CA2128724A1 - Compact self-trimming wingsail - Google Patents
Compact self-trimming wingsailInfo
- Publication number
- CA2128724A1 CA2128724A1 CA002128724A CA2128724A CA2128724A1 CA 2128724 A1 CA2128724 A1 CA 2128724A1 CA 002128724 A CA002128724 A CA 002128724A CA 2128724 A CA2128724 A CA 2128724A CA 2128724 A1 CA2128724 A1 CA 2128724A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- thrust wing
- auxiliary
- aerofoil
- wing
- wingsail
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
- B63H9/00—Marine propulsion provided directly by wind power
- B63H9/04—Marine propulsion provided directly by wind power using sails or like wind-catching surfaces
- B63H9/06—Types of sail; Constructional features of sails; Arrangements thereof on vessels
- B63H9/061—Rigid sails; Aerofoil sails
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
- Structures Of Non-Positive Displacement Pumps (AREA)
- Wind Motors (AREA)
- Manufacture Of Alloys Or Alloy Compounds (AREA)
- Prostheses (AREA)
- Transition And Organic Metals Composition Catalysts For Addition Polymerization (AREA)
- Arrangement Of Elements, Cooling, Sealing, Or The Like Of Lighting Devices (AREA)
Abstract
A wingsail assembly comprising at least one rigid thrust wing (1) mounted for free rotation about an upright axis (8). The assembly including means (11) for rotating or translating at least a portion of the thrust wing so as to adjust the location of the instantaneous centre of pressure (9) of the thrust wing with respect to the upright axis. The thrust wing is trimmed by an upwind auxiliary vane (7), freely pivoted upwind of its centre of pressure, the angle of attack of the auxiliary vane being controlled by the position of a secondary control aerofoil (15) positioned downwind from the auxiliary vane.
Description
212872~
WO 93/15951 PCT~GB93/00186 COMPACT SELF-TRIMMING WINGSAIL
This in~ention relates to wingsai}.s and especially to self-trimming wingsails.
A wingsail is an assembly including one or more aerofoil sectio~s, usually rigid, that is mounted span upright to propel a vessel. European patent specifications 61291, 96554 and 328254 describe various aspects of wingsails, including self-trimming wingsails, of a general type to ~ which the present invention has particular rele~ance. In : such a self-trimming wingsail the angle of attark of a main thrust wing or winys about an upright axis is controlled by an auxiliary control aerofoil or vane, called a tail vane, mounted on a boom extending downwind from the thrust wing.
Success with designs incorporating upwind auxiliary con~rol aerofoils has not so far been achieved.
With the~prior art self-trimming arrangements incorporating a tail vane, the win~sail assembly has a substan~ial overall tximming ~ircle which i5 ~acceptable on craft with a wide beam,~ such as mul~i-hull sailing vessels or on ships where ingsails are~ used as auxiliary power, when the trimming circle will remain within the plan area of the -cra~t, but on narrower single hulled craft the trimming circle might overhang ~the gunwales, which is not very practical. One : aspect of the present invention is therefore directed ~: :
: towards pro~iding a self-trimming rig with a more compact trimming circle.
Another problem that can æi~e with self-trLmming wingsails is that the movement of the centre of pressure of the main - thrust wing as the angle of attack changes, or as the ` relative deflection: vf the wing elemen~s are changed, 35 changes the effective turning moment about the main axis of the thrust wing. If the centre of pressure of the main thrust wing is too far from the main axis the compensatory 212~72~
trimming moment required from the auxiliary vane is greater, which in turn leads to a requirement ~or a larger auxiliary vane and more powerful associated deflection control mechanisms, or to a longer boom and therefore a larger trimming circle. Other aspects of the inYention are directed towards controlling the position of the centre of pressur.e with respect to the main thrust wing axis, and to techniques for minimising the power requirements for auxiliary ~ane mo~ement.
Accordingly the in~ention pro~ides a wingsail assembly comprising at least one thrust wing mounted for free rotation about an upright axis, and inclu~ing means for rotating and/or translating at least a portio~ of the thrust wing upstream or downstream so as to adjust the location of the instantaneous centre of pressure of the thrust wing with respect to the upright axis.
