NL1010923C2 - Boat, has at least one sail containing a sealed cavity filled with a light gas, e.g. helium - Google Patents

Abstract

The sail contains a cavity filled with a light gas in order to generate an upthrust which reduces friction between the boat and water. A boat such as a freighter, oil tanker or yacht is provided with at least one mast and sail, a double-walled body (4) forming a sealed cavity being used to form the sail. The cavity is filled with a gas having a low specific weight, e.g. helium.

Description

Vessel with helium sail

The invention relates to a vessel of any kind, such as a cargo ship, oil tanker, pleasure yacht or the like, provided with at least a mast with an associated sail for wind propulsion.

Such vessels are generally known. For example, there have once been proposals to provide oil tankers with sailing rigging in order to propel them by wind in addition to normal propulsion.

The object of the invention is to be a further development of this prior art. To this end, she proposes a vessel that is distinguished in that the sail is double-walled to form a hollow closed space for receiving a gas with a low specific weight, such as helium.

Thanks to the filling of a low-gravity gas in the double-walled sails, an upward lifting component takes place on the entire vessel, which ensures that the friction which the vessel finds during the propulsion of the surrounding water is below-20. , becomes less. This lifting component is independent of the speed of the vessel, so that it does not have to be carried out with the known lifting means such as lifting fin constructions (hydrofoil). It is therefore not necessary to provide additional motor power for the normal propulsion, on the contrary, less power will suffice.

In one embodiment, according to the invention, the sail is mounted symmetrically on the mast, which ensures that no additional bending load is exerted on the mast 30, which enables a slender construction.

For stabilization, the invention proposes to provide one or more three bodies to the hull, which are preferably constructed as parallel hull parts of the vessel.

These stabilizing hulls can protrude deeper into the water than the main hull, which could achieve a catamaran effect.

Finally, the invention proposes to incorporate pressure spaces in one or more hull parts, in order to temporarily deprive the gas of low specific weight from the sails and store them under pressure, so that the sails 10 can be stored, for example if poor occurs again, resp. a port must be visited.

The invention is further elucidated in the figure description below of two exemplary embodiments.

15 The drawing shows:

Fig. 1 is a perspective top view of a three-hull carriage, fitted with a transverse rig,

Fig. 2 a corresponding perspective top view, however with a longitudinal rigging.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts.

The vessel consists here of three hull parts, 1, 2 and 3, it being noted that these 25 hull parts are not exhaustive. Of course, two spaced apart body parts, more than three body parts, one body part with separate floats can be used on either side thereof.

Furthermore, the hull parts are suitable for storing cargo, for example oil or the like liquids, but it is also possible to use the hull parts as a container ship and the like. The invention is nevertheless also suitable for craft in the form of pleasure yachts or as ships for passenger transport.

In the shown embodiment it can be seen that hull part 2 is provided with five vertically upright masts, each of which, at the top, in Figure 1 is provided with a sail body, which is of hollow construction. According to the invention, this cavity which is gastight is filled with a gas of low specific gravity. It will be clear that an upwardly directed force F1 is exerted on the mast by each sail, body 4, which is distributed uniformly over the middle hull section 2 by the longitudinally positioned masts.

Each sail body 4 is mirror-symmetrical with respect to the associated masts 5, and can be rotated around the mast 5, which can take place, for example, by means of a motor 6, which is shown schematically.

It is also possible to fasten the mast to the sail body 4, and even rotate the motor below deck, achieving the same effect.

The cross section of each sail body 4 is preferably wing-shaped, so that good wind guidance takes place with the adjacent sail body.

Since the propulsion can take place by its own internal motor, the chimney outlets 20 of which are indicated by 7, a certain forward speed of the vessel takes place. With this forward speed and the wind direction, the position of each sailing body 4 can be determined, in order to obtain a propulsion factor F2, 25 which also contributes to the forward speed, by means of the sailing bodies. Thus, the main engine can be reduced in capacity, and the fuel for propulsion can also be reduced.

Finally, it is noted that all other known buoyancy-reducing agents are applied between hull and water, for instance by known drip-noses in the bow, or air curtains, respectively, along the underwater hull of the vessel.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment in which the sailing bodies 4 'are fixed to the mast 5 not transversely but rigidly. This means that the cross-section of each sail body 4 'has a wing profile which together with the adjacent sail body 41 gives a passage 1010923 4 for the wind which extends optimally in the direction of the propulsion components F2.

Obviously, the operation and setting of the sail bodies 4 'can be carried out by any means, for example by rotating the mast 5 relative to the hull, assuming that the sail body 4' is fixedly attached to the mast 5 . On the other hand, the sail body 4 'can be rotatable around the mast 5, with internal and external means ensuring the setting of the sail position.

In both embodiments, it is ensured that pressure spaces are accommodated in one of the fuselage parts 1, 2, 3 for collecting the low-density gas, if the upward component F1 is to be reduced, for example when approaching the port.

In both embodiments it is assumed that the sailing bodies are made of a solid material, for instance aluminum, so that the storage of the sailing bodies 4 is not possible. Within the scope of the invention it is also possible to make the sail bodies of bendable material, whereby support constructions such as ribs, ribs or the like can be used to obtain the correct shape. Thanks to the foldable material, the sail bodies can be completely stored, so that the sensitivity against heavy weather can be reduced.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

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Claims (7)

A vessel of any kind, such as a cargo ship, oil tanker, pleasure yacht or the like, provided with at least a mast with an associated sail for wind propulsion, characterized in that the sail 5 is double-walled to form a hollow closed space for accommodating a gas with a low specific weight, such as helium. Vessel according to claim 1, characterized in that the sail is mounted symmetrically on the mast. Vessel according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hull of the vessel is provided with one or more floating bodies for stabilization. Vessel according to claim 3, characterized in that the floating bodies are designed as a hull 15 parallel to the hull of the vessel. Vessel according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that at least one hull part is provided with motor-driven propulsion and / or steering means. 6. Vessel according to claim 5, characterized in that a propellant jet pivotable about a vertical axis is used as propulsion and / or steering means. 7. A vessel according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a storage space is accommodated in a hull section for storing the gas for the sail under pressure. 1010313