[Assam] A wave of the future?

[mc mahant]

Ram,
You missed reading the "KonTiki Expedition" as a teenager?
mm



> Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:18:03 -0500> From: assamrs at gmail.com> To: assam at assamnet.org> Subject: [Assam] A wave of the future?> > This is just fantastic. Is this feasible thoug?> > > > * (From the New York Times)*> > > > > *March 11, 2008 **Long Ocean Voyage Set for Vessel That Runs on Wave Power *> > *By JOHN GEOGHEGAN*> > On Sunday, a boat will sail from Honolulu on a planned voyage of 3,780> nautical miles, powered just by the wave action of the sea.> > The craft, the Suntory Mermaid II, is promoted as the first oceangoing,> wave-powered boat. If it completes its maiden voyage from the Hawaii Yacht> Club to the Kii Channel off the east coast of Japan, it will show that an> environmentally friendly wave-powered boat not only works in the laboratory,> but can also navigate in real-world conditions.> > And the journey would set a record for the longest trip by a wave-powered> vessel.> > Dr. Yutaka Terao of the department of naval architecture and ocean> engineering at the Tokai University School of Marine Science and Technology> is responsible for engineering the propulsion system for the Mermaid.> > "Fossil fuel will run out one day," Dr. Terao said. "So I have studied wave> propulsion as a promising way to save energy."> > He has been doing so for more than 20 years.> > The Mermaid propulsion mechanism is mounted under the bow and not the stern,> and it is designed to pull the boat, rather than push it forward, regardless> of weather, wave height or direction.> > The mechanism consists of two side-by-side horizontal fins that move up and> down with the motion of the waves to create a dolphinlike tail kick that> propels the boat.> > "A wave-powered boat can transform wave energy into a propulsive power that> moves the craft forward," Dr. Terao said.> > He conducted his first large-scale test of a "wave devouring boat" in> partnership with Dr. Hiroshi Isshiki of the Hitachi Zosen Corporation in> 1988.> > The test was on Suruga Bay, near Mount Fuji, and used a single 12 1/2 -foot> fin mounted on the bow of the Tokai University teaching vessel. The test was> considered a success when three-foot waves propelled the 20-ton boat at 2> knots.> > The test did not bring interest from shipbuilders. To improve efficiency,> Dr. Terao arrived at the two-fin configuration.> > According to an English patent application, wave-powered boats have been in> development since at least 1895. In 1935, Popular Science reported that an> 18-inch model of a wave-powered boat traveled five miles per hour in a test> off Long Beach, Calif.> > Until now, tests of wave-powered boats have been small scale or in simulated> conditions. This is the first time a three-ton wave-powered boat has been> tested over thousands of miles.> > "I am not aware of any attempts by a wave-powered boat over such a> distance," said R. W. Yeung, a professor of naval architecture and ocean> engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. "They could be> successful, but it's a risky undertaking. It depends a lot on weather> conditions."> > The Guinness Book of World Records lists the captain of the Mermaid,> Ken-ichi Horie, 69, as holding two records for piloting environmentally> sensitive boats. In 1993, Captain Horie set a 4,660-nautical-mile record in> a human-powered pedal boat. The record, in 1996, was for the fastest Pacific> crossing in a solar-powered boat, 148 days.> > Captain Horie has run successful sea trials of the Mermaid. Progress of the> coming voyage can be tracked at> www.suntory-mermaid2.com.<http://www.suntory-mermaid2.com/>> > Mr. Horie will have access to a sail and a motor if the wave-powered> mechanism fails. In case of an emergency, the motor can also be used to> recharge the batteries on the boat.> > The Mermaid may set a distance record, but it will not break any speed> records. Traveling at an average three knots per hour, the trip from Hawaii> to Japan should take two and a half months, meaning the Mermaid is not> expected to arrive at its destination before the end of May.> _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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