Sail Faster than Wind (Physics Demonstration)
69.4k Chancey21
3.6 years ago
It's real, check every part
This craft sails directly forward in a 15 mph wind and goes 19 mph ground speed
This build was based on and inspired by a newly released Veritasium video. In the said video, a craft is shown to sail directly with the wind, faster than the wind. I was gripped by an urge to understand how this could possibly work, so I provided a physics demo in SP for everyone to dissect.
Thanks,
Specifications
General Characteristics
- Created On Mac
- Wingspan 24.1ft (7.4m)
- Length 30.2ft (9.2m)
- Height 18.2ft (5.6m)
- Empty Weight 192lbs (87kg)
- Loaded Weight 192lbs (87kg)
Performance
- Wing Loading 1.8lbs/ft2 (9.0kg/m2)
- Wing Area 104.9ft2 (9.8m2)
- Drag Points 27955
Parts
- Number of Parts 498
- Control Surfaces 0
- Performance Cost 1,459
I want to modify it to sail on the sea behind the beast and catch up with the beast without any fuel!
Oh, I looked up about it in a Veritaseum video recently.
Simple explanation and why it won't work with an electric generator: The reason it works is because the power to the propeller is dependent on ground speed, or how fast the wheels move along the ground. When the machine reaches wind speed or when its IAS = 0 through normal means(the air pushing the craft), its GS would still greater than 0, therefore, the wheels would be powering the prop. And when a prop is powered at 0 IAS, the craft would tend to move in the direction of thrust. With a generator(connected to the turbine), the generator would also be dependent on IAS, so it would never be able to go past wind speed.
@Chancey21 what I was trying to say was if you could use a geared prop hooked up to gyrocopters main rotor to counter the downwind drift of the machine, think a kite that can stay in the air without a string attached. Propulsion would be provided by other means.
Impossible, because you can’t recover enough energy from the wind to sail directly into it... I think @FishMiner
I couldn't love Veritasium more
hmmmm, I wonder if instead of wheels I used a prop, like how a gyrocopter rotor works, but geared to another rotor to make an unsupported wind powered airship
hacks
to be honest, i saw the video and dispite some factors make sense, i couldn't understand the full picture of the thing
I might try one with zero mass/zero drag @AWESOMENESS360
this hurts, but it’s a good kind of hurt
Perpetual Motion Machine when?
oh wow
That moment when everyone catches up with the engineers for the America's Cup! LOL
@Chancey21 yeah my college is rlly cool i gotta flex a bit lol
Awesome @ChrisPy
yessir im studying to be at least i graduated the 14th and am now a freshman aerospace engineer i get to work with spirit, cessna, bombardier, dassault, airbus, and some others. @Chancey21
Are you an aerospace engineer? @ChrisPy
that moment when you break an aerospace engineers mind 😃
you hurt me lol
technically yes, But that is not sustainable. What makes this craft special and seems to defy logic is that is can infinitely drive at higher speed than it's tailwind @asteroidbook345
If you’re using a wind turbine powering a generator wouldn’t it be possible to store the energy in a battery and then drive faster than the wind while recharging the battery in the oncoming wind
Intriguing
Cool
What?!? One of the few times confusion is beautiful.
Thank you @Khanskaya