R/C solar-powered sail boat project

[John_Lee]

I've just completed building a fairly long sail boat, a
radio-controlled boat, which is to be powered by both batteries and
solar panels, along with the help of the wind. I'd like to use
separate flexible solar panels, they are extremely light in weight, to
power one small DC fan and one bigger DC fan. Here are the
specifications of those fans: small fan (Rated Voltage: 12VDC, Rated
Power Current: 0.15 Amp, Rate Power Consumption: 1.8 W); big fan
(Rated Voltage: 12VDC, Rated Power Current: 1.0 Amp, Rate Power
Consumption: 12.5 W). These fans will be placed in a way that they
blow air at the sails, thus propelling the boat. I would like to sail
this boat for 5 hours non-stop.

My question: based on the specifications of the fans, what are the
sizes for the solar panels (in terms of Rate Power Consumption) for
the small fan and the big fan? Thank you.

John.

 

[Graham W]

I've just completed building a fairly long sail boat, a
radio-controlled boat, which is to be powered by both batteries and
solar panels, along with the help of the wind. I'd like to use
separate flexible solar panels, they are extremely light in weight, to
power one small DC fan and one bigger DC fan. Here are the
specifications of those fans: small fan (Rated Voltage: 12VDC, Rated
Power Current: 0.15 Amp, Rate Power Consumption: 1.8 W); big fan
(Rated Voltage: 12VDC, Rated Power Current: 1.0 Amp, Rate Power
Consumption: 12.5 W). These fans will be placed in a way that they
blow air at the sails, thus propelling the boat.

Don't be silly! How can that ever work? If you really want to use
fans to propel the boat then they must exhaust freely directly rearwards.

Forget about using the small fan. It has about 1/400 HP electrical
input and virtually nothing in the way of thrust. I measured less than
3 grammes (1/10 ounce) in a practical test.

I would like to sail
this boat for 5 hours non-stop.

Then make sure your RC batteries are up to that service interval.

My question: based on the specifications of the fans, what are the
sizes for the solar panels (in terms of Rate Power Consumption) for
the small fan and the big fan?

I don't understand the question. You already have the info in the
fan specs above.

 

[Rich Grise]

John_Lee wrote:
....

These fans will be placed in a way that they
blow air at the sails, thus propelling the boat. I would like to sail
this boat for 5 hours non-stop.

Visions of Wile E. Coyote are dancing in my head. ;-P

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Dave Platt]

I've just completed building a fairly long sail boat, a
radio-controlled boat, which is to be powered by both batteries and
solar panels, along with the help of the wind. I'd like to use
separate flexible solar panels, they are extremely light in weight, to
power one small DC fan and one bigger DC fan. Here are the
specifications of those fans: small fan (Rated Voltage: 12VDC, Rated
Power Current: 0.15 Amp, Rate Power Consumption: 1.8 W); big fan
(Rated Voltage: 12VDC, Rated Power Current: 1.0 Amp, Rate Power
Consumption: 12.5 W).

These fans will be placed in a way that they
blow air at the sails, thus propelling the boat. I would like to sail
this boat for 5 hours non-stop.

#splorf#

Beg pardon, but if you mean to do what I think you mean to do... it
won't work. At best, you boat will just sit there, at worst it will
actually travel backwards.

My question: based on the specifications of the fans, what are the
sizes for the solar panels (in terms of Rate Power Consumption) for
the small fan and the big fan? Thank you.

Well, for what it's worth, most easily-available solar panels seem to
require somewhat in excess of 1 square foot of panel space to deliver
10 watts of power in direct bright sun. 2 square feet per 10 watts is
probably a good figure to shoot for.

However, unless you're planning to sail this boat in a circular path
around some sort of "racetrack", and can mount the panels and fans on
the "shore" to blow air forwards at an angle onto the boat as it sails
by... I suggest you re-think your idea.

The old trick of "person on boat holds fan, fan blows air on sails,
sails push boat forwards" only works in cartoons. In real life,
Newton's second law of motion prevents this from working.

 

[Dave VanHorn]

Your sail should be a vertical cylinder, which you spin around it's vertical
axis.

 

[Mark (UK)]

HAHAHA!! LOL!!!

Reminds me of a Popeye cartoon, where Bluto is chasing after Popeye and
Olive, who are on a ship - Popeye eats some spinach, then blows at the
sails and the boat zooms off!!

Seriously though, that Newton dude said that for every action, there is
an equal and opposite reaction, so if the fan blows the sail, the boat
will try to move forward, but the fan will also move backwards by the
same amount, therefore making the boat go nowhere, or if the fan is
powerful enough, rip the boat in half, then the front bit will go
forward, and the back bit will go backwards - until it sinks!

