Reverse Wind Generator

[Reality Check]

I recall almost falling off the Dock at Nanny Cay once when a large group of Charter Boaters were getting their boat briefing. One of the Charters asked what the two things with blades was for... the check out briefer said they were Wind Generators... only to be answered by someone else who popped up and said " Oh, so when the wind dies out we can crank those up and still sail!!".... at which point several others in the party indicated that they thought that was such a great thing to have... the briefer jaw simply dropped....

We do seem to name things that can cause unintended mis-communications such as the previously mentioned diesel Generator that produces no Diesel, Flash lights that do not Flash.... or a Torch which I can only picture as a stick with a wad of cloth and tar on fire at one end, heads on a boat, booms that make no noise when properly used. People who buy sailboats only to motor 99% of the time??? Sailors who live on boats tied up to a dock and have never had the boat off the dock in any recallable history.

Even on land in North America we park in Drive Ways and Drive in Parkways.

Let us not even consider how you produce Baby Oil or Baby Milk.

Names of some things just hide what they really are... on the waters and on land.

Well it is raining outside and I'm stuck here on the boat... what else to do... Ohhh Rum!!!

[futureoptions]

Ilike the part about the wind generator not producing diesel. That's beacause you are trying to create a material substance from energy- very difficult... However I have made an interesting observation...I reversed my boat-and it went backwards, so I'm going to wind my clock backwards-and travel through time......

[pressuredrop]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

You've got it exactly backwards. Using the propeller to move the boat like an airboat would work. It would work very badly, and very inefficiently, and probably wouldn't even get you moving a half a knot, but it would work. Aiming the propeller at the sail to try to generate wind to move the boat, however, is an attempt to violate the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

denverdon - please explain how exactly this violates the laws.

it would seem that in theory of there were zero wind - and you had a boat with a big ass fan behind you blowing at you, you could sail down wind, you would move and the boat with the fan would get closer and you would keep moving, then the boat with the could fan stay right behind the sail boat and moves the same speed the as sail boat is, it would push it right along. so if the boat with the fan is traveling at the same speed at a fixed distance from the sailboat/sails this would be equivalent to a big fan on the back of the sailboat blowing it down wind, why wont this work?!?

Thanks for your patience
Ben

- i can see that the rotation of the blades in order to blow the sail would want to push the boat backwards. im guessing it is a zero sum and the force of the wind on the sails can never exceed the force of the blades pushing back. hence the other boat in the example needs power to keep up and that is what makes it work, ok i think it all makes sence now, thanks guys!

[Chief Engineer]

Why so judgemental?

You get pissed when you see people motoring?

Unless you are picking up a mooring I would like to see you dock.

I've done it quite a few times....it does impress the beejeezus out of people but really annoys marina owners.

It IS a violation in most...if not all marinas to come in under sail

Originally Posted by geckosenator

I want to use it for propulsion. Yes it would not be powerful, but I do not like boats with powerful motors. I laugh at people who are impatient and use gas motors. I also get pissed when I see people motoring when there is more than 3 knots of wind (watch out I'm getting torpedos) Dont want to hear them or smell their fumes.

.

[Therapy]

Trolling.
Troller.
Trolled.
Are those words?

[sailmed52]

Amazing to watch the threads...
I have a Danish friend who powers her 36ft sailboat in and out of the slip, and can make 4 knts against 20 knots of wind when needed. All with the use of a DC motor aligned with the prop shaft. Storage and charging are called for.
check "asmo marine" under google as one word.
Why should we not think that a few properly coupled wind generators could do the same on a smaller boat.
I would personally venture to install one larger unit long side the main shaft and be letting the windgenerators make up what percent they may continuously.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by pressuredrop

it would seem that in theory of there were zero wind - and you had a boat with a big ass fan behind you blowing at you, you could sail down wind...

If it was a different boat, with its own separate power source, yeah, that would work. If you have the fan mounted on YOUR boat then the old "equal and opposite reaction" comes into play. In other words, the fan exerts more force BACKWARDS than you can gain FORWARDS from the sails. The only way for a fan to move a boat forwards (or, at least. the most efficient way) is to turn the fan backwards and use it like the propeller on an airboat.

Of course, trying to do this with the fan of a wind generator is going to be an exercise in futility. You would probably move the boat 5 times as fast using a sculling oar.

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

Why so judgemental?

You get pissed when you see people motoring?

Unless you are picking up a mooring I would like to see you dock.

I've done it quite a few times....it does impress the beejeezus out of people but really annoys marina owners.

It IS a violation in most...if not all marinas to come in under sail

I am not talking about getting in and out of a slip. I personally manage to sail in and out every time when docking, but unfortunately I'm sure there are marinas that have not RRbeen well designed for sail power. Also I am anchored, I do not dock all that often.

My complaint is when I see and there is plenty of wind to sail in open areas (sometimes with sails flogging the whole time) Don't people realize our oil supplies should be used for a better purpose? (like making things out of it not burning it)

Originally Posted by sailmed52

Amazing to watch the threads...
I have a Danish friend who powers her 36ft sailboat in and out of the slip, and can make 4 knts against 20 knots of wind when needed. All with the use of a DC motor aligned with the prop shaft. Storage and charging are called for.
check "asmo marine" under google as one word.
Why should we not think that a few properly coupled wind generators could do the same on a smaller boat.
I would personally venture to install one larger unit long side the main shaft and be letting the windgenerators make up what percent they may continuously.

That is very cool. Now that my engine is being used as a tertiary anchor, I have access to the prop shaft. I am considering putting an electric motor there, see:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post380193