The invention preferably also comprises an auxiliary vane upwind of the thrust wing and arranged to trLm the ~hrust wing about the axis~ in which the auxiliary vane is freely pivoted upwind of its centre of pressure and the angle of at~ack of the auxiliary vane is controlled by the position of a second ~ control aerofoil positioned downwind ~rom the a~xiliary vane.
A further aspect of the invention provides a wingsail assembly comprising a thrust wing freely rotatable about an upright axis and an auxiliary Yane upwind of the thrust wing and arranged to trLm the thrust wing about the axis, in which the auxiliary vane is freely pivoted upwind of its centre of pressure and the angle of attack of the auxiliary ~ane is controlled by the position of a secondary control aerofoil positioned dow~wind from the auxiliary vane.
3~
The in~ention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
212~724 ;:~. WO 93/15951 PCT/GB93/00186 Figure 1 schematically illustrates a vessel carrying a wingsail with a tail vane;
Figure 2 schematically illustrates a wingsail thrust wing having a tilting mechanism and with an upwind control vane and secondary control vane;
Figure 3 schematically illustrates a plan view of the :~ wingsail of Figure 2;
Fi ~ re 4 schematically illustrates the wingsail of Fig~re 2 tilted;
~igure 5 illustrates in plan view the wingsail of Figure 4 with aerofoils deflected for thrusting; and ; Figure 6 schematically illustrates an a1ternative secondary contxo1 vane mounting.
:: 20 Referring firstly to Figuxe l, a self-tr~ming wingsail is shown on a~vessel. The wingsail comprises a thrusk wing 1, which may ~be a single-plane or multi-planP, and each plane may be s ~ ple~or may~comprise a~le~ading element and trailing element that~can be pivoted ~o deflected posi~ions as :: 25 described for example in~ European Patent Specifications 6129~1, 9~6554 and ~328254. A tail ~ane 2 is mounted on a boom 3: extending ~fr~m the thrust wing. The complete wingsail assemb1y is freely`rotatable about a main bearing :~ axis:~. A~countexmass 5 is provided to mass balance the wingsail about the main axis~ In operation, deflection of : the tail vane to a particular angle with respect to the wind provides a ~t-~rning force, acting over the length of the : boom 3, to rotate the wing5ail about the main axis 4 to a tr~mmed angIe of attack. ~he arrangement shown has a trLmming circle of~radius indicated by line 6. A trimmed angle of attack configuratio~ may be defined as one in which he moment o~ the main thrust wing about ~he axis 4 i.s WO 93t15951 PCT/GB93/001.
balanced by an equal and opposite moment provided by the auxiliary vane, in this case a tail ~ane.
It is preferable in all wingsails to pro~ide for a S requixement for zero crosswind force. Also, position of the centre of pressure of the thrust wing is not constant, for example when a leading and trailing element thxust wing is aligned with the elements coplanar the centre of pressure ~ay be in the region of approximately 25~ to 26~ along the chord, but moves to a location about 34% to 35% along the chord when one element is deflected with respect to the other. With a tail vane it is usually possible ~o locate the main pivot axis in a position that is sufficiently close to both the centre of pressure with one element deflected with respect to the other and the centre of pre~sure when the elem~nts are coplanar. It is ~owe~er prefexable to provide some means of compensa~ing for the ~hift in the thrust wing centre of pressure, and the present invention provides this.
~0 It is ther~fore proposed in one aspect of the present i~vention to enable mo~ement of the thrus~ wing rela~ive to the main axis. In this way a relatively constant location of th~ centre of pressure with respect to the main axis can be achieved, thereby minimising changes in mome~t and reducing the auxiliary vane moment required to trL~.
Figure 2 illustrates a preferred emhodiment of the invention in which a compound thrust wing 1 is provided with an 30 upstream auxiliary vane 7. It will be seen from the plan illustration in Figure 3 that the trin~ning circle 6 is now reduced to a radius substantially equal to the length of the thrust wing do~nwind of the main axis: of course it is not ~ .
necessary for the upwind and downwind projections of the 35 assembly from the main ~earing to ~ equal, but this is a convenient practical arrangement.
