays units, and in relative power, quite feeble. In contrast you already have 50mph!

It is my guess that the principle of energy convertion behind this cart becomes increasingly viable with increase in size. This is certainly the case with aircraft. A Scaled down Jumbo jet would need to fly at an equivalent speed several times greater to generate a proportionate amount of lift, and I suspect on the same principle, there is somewhere in the formula of theoretical /potential top speed a Cubed:Linear ratio that can be exploited.

It would be interesting to know how important the starting windspeed is since the power curve only really seemed to kick in after overtaking the wind. It was almost like watching a surfer, where you need to be in front of the wave to exploit it's energy.
Michael Brigg
Rick Cavallaro
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Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 5:52 pm

Re: 2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

Post by Rick Cavallaro »

Michael Brigg wrote:If Nuclear power was felt to be too dangerous in future, and Oil/gas etc peter out or become excessively expensive, or politically/tactically unavailable, then surely the Wind will become a commercially viable option (again). It is simply a case of efficiency economics and need.
I'm certainly not trying to say that wind power won't be a big part of the solution; only that I don't imagine wind powered cars on our roads. More likely wind farms (ground based or airborne) will harness the energy which will be used to produce fuel (perhaps hydrogen) that cars can use on the road.
roger
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Re: 2.8 xFaster than the wind dead down wind !!!

Post by roger »

Rick Cavallaro wrote:
Michael Brigg wrote:If Nuclear power was felt to be too dangerous in future, and Oil/gas etc peter out or become excessively expensive, or politically/tactically unavailable, then surely the Wind will become a commercially viable option (again). It is simply a case of efficiency economics and need.
I'm certainly not trying to say that wind power won't be a big part of the solution; only that I don't imagine wind powered cars on our roads. More likely wind farms (ground based or airborne) will harness the energy which will be used to produce fuel (perhaps hydrogen) that cars can use on the road.
I think there is a hydrogen powered car that uses hydrogen harvested(if thats the right word) using wind energy on the Shetland Islands.
Hornet 191 Shoestring,
Hornet 595 Demon awaiting restoration
Hornet 610 Final Fling
Hornet 353
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