Turbosail

Turbosail

A turbosail is a naval propulsion system invented by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and used on the "Alcyone". It consists of an airfoil, vertical and grossly ovoidal tube, with a mobile flap which improves the separation between the intrados and extrados. An aspiration system pulls air into the tubes, and is used to create an important depression on one side of the sail; propulsion occurs perpendicularly to the pressure. In this way, the "sails" act as wings, with air moving slower on one side, creating drag. Standard engines can then be used in conjunction with the turbosails. These in turn can be coordinated with computers to control the angles, suction power, and rotation of the sails.

The efficiency of the system is not well documented. When the Alcyone was launched in 1985, it was suggested that tankers and other large vessels would soon install turbosails as a mean to decrease fuel consumption. [Crisafulli, Tricia. [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3MKT/is_v93/ai_3828115 "Turbosail" propulsion system to be placed on French ship] . "American Metal Market", 24 June 1985.] The system was intended to power the "Calypso II", which has yet to be built.

The Alcyone reported a 1/3 fuel savings, and a larger commercial vessel had a 15% increase in fuel efficiency over a three year study (see "external links" for references).

The system bears similarities with Anton Flettner's "Rotorschiff", a different design based on the Magnus effect.

References

External links

* [http://www.cousteau.org/en/downloadfiles/alcyone_and_turbosail.pdf Description of Turbosail]
* [http://www.limsi.fr/RS2005/meca/aero/aero11/index.html Aerodynamic simulation article describing the functioning of the turbosail]
* [http://www.cousteau.org Cousteau Society]
* [http://v3.espacenet.com/textdoc?IDX=US4630997&CY=gb&LG=en&DB=EPODOC Turbosail Patent]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Alcyone — im Hafen Die Alcyone ist das zweite Forschungsschiff des französischen Ozeanographen Jacques Yves Cousteau. Dieser ließ Anfang der 1980er Jahre das Rotorschiff, das eine Kombination aus Segelschiff und Motorschiff darstellt, planen und bauen. Die …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Turbovoile — Alcyone im Hafen Die Alcyone ist das zweite Forschungsschiff des französischen Ozeanographen Jacques Yves Cousteau. Dieser ließ Anfang der 1980er Jahre das Rotorschiff, das eine Kombination aus Segelschiff und Motorschiff darstellt, planen und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Sail — A sail is any type of surface intended to generate thrust by being placed in a wind mdash;in essence a vertically oriented wing. Sails are used in sailing.History of sailsThe ships built at around 10,000 BC were just crude log rafts or dug out… …   Wikipedia

  • Alcyone (ship) — The Alcyone is a ship operated by the Cousteau Society. It was created as an expedition ship and to test the operation of a new kind of marine propulsion system, the turbosail. The Alcyone is equipped with two of these unusual sails, which are… …   Wikipedia

  • Ship — A ship IPA|/ʃɪp/ audio|en us ship.ogg|Audio (US) is a large vessel that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as …   Wikipedia

  • RV Calypso — is a ship that Jacques Yves Cousteau, one of the most important researchers in oceanography, equipped as a mobile laboratory for field research. Calypso was originally a wooden hulled minesweeper built for the British Royal Navy by the Ballard… …   Wikipedia

  • Zero emission — refers to an engine, motor, or other energy source, that emits no waste products that pollutes the environment or disrupts the climate. Zero emission enginesVehicles and other mobile machinery used for transport (over land, sea, air, rail) and… …   Wikipedia

  • Rotor Ship — A Rotor ship, also known as a Flettner ship, is a ship designed to use the Magnus effect for propulsion. The Magnus effect is a force acting on a spinning body in a moving airstream, which acts perpendicularly to the direction of the airstream.… …   Wikipedia

  • Wingsail — A wingsail is a form of marine propulsion similar to conventional sails. However, a wingsail is a built up structure with airfoil cross section, like an airplane wing, which shape can provide a much better lift to drag ratio than conventional… …   Wikipedia

  • Future Boat Developments — A number of ideas are being worked on for future boat developments. Some are new, some have been tried before but may prove more practicable with modern technology. History tells us that many of these projects will come to nothing, but a few will …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”