Quote:
Originally Posted by michael pierzga Delrin has it defects. Hard and prone to point loading the foil. Lift keelers are using Thordon.
From Ron Holland yacht design.......
" The pad material was researched and an elastomeric material called Thordon has been chosen. "
"The manufactures provided us with enthusiastic technical support and proof of the materials unusual “memory” properties in returning to its original shape following the application of high local loading, rather like a
very dense sponge. "
" This material will spread out local unevenness of load due to wear, marine growth or
slight shape variations in the keel surface. "
“Bedding in” and bending of the keel foil will also cause slight
unevenness of pressure distribution in the side pad areas."
Inspection hatches on the keel trunk are common for servicing |
I'd like to offer an alternative view seeing as Thordon has been replaced by a more advanced bearing composite in some applications.
I feel manufacturers such as Thordon use the elastomeric properties of their bearing material as a benefit when it may not help at all. If you have a material that gives under pressure whatever mechanical system you have designed will flex more as the bearing pad gives. To transmit forces you don't want rubber, you want a rigid structure. A foil is designed as a precision part which you don't want to twist and bend. There are materials which have as good or better bearing properties with regards to friction, load distortion and thermal change and these are rigid non melting, they also now have surface chemistry and surface properties to resist marine growth.
So if you build a lifting dagger board do you really want it to flex, bend or move in its mount? You spend a fortune getting a super rigid carbon foil so you need the fixings to be as rigid as you can get.
One of the latest materials comes out of Perth it's called Maritex and is used on some high profile applications such as latest (military) submarine dive plane designs as well as yachts like Baltic Yachts panamax in the lifting drive pods. It will exceed the performance of an elastomeric material when under high load in pretty much all cases.
Do some research and see where current technology is.