212g~24 As shown in Figure 2 the thrust wing 1 includes a substantially horizontal pivot at the base, this pivot enabling the thrust wing to be pivoted in the upw.ind and downwind sense, thereby moving the centre of pressure of the thrust wing with respect to the bearing axis. Upwind is in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in the drawing. The pi~oting movement may be controlled by a ~inear actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder and piston ll mounted between the thrust wing and main bearing. In the location shown in Figure 2, contraction of the actuator produces upstream tilting: clearly it would be possible to provide an actuator downstream of the main axis operating in the opposite sense. Other means such as an electric actuator may replace the hydraulic cylinder.
Fisure 4 illustrates the configuration adopted when the wingsail is in a thrusting mode. In this thrusting position, especially when the wing has a trailing element, the centre of pressure moves downstream to a location 13 on the thrust wing. Actuator ll is contracted and the thrust wing is tilted upstream as illustrated, so ~hat the span of the thrust ~ing is inclined with respect to t~he main axis 8, kringing the centre of pressure to close proxLmity wi~h the main axis. - _ : In a possible modification the tilting process can be continued further in order t~ reduce the elevation of the wingsail for example for passing under bridges or to ease assembly or dismantling.
Instead of pi~oting movement, the upstre~m/downstream movement of the thrust wing may ~e proYided or augmented ~y translation, for example by using sliding ways.
The facili~y to bring the centre of pressure of the thxust wing into close proximity with t~e main axis at all thrusting configurations means that the size of the trLmming 212872l1 auxiliary vane and/or length of boom can be reduced compared with the reguirements in the absence o~ ~he facility where the maximum ~alues of the thrust wing moment could be excessive. This is of significance both for power requireme~ts for rotating the auxiliary vane and also for compactness oI wingsail design, particularly for reduction of trLmming circle, in both tail ~ane and upwind vane designs.
It will be realised that the moment arm in an upwind control vane configuration is generally less than the moment arm of a tail ~ane. In order to compensate for the reduced moment arm length the size of the auxiliary ~ane may be increased, although this results in an increased power requirement to rotate the vane.
The power requirements re minimised in the invention by providing the pi~otL~g or sliding arrangement so that the :~ ~ thxust wing centre o~ p~essure can be maintained close to : the main axis.
:: A secondary control aerofoil 15, shown in Figures 3 and 4, which trLms: the au~iliary vane, is used to enable the main : contr~l ~ane:to be~freely pivoted ahead of its- ceR~re of ; 2s pressure. The secondary control aerafoil is mounted as a tail vane to~:the a~xiliary ~ane 7.
: ~ ~
In the prefer~ed arrangement the auxiliary vane 7 has a symmetrical aerofoil section and is freely pivoted on a ~0 spanwise axisi l9 ketween booms 14. One boom also preferably supports a balance mass lS. :The secondary control aerofoil is also of symmetrical aerofoil section and is mounted downstre~m of the au~iliary vane 7 for example by means of its own secondary ~ooms 18 as shown in Figures 2 ~ld 4 or ~y mounting at the trailing edge of the vane 7 as shown in Figure 6. A control linkage ~not shown) enables the helmsman or an automatic control system to deflect the ~ , .
WO 93/15951 PCT~GB93/00186 COMPACT SELF-TRIMMING WINGSAIL
This in~ention relates to wingsai}.s and especially to self-trimming wingsails.
A wingsail is an assembly including one or more aerofoil sectio~s, usually rigid, that is mounted span upright to propel a vessel. European patent specifications 61291, 96554 and 328254 describe various aspects of wingsails, including self-trimming wingsails, of a general type to ~ which the present invention has particular rele~ance. In : such a self-trimming wingsail the angle of attark of a main thrust wing or winys about an upright axis is controlled by an auxiliary control aerofoil or vane, called a tail vane, mounted on a boom extending downwind from the thrust wing.
Success with designs incorporating upwind auxiliary con~rol aerofoils has not so far been achieved.
With the~prior art self-trimming arrangements incorporating a tail vane, the win~sail assembly has a substan~ial overall tximming ~ircle which i5 ~acceptable on craft with a wide beam,~ such as mul~i-hull sailing vessels or on ships where ingsails are~ used as auxiliary power, when the trimming circle will remain within the plan area of the -cra~t, but on narrower single hulled craft the trimming circle might overhang ~the gunwales, which is not very practical. One : aspect of the present invention is therefore directed ~: :
: towards pro~iding a self-trimming rig with a more compact trimming circle.
