speed and energy ?

[khumalop3]

I want to calculate the maximum speed a candle powerd boat can perforem and the maximum energy disapated. any one with the idea or relevent fumulars or equations pls help. bering in mind that the boat move about 3 meters

[westlawn5554X]

Huh? Is there a market for candle boats or this for physic secondary school project?

Student

I thought I was the only student

[marshmat]

Candle powered boat?
I think you're going to have to elaborate more on what you're trying to do here. What are the goals of the design? What's the project for?

[Figgy]

See this thread..
Help Pls
I do think its for a school project. A couple of people asked about it on the same day.

[khumalop3]

I'M a university student in the field of electrical engineering, the project is not for secondary school. it intrests me the most that the are so many people who are intrested in candle porwed boats.never the less what I'm more intrested in is to find out how much power or energy can the candle produce to power the boat. this boat is a 60 by 30 in dimension and weight 3kg. ANY relevent equation or help will be much apriciated.

[yipster]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_engine
http://www.howstuffworks.com/stirling-engine.htm
http://www.stirlingengine.com/ecomme...&product_id=29
http://www.stirlingengine.com/mm5flash/mm5flash.html
maybe one chamber in the water?
http://jlnlabs.imars.com/plasma/html/s_gdpthr1.htm is interesting
and some easy candle power http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/pop-pop/
or how about a little candle powered steam engine?

[hansp77]

your equations are going to depend upon your model. How much heat is output from the candle-which candel etc, and how much heat is actually caught and transfered into the copper and the water.

There would be a measurable potential energy output by the candle, but this would never all be utilized. If you could measure the heat/energy output above the bare candle, and then measure the heat/energy above the candle under the copper coil with water flowing through it, with the engine running hot, then you substract the second one from the first, and figure out how much energy is absorbed inbetween and transfered to the water,
and then calculate this into the figures of distance and speed traveled (figures measured after the point when it is no longer accelerating)....
then factor in your mass and resistence and..., I'm dizzy
and then you should have the figure that you are looking for.

Somebody of course has probably already figured this all out already- got their own specific model... but if you want to do it yourself for your own model, I would think you will have to actually measure it. I don't know what device you would use to measure the heat/energy output- there would have to be something available to you through your school.

[Toot]

My grandmother had a little merry-go-round type of a nicknack with fan blades on top and a few candles underneath. When the candles are lit, the blades spin and the hole thing goes round. In addition to the steam-motor, it might be possible to scavenge some of the heat rising from the candle and convert it to thrust for a little extra boost in speed.

Why not also use a tinfoil sail with a paperclip mast to harness some of the updraft from the heat of the candle?

[khumalop3]

thanks a lot all your help is appriciated