Windmills on a boat

Discussion in 'Projects & Proposals' started by Gravio, Feb 23, 2020.

  1. Gravio
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    Gravio Junior Member

  2. Richard Woods
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    Richard Woods Woods Designs

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  3. Mr Efficiency
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    Mr Efficiency Senior Member

    Gives a new slant to the term "choppy" conditions. I guess putting it behind a grille would wreck the effectiveness, but it looks like a real hazard to day-dreamers.
     
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  4. Gravio
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    Gravio Junior Member

    Zurabishvili

     
  5. Gravio
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    Gravio Junior Member

     
  6. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    We had a well off fellow here in Minnesota a little to eager to hop off a fly in bush plane. He died when he slipped and fell into the prop.

    Wind generators have a place. They make great racket in a nice and otherwise quiet marina.

    Other than dangerous and loud; they are also rather spendy. The massive power producing windmills have in common their massiveness. The smaller ones on boats seem to be a bit of a help and nuisance both. Could be a lifesaver.

    Don't want one.
     
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  7. Boat Design Net Moderator
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    Boat Design Net Moderator Moderator

    Welcome to the forum Gravio. Could you please post in English though. We want to keep all posts in one common language and the language of this forum is English. Thanks very much.
     
  8. Victor R
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    Victor R Junior Member

  9. Sockmonkey
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    Sockmonkey Junior Member

    What about a configuration like this?
    [​IMG]
    Four turbines, each directly driving a little generator and battery pack.
    Sticking all that in the pontoons along with other storage gives you a huge amount of room in the central cabin to play with.
     
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  10. cluttonfred
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    cluttonfred Senior Member

    Hello, Sockmonkey, fancy meeting you here. Your vertical turbine catamaran looks neat until you need to go on deck for any reason underway. M/V Cuisnart? ;-)
     
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  11. Sockmonkey
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    Sockmonkey Junior Member

    Duuuude! I didn't even know you posted here. Great to see you man.
    Anyhow, the bottoms of the turbines are supposed to be above head height, and if you feel like laying out, you do it on top of the center cabin.
    There shouldn't be any need to go out on the pontoons unless the turbines need repair.
    Went with four of them to provide redundancy, and because there are four convenient places to put them.
    Forgot to include measurements in the pic. It's around 80 feet long.
     
  12. Dbparke
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    Dbparke Junior Member

    Vertical wind generator with electric drive.. Four might block off your wind, fighting each other. I think these type of generators require a bit of wind.
    I would use one in the center. I don't know the centrifugal forces it would have so you might twins counter rotating..
    If you used flat flexible blades, you could lay them flat against the mast, then have a hydraulic ram at bottom pushing generator bearing and blades upwards, bending the blades into shape to generate power and give you some headspace.

    However vertical wind generators are very hard on bearings and not as efficient as the standard windmill designs, noisy and can't imaging what slapping water spray would be like. Especially if she rolls over, it would probably rip the vessel in half.
     
  13. hoytedow
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    Welcome, Gravio. I enjoyed the videos.
    Добро пожаловать, Гравио. Мне понравилось видео.
     
  14. fallguy
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    fallguy Senior Member

    Isn't there a fundamental flaw? In order for the vessel to be safe enougg and not pitch or go over, it has to be large enough for the generator shafts. And, the vessel needs a counterweight which is a keel and a keel means the hulls are displacement, not likely even semi.

    Then, hull speed is limited. And then there are effficiency losses in the collection and in the engines.

    I hate to say it, and I could be wrong, but it seems like a sailboat wins.

    However, for auxiliary power, got no problem with it.

    But I see a scaling problem. Otherwise, man would have long ago made wind driven propeller boats..no?
     
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  15. Dbparke
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    Dbparke Junior Member

    It might actually be stable if they are counter rotating, much like a gyro. Windmills have been around since 500 AD, Some ancient boat builders had to try it, right ?
    Perhaps National Geographic will find one buried in the seafloor one day or discover some lost leonardo da vinci designs. <g>
    Sailboat wins hands down..
     
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