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| Nov 15, 2009 1:36 pm |
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On fins and nuclear powered ships |
Ken Hilving
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The discussion on the more efficient blade based on the humpback whale's fin and the kayak tangent has me wondering.
Nuclear powered submarines and surface ships use steam turbines to power propellors. There are advantages to steam turbines over steam pistons, but rapid torque is not one of them. The dual powered stroke of a steam piston seems a better match for the pedal powered kayak where the strokes are converted to flapping fins. A steam piston engine can also use a lower pressured steam.
Assuming the flapping fin propulsion from nature is more efficient and quieter than a propellor drive, using such an approach might make sense for ships. Nuclear powered steam would be the power source, and a steam piston engine might be the better design. The rapid availability of torque would allow the vessels to go from still to speed much like fish and aquatic mammals, certainly an advantage for military vessels and useful perhaps to commercial shipping.
The marlin is the fastest swimmer, and it uses a single fin approach for power. This might be another source of innovation for powering ships, still moving towards a flapping versus rotary propulsion design.
Further mimicking might address maneuverability issues. Fish seem pretty good at direction change, acceleration, and deceleration.
Why stick with nuclear power? It is a proven approach for ships. The steam piston might reduce the size of reactors necessary. Private Reply to Ken Hilving (new win) |
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