Another problem that can æi~e with self-trLmming wingsails is that the movement of the centre of pressure of the main - thrust wing as the angle of attack changes, or as the ` relative deflection: vf the wing elemen~s are changed, 35 changes the effective turning moment about the main axis of the thrust wing. If the centre of pressure of the main thrust wing is too far from the main axis the compensatory 212~72~
trimming moment required from the auxiliary vane is greater, which in turn leads to a requirement ~or a larger auxiliary vane and more powerful associated deflection control mechanisms, or to a longer boom and therefore a larger trimming circle. Other aspects of the inYention are directed towards controlling the position of the centre of pressur.e with respect to the main thrust wing axis, and to techniques for minimising the power requirements for auxiliary ~ane mo~ement.
Accordingly the in~ention pro~ides a wingsail assembly comprising at least one thrust wing mounted for free rotation about an upright axis, and inclu~ing means for rotating and/or translating at least a portio~ of the thrust wing upstream or downstream so as to adjust the location of the instantaneous centre of pressure of the thrust wing with respect to the upright axis.
The invention preferably also comprises an auxiliary vane upwind of the thrust wing and arranged to trLm the ~hrust wing about the axis~ in which the auxiliary vane is freely pivoted upwind of its centre of pressure and the angle of at~ack of the auxiliary vane is controlled by the position of a second ~ control aerofoil positioned downwind ~rom the a~xiliary vane.
A further aspect of the invention provides a wingsail assembly comprising a thrust wing freely rotatable about an upright axis and an auxiliary Yane upwind of the thrust wing and arranged to trLm the thrust wing about the axis, in which the auxiliary vane is freely pivoted upwind of its centre of pressure and the angle of attack of the auxiliary ~ane is controlled by the position of a secondary control aerofoil positioned dow~wind from the auxiliary vane.
3~
The in~ention is now described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
212~724 ;:~. WO 93/15951 PCT/GB93/00186 Figure 1 schematically illustrates a vessel carrying a wingsail with a tail vane;
Figure 2 schematically illustrates a wingsail thrust wing having a tilting mechanism and with an upwind control vane and secondary control vane;
Figure 3 schematically illustrates a plan view of the :~ wingsail of Figure 2;
Fi ~ re 4 schematically illustrates the wingsail of Fig~re 2 tilted;
~igure 5 illustrates in plan view the wingsail of Figure 4 with aerofoils deflected for thrusting; and ; Figure 6 schematically illustrates an a1ternative secondary contxo1 vane mounting.
:: 20 Referring firstly to Figuxe l, a self-tr~ming wingsail is shown on a~vessel. The wingsail comprises a thrusk wing 1, which may ~be a single-plane or multi-planP, and each plane may be s ~ ple~or may~comprise a~le~ading element and trailing element that~can be pivoted ~o deflected posi~ions as :: 25 described for example in~ European Patent Specifications 6129~1, 9~6554 and ~328254. A tail ~ane 2 is mounted on a boom 3: extending ~fr~m the thrust wing. The complete wingsail assemb1y is freely`rotatable about a main bearing :~ axis:~. A~countexmass 5 is provided to mass balance the wingsail about the main axis~ In operation, deflection of : the tail vane to a particular angle with respect to the wind provides a ~t-~rning force, acting over the length of the : boom 3, to rotate the wing5ail about the main axis 4 to a tr~mmed angIe of attack. ~he arrangement shown has a trLmming circle of~radius indicated by line 6. A trimmed angle of attack configuratio~ may be defined as one in which he moment o~ the main thrust wing about ~he axis 4 i.s WO 93t15951 PCT/GB93/001.
balanced by an equal and opposite moment provided by the auxiliary vane, in this case a tail ~ane.
It is preferable in all wingsails to pro~ide for a S requixement for zero crosswind force. Also, position of the centre of pressure of the thrust wing is not constant, for example when a leading and trailing element thxust wing is aligned with the elements coplanar the centre of pressure ~ay be in the region of approximately 25~ to 26~ along the chord, but moves to a location about 34% to 35% along the chord when one element is deflected with respect to the other. With a tail vane it is usually possible ~o locate the main pivot axis in a position that is sufficiently close to both the centre of pressure with one element deflected with respect to the other and the centre of pre~sure when the elem~nts are coplanar. It is ~owe~er prefexable to provide some means of compensa~ing for the ~hift in the thrust wing centre of pressure, and the present invention provides this.
