Wecboat : Wave Energy Converter Boat

Not in developed countries because we demand speed. That is the reason solar and wave power are not acceptable to the public.

 

Gonzo, I don't have the specifics on hand to answer your query/challenge about my 'students outsmarting rocket scientists' comment. But when I originally posted said comment, it was in reference to a contest where teams from perhaps a dozen High Schools were challenged to come up with the most efficient Wind Turbine blade which they could. And that their designs would be rated for/compared to the top couple of professional designs which had just won a big contract.

Well, 2, yes 2, teams of 3 or 4 students each, came up with blades superior to the pros. Both by margins of 3%-7%. And they didn't know anything much about their competitors & their respective designs, amateur or professional.
Also, 3 or so of the other teams came up with blades within between 1/2%-2% efficiency of the contract winner.

Keep in mind that they didn't have any fancy flow code software, giant data bases to draw from etc. And contests in this specific area go on yearly, in many locations. As do ones in other areas of engineering & science.

There were plenty of them going on when I was in both High School, & College. And were great opportunities for "kids" to learn about different career fields, as well as apply their "text book" learning to the real world. Plus, ad some items of significance to their resumes - for scholarships, & or to bolster their list of achievements for further down the road.

As to the efficiency of Dolphins, I was assuming that that fact about their efficiency was common knowledge.


EDIT: I haven't been able to find the information on wind turbine blade efficiency for which I was looking, & had referred to. However, this is worth a quick peek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRtoaT3W0FM&feature=related If you pay attention, there are a pair of comments stating that the blade made by one of the teams of students is putting out more energy than the one made (and I believe sold) by professionals. Although little specifics are provided in terms of numbers in this specific example.

 

I agree with what Gonzo says, it´s a compelling reason, but there are other aspects to consider.
The generation of electricity using the kinetic or potential energy of a body is a problem that was solved many years ago. One problem of these methods is the storage of energy created. The only solution are the batteries which, with current technology, are heavy so that the boat becomes a transporter of batteries far from its original purpose.
There may be many other problems but now I do not remember. The reality is that there are boats with electric motors though the most efficient system found so far is the diesel-electric propulsion.
Another aspect that can improve itself, but the OP does not seem to care, is to extract the maximum energy from the waves, that is, to invent a device that is more efficient than existing ones. Is this the case of what we are trying in this thread?. Until the OP does not give us any details, we can not know and perhaps not worthwhile to continue this discussion.

 

Sorry, I am not in a hurry. I am new on this forum and I am taking a look around, maturing my presentation.

Thanks

 

My target market is the fishing industries. They don't go fast but they are burning a lot of fuel . Spending a lot. Polluting a lot.

 

We will see improvements in batteries, solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells, and probably currently unknown technologies, during the next few years and decades.
I'm certain, because so much effort is being devoted to sustainable or renewable energy. What man imagines, he can eventually accomplish. We went to the moon, remember?
Some researchers follow dead ends. Some don't have the basics in engineering and explore ridiculous concepts. Others try to re-invent the wheel. I include myself in these groups studying futile notions. but as Edison said about the 600 experiments he tried before successfully inventing the light bulb. They were not failures. He discovered 600 ways NOT to make a light bulb.
So good luck, WecBoat.
if nothing else, maybe you'll discover a new way NOT to use waves as propulsion.

 

The fishing boats do not go fast, if 14 knots is considered as not fast, but they need a huge drag force when the net works.
The tuna are somewhat faster.

Forgive my impertinence, but why not start a thread at the time to have more information for us. We also have no hurry, that is, we do not mind the rhythm you want to take. We just want to know what we're talking about a few days ago.

 

I am looking for a boat able to;

1- convert the wave energy into propulsion
2- go at hull speed with the wave energy
3- cross ocean

We know how to get "some" power from the wave, the problem is to get enough power to go at hull speed. Do you have a new idea ?

 

I like this one.

 

That is wright.

 

Not a problem. Thanks for your time.

 

Uncivilized: I just finished a project on a windmill generator prototype. I don't believe highschool students have blades that are up to 7% superior to the state of the art. Blades are getting close to 98% of the Bletz limit. Unless they found a way around the laws of physics, the claims are not true. Can you post any documentation or links to any of your claims? I am interested on seeing what they are doing that is so superior to what any of us has accomplished.

 

Gonzo, I'll see what I can come up with, but can't make any promises. The contest I'm referring to was a few years ago? I'm going on memory, an under-caffeinated one at the moment.

I am however curious to learn more about what you're working on. The subject's always been an interesting one, but WAY more so since I got my first Redwing wind generator. That, & the time I passed a semi on the highway, who's cargo was a 40m long wind turbine blade. Which, I gather, isn't large by some of the standards nowadays.

How much might blade efficiencies change with relation to blade size? As I do know that the ones which I'm referring to in my initial comments on the subject were perhaps 1m in diameter. And I'm savvy enough to know that the size of the hub in relation to blade length is a BIG factor. If from naught else than my experiences with marine engine propeller output.

 

Measured efficiency?

 

Because I want to produce 8 kw for my little boat, windmill generator, slow and powerful, are always interesting. I am thinking to use one of them aboard.