Future Boat Developments

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A number of ideas are being worked on for future boat developments. Some are new, some have been tried before but may prove more practicable with modern technology. History tells us that many of these projects will come to nothing, but a few will set new standards in the future. According to James J. Corbett of the University of Delaware, shipping is the next still untapped item that needs to be dealt with and besides the huge economical advantage this would bring (due to heavily reduced fuel consumption), dealing with it may also decrease GHG-emissions for the boats up to 20-30% and decrease health problems in countries^[1]

Contents 1 Radical boat designs 2 More efficient sails and other propulsion systems 3 Fluid and aerodynamics technologies 4 Targeted programmes 5 Bionics research 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Radical boat designs

• DK Group has worked out a completely new model for commercial transport boats which will drastically reduce drag and thus fuel consumption^[2]
• Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics's E/S Orcelle features a radical new boat design and zero-emission engines^[3]
• Other ultra-low drag boat designs as air-cushioned Catamarans (eg Skjold and Hawaii Superferry)

[edit] More efficient sails and other propulsion systems

• SkySails
• Flettner rotors
• Turbosail
• Automated sailing systems (as too present in the Maltese Falcon^[4] and the Shin Aitoku Maru^[5][6])
• More efficient propellers as Supercavitation propellers and Pump-jets

[edit] Fluid and aerodynamics technologies

• Air Cavity Systems^[7]
• Above water hull air flow; as too found in Longships^[8]
• Continuous variable transmission propeller (as present in the WaSub2 and Hawaii Superferry)
• Drag reducing Bulbous bow-equipped ships (eg RMS Queen Mary 2)
• Hydrofoils

[edit] Targeted programmes

• The Ecolution-project set up by Wubbo Ockels is trying to make a completely "green" boat.

[edit] Bionics research

Through the field of Bionics, water resistance from friction may be reduced by a factor 7^{[citation needed]}. This has been described by Sir James Gray in his Gray's paradox. Research into implementation has been done by MIT's Center for Ocean Engineering in its RoboTuna project.^[9] Mitsubishi's robotic coelacanth, Auke Ijspeert's Amphibot as well as Andrew Sneath's Roboshark are also similar projects that tap into bionics-research to create faster water vehicles. Finally, 2 other leading professors on bionics, John Videler and Eize Stamhuis have also worked out real-life real-life improvements to boats; namely on ship stabilisors.

[edit] See also

• Zero-emissions vehicle
• Boat building

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Navy Ship Propulsion Technologies: Options for Reducing Oil Use