~0 It is ther~fore proposed in one aspect of the present i~vention to enable mo~ement of the thrus~ wing rela~ive to the main axis. In this way a relatively constant location of th~ centre of pressure with respect to the main axis can be achieved, thereby minimising changes in mome~t and reducing the auxiliary vane moment required to trL~.
Figure 2 illustrates a preferred emhodiment of the invention in which a compound thrust wing 1 is provided with an 30 upstream auxiliary vane 7. It will be seen from the plan illustration in Figure 3 that the trin~ning circle 6 is now reduced to a radius substantially equal to the length of the thrust wing do~nwind of the main axis: of course it is not ~ .
necessary for the upwind and downwind projections of the 35 assembly from the main ~earing to ~ equal, but this is a convenient practical arrangement.
212g~24 As shown in Figure 2 the thrust wing 1 includes a substantially horizontal pivot at the base, this pivot enabling the thrust wing to be pivoted in the upw.ind and downwind sense, thereby moving the centre of pressure of the thrust wing with respect to the bearing axis. Upwind is in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in the drawing. The pi~oting movement may be controlled by a ~inear actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder and piston ll mounted between the thrust wing and main bearing. In the location shown in Figure 2, contraction of the actuator produces upstream tilting: clearly it would be possible to provide an actuator downstream of the main axis operating in the opposite sense. Other means such as an electric actuator may replace the hydraulic cylinder.
Fisure 4 illustrates the configuration adopted when the wingsail is in a thrusting mode. In this thrusting position, especially when the wing has a trailing element, the centre of pressure moves downstream to a location 13 on the thrust wing. Actuator ll is contracted and the thrust wing is tilted upstream as illustrated, so ~hat the span of the thrust ~ing is inclined with respect to t~he main axis 8, kringing the centre of pressure to close proxLmity wi~h the main axis. - _ : In a possible modification the tilting process can be continued further in order t~ reduce the elevation of the wingsail for example for passing under bridges or to ease assembly or dismantling.
Instead of pi~oting movement, the upstre~m/downstream movement of the thrust wing may ~e proYided or augmented ~y translation, for example by using sliding ways.
The facili~y to bring the centre of pressure of the thxust wing into close proximity with t~e main axis at all thrusting configurations means that the size of the trLmming 212872l1 auxiliary vane and/or length of boom can be reduced compared with the reguirements in the absence o~ ~he facility where the maximum ~alues of the thrust wing moment could be excessive. This is of significance both for power requireme~ts for rotating the auxiliary vane and also for compactness oI wingsail design, particularly for reduction of trLmming circle, in both tail ~ane and upwind vane designs.
It will be realised that the moment arm in an upwind control vane configuration is generally less than the moment arm of a tail ~ane. In order to compensate for the reduced moment arm length the size of the auxiliary ~ane may be increased, although this results in an increased power requirement to rotate the vane.
The power requirements re minimised in the invention by providing the pi~otL~g or sliding arrangement so that the :~ ~ thxust wing centre o~ p~essure can be maintained close to : the main axis.
:: A secondary control aerofoil 15, shown in Figures 3 and 4, which trLms: the au~iliary vane, is used to enable the main : contr~l ~ane:to be~freely pivoted ahead of its- ceR~re of ; 2s pressure. The secondary control aerafoil is mounted as a tail vane to~:the a~xiliary ~ane 7.
: ~ ~
In the prefer~ed arrangement the auxiliary vane 7 has a symmetrical aerofoil section and is freely pivoted on a ~0 spanwise axisi l9 ketween booms 14. One boom also preferably supports a balance mass lS. :The secondary control aerofoil is also of symmetrical aerofoil section and is mounted downstre~m of the au~iliary vane 7 for example by means of its own secondary ~ooms 18 as shown in Figures 2 ~ld 4 or ~y mounting at the trailing edge of the vane 7 as shown in Figure 6. A control linkage ~not shown) enables the helmsman or an automatic control system to deflect the ~ , .
