Future of Engineering

At the outset, the race seems lopsided. A single kayaker is outmanned against an Olympic-style K4 craft with four oarsmen. As expected, the foursome achieves an early lead. What happens next, however, is miraculous. The kayak accelerates to triple its speed. The kayak wins by more than a length. Einar Rasmussen arranged the informal 200-M challenge as a demonstration. The four-time Norwegian kayaking champion and physics expert and his partner, kayakbuilder Peter Ribe, have created what they hope will become the fastest human-powered craft in history—the Flyak.

There’s nothing supernatural about the Flyak’s acceleration, as the name implies, the Flyak “flies.” Its wings are underneath the water, in the form of front and rear hydrofoils. The more the surface area of a hull touches the water, the greater the vehicle’s resistance.

Once the rider works the speed up to roughly 10 KMH (6 MPH), the Flyak is ready for take-off. The energy on the oblique foils propels the hull up above the water’s surface. Once airborne, the velocity gained from paddle strokes increases dramatically. Theoretically, the Flyak can achieve speeds nearly twice as fast as conventional championship-level racing kayaks

The foils are removable and interchangeable through a hand-screw apparatus behind the seat. By removing the foils, the craft can be maneuvered like a conventional kayak

More from here

Labels: Design-Engineering, Fluid-Dynamics, Logistics-Transportation-Engineering, Naval-Architecture

The use of Shipborne Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) in the commercial maritime industry can raise both safety and operation efficiency levels. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recently passed the resolution A.861(20) Performance Standards for Shipborne Voyage Data Recorders. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is currently finalizing the technical specification of the VDR for type approval. Carriage requirements are now under discussion at IMO and will become a reality in the near future.

Some progressive shipping companies have already started to install VDR as part of an advanced Integrated Bridge System (IBS). Although the primary purpose of the VDR is for accident investigation after the fact, innovative uses of the VDR by the operators both in real-time and post voyage modes have demonstrated VDRs can improve safety as well as efficiency of operations. The concept is similar to the use of flight recorder to store engine data for maintenance in the aircraft industry. This paper describes several areas of proactive use of VDRs for central alarm management, performance efficiency monitoring, heavy weather damage avoidance and seamanship skill training.

The full paper here @ Robin Storm

Labels: Naval-Architecture

Seatec focused on the future of nautical engineering and design with Yacht Engineering Forum

Seatec, the International Exhibition of technologies and subcontracting for boat and ship builders, is investing more and more in technical events and this year has hosted events that have centred on the future of the marine industry.

Good interest was shown in the workshop on “Innovative technology of propulsion systems” organised by ATENA, the Italian Association of Naval Techniques in Genoa, with the participation of designers and manufacturers of propulsion systems, where the most recent technological developments for producing propulsion systems (engines, transmission, hydrojets, propellers, etc.) were presented, with a complete show of all the most recent technology already in use or still being researched.

Some of the events and topics were: YEF – Yacht Engineering Forum – organised with the technical consultancy of Meccano Surveying from Livorno. The symposium on nautical engineering and design deals with six issues: Project and production: the reliability of a project in its complicated production process; Classification, design and production of giga-yachts. Yachts or passenger ships? ; Ergonomics and the nautical industry: a combination of form and function; Filling and painting: the big challenge; New frontiers in the design of electric, electronic, electrotechnical systems and nautical automation; The design of large size yachts.

Source: BYM Product & Industry News

Labels: Design-Engineering, Naval-Architecture