Yours, Mark.

 

[Gareth]

HAHAHA!! LOL!!!

Reminds me of a Popeye cartoon, where Bluto is chasing after Popeye and
Olive, who are on a ship - Popeye eats some spinach, then blows at the
sails and the boat zooms off!!

Seriously though, that Newton dude said that for every action, there is
an equal and opposite reaction, so if the fan blows the sail, the boat
will try to move forward, but the fan will also move backwards by the
same amount, therefore making the boat go nowhere

That is true if the fan was blowing forwards directly onto a sail angled
perpendicular to the direction of motion, but suppose you put the sail
at 45 degrees to the desired direction of travel and positioned the fan
at the side of the boat blowing perpendicular to the direction of
travel. I think that would result in some forward force. It would be
less efficient than just having the fan blow backwards with no sails,
but would look more realistic as the sail would have wind in it. I
assume that is what the OP wants.

Gareth.

--

 

[Lewin A.R.W. Edwards]

Consumption: 12.5 W). These fans will be placed in a way that they

blow air at the sails, thus propelling the boat. I would like to sail
this boat for 5 hours non-stop.

I'm reminded of the Good Ship Venus:

The first mate's name was Carter
He really was a farter
When the wind wouldn't blow and the ship wouldn't go
They got Carter the farter to start 'er.

 

[Rheilly Phoull]

I've just completed building a fairly long sail boat, a
radio-controlled boat, which is to be powered by both batteries and
solar panels, along with the help of the wind. I'd like to use
separate flexible solar panels, they are extremely light in weight, to
power one small DC fan and one bigger DC fan. Here are the
specifications of those fans: small fan (Rated Voltage: 12VDC, Rated
Power Current: 0.15 Amp, Rate Power Consumption: 1.8 W); big fan
(Rated Voltage: 12VDC, Rated Power Current: 1.0 Amp, Rate Power
Consumption: 12.5 W). These fans will be placed in a way that they
blow air at the sails, thus propelling the boat. I would like to sail
this boat for 5 hours non-stop.

My question: based on the specifications of the fans, what are the
sizes for the solar panels (in terms of Rate Power Consumption) for
the small fan and the big fan? Thank you.

John.

Take the power and apply it to an underwater fan.

 

[William P.N. Smith]

specifications of those fans: small fan Rate Power Consumption: 1.8 W
big fan Rate Power Consumption: 12.5 W

These fans will be placed in a way that they
blow air at the sails, thus propelling the boat.

I don't think that means what you think it means.

I would like to sail
this boat for 5 hours non-stop.

Will the sun be shining, or do you want battery power to take up the
slack?

My question: based on the specifications of the fans, what are the
sizes for the solar panels (in terms of Rate Power Consumption) for
the small fan and the big fan? Thank you.

Uh, 1.8 watts and 12.5 watts...

 

[Mark (UK)]

ROFLMAO

 

[William P.N. Smith]

actually not - the standard rating for solar panels is based on an
illumination of 1kW/m^2, but actual sunlight will be less

Ah, right you are, I was confusing the output he needs with the solar
panel ratings. Now that I think about it, mounting "angle" and
shading are going to be nightmares.

How about "as much as you can fit on the boat"? I suspect Rheilly
Phoull's answer of an underwater fan is going to be your best bet...

 

[andy]

I don't think that means what you think it means.


Will the sun be shining, or do you want battery power to take up the
slack?


Uh, 1.8 watts and 12.5 watts...

actually not - the standard rating for solar panels is based on an
illumination of 1kW/m^2, but actual sunlight will be less than this unless
you live on the equator. the sheet i have says a 10 watt rated panel gives
2.5 Ah/day at 12V on average in a UK summer, which should give some idea.

 

[Roger Gt]

<William P.N. Smith> wrote in message
: [I wrote]
: >> Uh, 1.8 watts and 12.5 watts...
:
: >actually not - the standard rating for solar panels is based on
an
: >illumination of 1kW/m^2, but actual sunlight will be less
:
: Ah, right you are, I was confusing the output he needs with the
solar
: panel ratings. Now that I think about it, mounting "angle" and
: shading are going to be nightmares.
:
: How about "as much as you can fit on the boat"? I suspect
Rheilly
: Phoull's answer of an underwater fan is going to be your best
bet...
:

FYI -- Just so you know:

An "Under water fan" is normally referred to as a "Wheel" on a
boat.

 

[William P.N. Smith]

An "Under water fan" is normally referred to as a "Wheel" on a
boat.