2 :i 2 ~ 7 2 4 ' ~ WO 93~1~951 PCT/GB93/00186 secondary aerofoil 15 to left or right of wind. ~hen it is desired ts permit the wingsail to weathercock, the secondary aerofoil l5 is set coplanar with the auxiliary vane 7, which then weathercocks freely, pivoting at zero crosswind force about its spanwise axis l9, which is posLtioned upstream of any possible centre of pressure of the combined auxiliary vane and secondary control aerofoil. The actuator 11 is adjusted so that the main ~xis passes upstream of the centre of pressure of the thrust wing and therefore the thrust wing weathercocks about the main bearing.
Fisures 4 and ~ show the aerofoil configurations required ~o thrust right of wind. The secondary control aerofoil 15 is deflected right of wind and holds the auxiliary vane 7 at an angle of attack to the airflow so tha~ its thLust, indicated y arrow 22, is suf ficient to balance the moment of the thrust wing force 20 about the main axis 8. In order to keep ~he centre of pressure of ~he thrust wing close to the axis 8, the actuator ll has been retracted to tilt ~he thrust wing upstream as previou~ly describedO In the e~ent that the thxust wing has a flap or flaps 21 (which is not necessarily the case) these will be deflected left of wind for thrust right of wind. ~he control force required is only that needed~ to ad~ust the ~econdary aerofoil-l5,~and the required auxiliary vane moment is minimised by the tilting (or tr~nslation) of the thrust wing.
:
;~ If it is requlr~d to return to zero crosswind force without centralising the flaps 21, this may be achieved by returning the secondary aerofoil vane 15 to be coplanar with the auxiliary vane 7. The thrust force 20 will tend to rotate the wingsail to~ards an angle of zero crosswind force. To minLmise downwind drag, the actuator ll should be ex~ended to return the thrust wing to the upright position and any flaps 21 should be realigned with respect to the leading element of the thrust wing.
I
212~'72 i WO 93/t~9~1 PCT/GB93/001 ~.
For thrust left of wind, the process is repeated in mirror image with the thrust wing again being tilted upstream but this time the secondary control aerofoil 15 being deflected left of wind and the flaps right of wind. In both thrusting configurations the wingsail remains freely rotatable about its main axis.
When the wing is tilted, the mass balancing conditions will change. To compensate for this the balance mass 16 is mounted so that it can move downwind as t~e thrust wing moves upwind, and vice versa, the movement of the mass being controlled proportionately to the movement of the thrust wing. A schematic arrangement permitting this movement is shown in Figure 4, in which the balance mass 16 is connected to:the main trunnion frame of the bearing.
~ore specifically, the mass 16 slides in a track 30 and is biased to the upwind end of the boom l4 by a spring 31 and is connected to the base of the thrust wing by a line 32 ; passing o~er a sheave 33 wi~hin the thrust wing and then : 20 fixed via a second sheave on an arm 34 projecting downwind from the main trunnion frame. The upstream tilting of the thrust wing results in the mass being pulled downwind against the bia5 of spring 31 by t~e inex~ensible line 32, the geometrical arrangement providing that, on rotat on, the moment change of the mass l6 abou~ the free upright axis 8 is equal and opposite, or broadly egual and opposite, to the ~ : momen~ change of the complete wingsail, apart from mass 16, :~ about the axis 8. Other means may be used~ pro~Tided that t:hey satisfy this requlrement.
Various modifications are envisaged, for example in which the thrust wing comprises a plurality of planes or in which a plurality of auxiliary ~anes and/or secondary co~trol aerofoils may be used. Also, instead of coplanar auxiliary and control aerofoil arrangements the aerofoils may be offset so that the aerofoils have parallel, but not coplanar, axes of symme~ry, for example ~he pivot axis of 212~ ~ 24 : WO 93/1~951 PCI`JGB93/OOlB6 _ 9 _ the secondary aerofoil i5 need not l~e in the plane of syr~unetry of the auxiliary ~ane.
::
:
Fisures 4 and ~ show the aerofoil configurations required ~o thrust right of wind. The secondary control aerofoil 15 is deflected right of wind and holds the auxiliary vane 7 at an angle of attack to the airflow so tha~ its thLust, indicated y arrow 22, is suf ficient to balance the moment of the thrust wing force 20 about the main axis 8. In order to keep ~he centre of pressure of ~he thrust wing close to the axis 8, the actuator ll has been retracted to tilt ~he thrust wing upstream as previou~ly describedO In the e~ent that the thxust wing has a flap or flaps 21 (which is not necessarily the case) these will be deflected left of wind for thrust right of wind. ~he control force required is only that needed~ to ad~ust the ~econdary aerofoil-l5,~and the required auxiliary vane moment is minimised by the tilting (or tr~nslation) of the thrust wing.
