New Age Trawler/Motorsailer; Kite assisted PowerYacht

[Guillermo]

I'm not thinking about the kite as "coming home" option only, but as auxiliary power at all times when direction of wind allows. Even as the only means of propulsion if wind's strong enough. Particularly interesting for small commercial fishing boats. Maybe I'll put some work on this idea.

Cheers.

[brian eiland]

Another fellow sailor working towards some kite power

http://www.parlier.org/beyond_the_se...a.php?beyond=4

http://www.parlier.org/beyond_the_se...ce_reserve.php

[brian eiland]

http://www.hiswasymposium.com/pdf/20...nackenberg.pdf

http://www.hiswasymposium.com/symposium_papers.asp

[Boston]

Originally Posted by Guillermo

I'm not thinking about the kite as "coming home" option only, but as auxiliary power at all times when direction of wind allows. Even as the only means of propulsion if wind's strong enough. Particularly interesting for small commercial fishing boats. Maybe I'll put some work on this idea.

Cheers.

I was thinking that the if you want to fly a pattern to increase pull then hanging a pendulum off the kite kinda in the same position as were a para-foil pilot would be and using a sprint kinda like a clock does to maintain the motion and period of the swing you would have a nice little automated tracking system for the pattern you wanted to fly
with out all the electronics or at least with a minimum of electronics

that and a simple system of cables similar to U control cables in model airplanes for altitude control and attitude in a pinch
just a thought if it helps any

B

[brian eiland]

Just brought to my attention, this lady (Anne Quemere) kite-sailed across the Atlantic in '06, and now she is onto another adventure in the Pacific.

http://www.anne-quemere.com/

http://www.anne-quemere.com/indexgb.php

[Timothy]

I forgot where I read it but I think kites are being used to generate electricity through a mechanical linkage from the control lines to an alternator. I wonder if something similar could be adapted to work as secondary function for these "spiniker kites".

[Boston]

might be easier to just drag a prop behind you

[brian eiland]

Originally Posted by brian eiland

http://www.hiswasymposium.com/pdf/20...nackenberg.pdf

http://www.hiswasymposium.com/symposium_papers.asp

The latest measurements made aboard the cargo ship “Michael A.“ of the
Wessels Shipping Company demonstrate how the towing kite propulsion system delivers far more than five times the performance per square meter of sail than traditional wind propulsion systems. With the help of the wind, the 160 square meter kite generates up to 8 metric tons of traction force – this approximately corresponds to the thrust of an Airbus A318 turbine engine.

“Our own measurements show that we were able to temporarily save far more than half the fuel by deploying SkySails in favourable wind conditions,” reports Gerd Wessels (37), managing director of the Wessels shipping company based in Haren/Ems, adding that “alternatively we were able to increase the ship’s cruising speed from 10 to 11.6 knots with the help of this towing kite propulsion.”

Each of the shipping company’s next three new 88-meter, multipurpose sister ships with a deadweight capacity of some 3,700 metric tons and nearly 1,500 kW of power will be fitted with a 160 m² kite. With favourable wind conditions, a kite of this size can generate up to 8 tons of traction power. For comparison: in order to reach a cruising speed of 11 knots, these ships require approx. 11 tons of thrust.

...excerpt from http://hiswasymposium.com/symposium-papers
Vessel propulsion using kites
Stephan Brabeck (Skysails Gmbh & Co KG)
Tom Schnackenberg (North Sails A/S)

PDF document

[dskira]

At 40 mph (Force 8 which is gale force)) the wind pressure is 6 Lbs per square feet.
The kite they talk is 1600 square feet, which means 9600 Lbs of thrust which means 4.5 tons.
I am missing something? How they come to 8 tons?
It must be an explanation I am sure.

As for the comparison with a turbine engine, it is quite inaccurate, you can't mix apple and orange. I am surprise of the lake of seriousness, since by force 0 the kite develop 0 ton of thrust and the turbine still developing the same amount of thrust.
And they always talk about the perfect condition. You do not have perfect condition at sea.

Daniel

Originally Posted by dskira

At 40 mph (Force 8 which is gale force)) the wind pressure is 6 Lbs per square feet.
The kite they talk is 1600 square feet, which means 9600 Lbs of thrust which means 4.5 tons.
I am missing something? How they come to 8 tons?
It must be an explanation I am sure.
Daniel

The kite flies a 8 figure steered by computer. That makes the aerodynamic lift add to the pressure forces on the kite.
These 8 tonnes are a proven fact (and not the whole truth, it can be more).

The "perfect condition" is not the every day condition, true, but due to the heighth it is found quite often.

The info provided is BTW not new! It is from 2008. Meanwhile there are several more ships operating with the Skysails system, and ALL are fully satisfied.

I guess we will have affordable, yacht sized systems within the next 3- 5 years.

Regards
Richard

[dskira]

Originally Posted by apex1

The kite flies a 8 figure steered by computer. That makes the aerodynamic lift add to the pressure forces on the kite.
These 8 tonnes are a proven fact (and not the whole truth, it can be more).

The "perfect condition" is not the every day condition, true, but due to the heighth it is found quite often.

The info provided is BTW not new! It is from 2008. Meanwhile there are several more ships operating with the Skysails system, and ALL are fully satisfied.

I guess we will have affordable, yacht sized systems within the next 3- 5 years.

Regards
Richard

OK, I understand.
Thank you for the explanation.
I saw a picture of the 160 Sq. meter they are talking about associate with the ship Belouga.
This is the picture:



Daniel

[brian eiland]

Double the wind speed (apparent wind from 'flying' the kite), quadrupal the wind pressure force.

[dskira]

Make sense Brian.
When I look at the picture I observed a slight heel. The red paint in the left is slightly less that the red on the right (looking at the picture, the inverse for the ship.) It can be because the vessel turn, or it can be effectively the force of the kite.
Interesting.
Thanks both.

Daniel

[Boston]

kite moves in a figure eight pattern Daniel, the wind forces on it are higher than if it was just stationary relative to the boat

Almost no heel Daniel..............

http://www.skysails.info/