Sail cloth idea

Don't bet on it. people were making fluidic autopilots for light aircraft several decades ago. OK they were rendered obsolete fairly quickly by cheap digital microcomputers, but the ideas were good.

 

PDF: Flight Investigation of a Fluidic Autopilot System by the NASA Flight Research Center in 1969

 

That link is for an autopilot with negative feedback. The control system is pretty primitive by today's standards. It is not related at all to the OP's "refractive intelligent air flow".

 

But it would be quite pretty.

If you could get it compact enough and the weight down I could see there being a niche market for iridescent sails on high end sailing yachts, even if it produced negligible thrust.

 

The below light system* might be fraudulent used when satellite based lasers or microwave beamers illegally propel wind sailboats in races . .

(* note: there are 3 pages)

1 - 2 - 3 - 4

1 ‘‘ An early model of a laser-propelled lightcraft ’’

2 ‘‘ A lightcraft in action. The bright light you see is the air combusting under the rim of the craft. ’’

3 ‘‘ As the laser pulses, it superheats the air until it combusts. Each time the air combusts, it creates a flash of light, as seen in this photo of a test flight. ’’

4 ‘‘ Microwave-powered lightcraft will rely on orbiting power stations. ’’

 

Energy is energy.

 

I think you can order the plans from Chesapeake light craft . .

 

Would this allow the use of solar energy for propulsion in sailboat races ?

 

Diffractive can not be valid but microfluidic channels and differantial calculations are valid , fluidic amps , pressure sensors and what not.
Yes, thank you my friend to pointing to fluidic autopilts. There are lots of papers on micro fluidic channels and computing.
Several layers of cloth mylar can be cut with laser and can be heat bonded to sails. May be single layer can be made lots of tricks.
Technology is valid and We will use it in coming years.

 

You're an optimist against all odds Umut, it's now time to start testing your theory in practice I think . .

 

I thought new idea , to place metal wires , or conductive fibers or piezo wires in to sail cloth architecture to measure sense pressure and speed , direction and strain, even you can weave fiberoptic cables.

Another idea is to lock fibers meeting areas with polymer.

other idea against north sails is to not only lay fibers but knot them with few meters wide and continious feed weaving machine or knotting the noth sail fiber crossing areas with robotic head.