:
;~ If it is requlr~d to return to zero crosswind force without centralising the flaps 21, this may be achieved by returning the secondary aerofoil vane 15 to be coplanar with the auxiliary vane 7. The thrust force 20 will tend to rotate the wingsail to~ards an angle of zero crosswind force. To minLmise downwind drag, the actuator ll should be ex~ended to return the thrust wing to the upright position and any flaps 21 should be realigned with respect to the leading element of the thrust wing.
I
212~'72 i WO 93/t~9~1 PCT/GB93/001 ~.
For thrust left of wind, the process is repeated in mirror image with the thrust wing again being tilted upstream but this time the secondary control aerofoil 15 being deflected left of wind and the flaps right of wind. In both thrusting configurations the wingsail remains freely rotatable about its main axis.
When the wing is tilted, the mass balancing conditions will change. To compensate for this the balance mass 16 is mounted so that it can move downwind as t~e thrust wing moves upwind, and vice versa, the movement of the mass being controlled proportionately to the movement of the thrust wing. A schematic arrangement permitting this movement is shown in Figure 4, in which the balance mass 16 is connected to:the main trunnion frame of the bearing.
~ore specifically, the mass 16 slides in a track 30 and is biased to the upwind end of the boom l4 by a spring 31 and is connected to the base of the thrust wing by a line 32 ; passing o~er a sheave 33 wi~hin the thrust wing and then : 20 fixed via a second sheave on an arm 34 projecting downwind from the main trunnion frame. The upstream tilting of the thrust wing results in the mass being pulled downwind against the bia5 of spring 31 by t~e inex~ensible line 32, the geometrical arrangement providing that, on rotat on, the moment change of the mass l6 abou~ the free upright axis 8 is equal and opposite, or broadly egual and opposite, to the ~ : momen~ change of the complete wingsail, apart from mass 16, :~ about the axis 8. Other means may be used~ pro~Tided that t:hey satisfy this requlrement.
Various modifications are envisaged, for example in which the thrust wing comprises a plurality of planes or in which a plurality of auxiliary ~anes and/or secondary co~trol aerofoils may be used. Also, instead of coplanar auxiliary and control aerofoil arrangements the aerofoils may be offset so that the aerofoils have parallel, but not coplanar, axes of symme~ry, for example ~he pivot axis of 212~ ~ 24 : WO 93/1~951 PCI`JGB93/OOlB6 _ 9 _ the secondary aerofoil i5 need not l~e in the plane of syr~unetry of the auxiliary ~ane.
::
:
Claims (10)
1. A wingsail assembly comprising at least one thrust wing (1) mounted rotatable about an upright axis (4) and trimmed by an auxiliary vane (7) mounted upwind of the thrust wing characterised by the thrust wing being freely rotatable about the upright axis, by means for moving (11) the thrust wing to provide a predetermined distance between the instantaneous centre of pressure of the thrust wing and its upright axis of rotation and by the auxiliary aerofoil itself being trimmed by a secondary control vane (15) mounted downwind of the auxiliary vane within a turning circle defined by the thrust wing and auxiliary vane.
2. A wingsail assembly according to claim 1 in which the thrust wing is pivoted at its base about a substantially horizontal axis (10) to enable the leading edge of the thrust wing to be pivoted forwardly.
3. A wingsail assembly according to any preceding claim in which the thrust wing is forwardly pivotable to a recumbent position.
4. A wingsail assembly according to any preceding claim further comprising a balance mass provided with means for moving the mass downstream as the thrust wing is moved upstream.
5. A wingsail assembly according to claim 1 or claim 4 in which the secondary aerofoil is mounted on a boom extending downwind from the auxiliary aerofoil.
6. A wingsail assembly according to claim 1 or claim 4 in which the secondary aerofoil is mounted at the trailing edge of the auxiliary aerofoil.
7. A wingsail assembly according to claim 1 or claim 6 in which the secondary aerofoil is mounted on a boom extending downwind from the auxiliary aerofoil.