Nope, wheels aren't going to help. He's going to need to put a
propeller on it.

"Does anal-retentive have a hyphen?" 8*)

 

[Roger Gt]

<William P.N. Smith> wrote
: >An "Under water fan" is normally referred to as a "Wheel" on a
: >boat.
:
: Nope, wheels aren't going to help. He's going to need to put a
: propeller on it.
:
: "Does anal-retentive have a hyphen?" 8*)
:

I see you do not speak English, I intended to provide English
speaking adults with information, so it was clearly not directed
to B. S. (Little Billy Smith)!

In answer to Mr. Smiths inane question, the answer is obvious by
inspection, something you are clearly are unaware of, but should
be able to see once it is pointed out to you!

BTW, The horizontal wench used to control the rudder is a "Helm"
not a wheel. A Propeller is a component, and when installed it is
a "Wheel!"

If we are to speak, let us be understood clearly and
unambiguously!

Trying to be funny works only if you ARE funny! Otherwise your
just a SA!

 

[William P.N. Smith]

Trying to be funny works only if you ARE funny!

Ah, now I understand Roger. (Should I bother with the smileys? Naw,
Roger Git doesn't git them...)

 

[Roger Gt]

< B. S.> wrote
: "Roger Gt" wrote
: >Trying to be funny works only if you ARE funny!
:
: Ah, now I understand Roger. (Should I bother with the smileys?
Naw,
: Roger Git doesn't git them...)

No, you Don't get it!
Besides, your smiley sucked!

 

[keithdisco]

and
the captins cat was called hall
it only had 1 ball
its fravorate trick was to stand on its dick and fly shit up the chart room
wall

 

[keithdisco]

Twas on the good ship Venus,
By Christ you should have seen us;
The figurehead
Was a nude in bed
Sucking a dead man's penis. Alternatives

Chorus:

Frigging in the rigging,
Wanking on the planking,
Tossing on the crossing,
There was ****-all else to do.

The captain's name was Lugger.
By Christ he was a bugger.
He wasn't fit
To shovel shit
From one ship to another.
The first mate's name was Carter.
By God he was a farter.
When the wind wouldn't blow,
And the ship wouldn't go,
Carter the farter was starter. The first mate's name was Carter.
He was a champion farter
He could fart anything
from God Save the King
To Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
The second mate's name was Hopper.
By God he had a whopper;
Twice round the deck,
Thrice round his neck,
And up his arse for a stopper.
The third mate's name was Breen
he invented a wankin machine
On the 99th stroke
the friggin thing broke
and whipped his balls to cream
In the chart-room there was Andy,
By Christ he had a dandy,
Till they crushed his cock
On a jagged rock
For coming in the brandy.
The bosun's name was Wear,
He was a champion pee-er.
He hosed the decks,
He washed our necks,
And made the captain's tea...er!
The third mate's name was Morgan,
By god he was a gorgon,
From half past eight
he played till late,
Upon the captain's organ. The captain's name was Morgan,
By Christ he was a gorgon.
Ten times a day
He'd stop and play
With his fucking organ.
The captain's wife was Mabel,
And by God was she able
To give the crew
Their daily screw
Upon the galley table.
The captain's daughter Charlotte,
Was born and bred a harlot,
Her thighs at night
were lily white,
By morning they were scarlet.
Another daughter, Betty
To screw was always ready
She'd fornicate
Withthe second mate
And suck-off his bunkmate, Teddy
The cabin boy was Kipper,
By Christ he was a nipper.
He stuffed his arse
with broken glass
And circumcised the skipper.

The cabin boy's name was Davy,
We stole him from the navy
And sat his bum
In boiling rum
For pissing in the gravy.
The captain's lovely daughter
Liked swimming in the water.
Delighted squeals
Came when some eels
Swam into her sexual quarters.
The captain's daughter, Mabel,
Though young, was fresh and able,
To fornicate
with the second mate,
Upon the chartroom table.
The cook his name was Freeman,
He was a dirty demon,
He fed the crew
On menstral stew
And hymens fried in semen.
The chinese cook was Chang
By christ had he a wang.
To ring the bell
and raise some hell
He used his wang to clang

The ship's dog's name was Rover,
We turned that poor thing over,
And ground and ground
that faithful hound
From Tenerife to Dover.
The ship's cat's name was Kitty,
Her arse was black and shitty.
Her little twot
Was piping hot
From a crew who knew no pitty
And when we reached our station,
Through skillful navigation,
The ship got sunk
in a wave of spunk,
From too much fornication. Twas on the China Station,
They won their first citation,
They sunk a junk
In a sea of spunk,
By mutual masturbation