8. A wingsail assembly according to claim 1 or claim 6 in which the secondary aerofoil is mounted at the trailing edge of the auxiliary aerofoil.
9. A wingsail assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of Figures 2 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
10. A marine craft including a wingsail assembly according to any preceding claim.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB929202703A GB9202703D0 (en) | 1992-02-08 | 1992-02-08 | Compact self trimming wingsail |
| GB9202703.6 | 1992-02-08 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2128724A1 true CA2128724A1 (en) | 1993-08-19 |
Family
ID=10710067
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002128724A Abandoned CA2128724A1 (en) | 1992-02-08 | 1993-01-28 | Compact self-trimming wingsail |
Country Status (10)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0624136B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH07503432A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU666511B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2128724A1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69300675T2 (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2080608T3 (en) |
| GB (2) | GB9202703D0 (en) |
| NZ (1) | NZ246678A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1993015951A1 (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA93726B (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5630632A (en) * | 1994-12-07 | 1997-05-20 | Federal-Hoffman, Inc. | Quarter turn latch |
| GB2369337A (en) * | 2000-08-08 | 2002-05-29 | Peter Alfred Worsley | Vane adjusted wing or sail |
| GB2430660B (en) * | 2005-09-08 | 2010-08-11 | John Graham Walker | Marine thrust wings |
| US8225731B2 (en) | 2007-08-16 | 2012-07-24 | John G Walker | Marine thrust wings |
Family Cites Families (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE405701C (en) * | 1924-11-06 | Inst Voor Aero En Hydro Dynami | Setting up sail areas, especially ships | |
| DE406598C (en) * | 1922-06-02 | 1924-11-28 | Anton Flettner | Arrangement for sailing craft |
| GB1184914A (en) * | 1966-04-28 | 1970-03-18 | Albert Marie Gabriel D Galbert | Pivotal Rigging for Sailing Boats and Sail Propelled Vehicles |
| US3707935A (en) * | 1970-09-16 | 1973-01-02 | J Rachie | Surfing sailboat |
| US3800724A (en) * | 1972-06-08 | 1974-04-02 | R Tracy | Winged sailing craft |
| KR840001915A (en) * | 1981-10-13 | 1984-06-07 | 그레이험 워커 존 | Self-adjusting sail set |
| GB8500335D0 (en) * | 1985-01-07 | 1985-02-13 | Univ Southampton | Aerofoil propulsion of ships |
| GB2255541B (en) * | 1991-05-07 | 1995-10-11 | Genevieve Sally Conroy | A rig for a wind propelled vessel |
-
1992
- 1992-02-08 GB GB929202703A patent/GB9202703D0/en active Pending
-
1993
- 1993-01-28 JP JP5513862A patent/JPH07503432A/en active Pending
- 1993-01-28 GB GB9301669A patent/GB2263892B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1993-01-28 CA CA002128724A patent/CA2128724A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1993-01-28 WO PCT/GB1993/000186 patent/WO1993015951A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1993-01-28 EP EP93902482A patent/EP0624136B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1993-01-28 AU AU33655/93A patent/AU666511B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1993-01-28 ES ES93902482T patent/ES2080608T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1993-01-28 DE DE69300675T patent/DE69300675T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1993-01-28 NZ NZ246678A patent/NZ246678A/en unknown
- 1993-02-03 ZA ZA93726A patent/ZA93726B/en unknown
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0624136A1 (en) | 1994-11-17 |
| GB2263892A (en) | 1993-08-11 |
| GB9202703D0 (en) | 1992-03-25 |
| WO1993015951A1 (en) | 1993-08-19 |
| DE69300675T2 (en) | 1996-05-23 |
| AU666511B2 (en) | 1996-02-15 |
| GB9301669D0 (en) | 1993-03-17 |
| GB2263892B (en) | 1995-10-18 |
| DE69300675D1 (en) | 1995-11-23 |
| NZ246678A (en) | 1995-12-21 |
| AU3365593A (en) | 1993-09-03 |
| JPH07503432A (en) | 1995-04-13 |
| ES2080608T3 (en) | 1996-02-01 |
| EP0624136B1 (en) | 1995-10-18 |
| ZA93726B (en) | 1994-06-29 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |