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Kayak and Canoe Design Bulletin Board
Re: college solar powered watercraft contest
Posted By: Steve McDonald
Date: Saturday, 1 April 2000, at 6:23 a.m.
> 48sq ft yields about 5hp if I remember and did my math right. (1kwh / m^2)
> That is a lot of power.
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Lots of Power:
If, in fact, it puts out 5 H.P., that is probably too much for a Kayak-like displacement hull to handle. A Kayak paddler could put out less than 1 H.P. in a short burst and hit perhaps 11 mph top speed. This type of displacement hull won't go too much faster, without having major shifts in the flow patterns. This could affect stability and control and wouldn't result in much return for the extra power applied. A lightweight planing hull might deliver the best speed from a conventional type of design, with this much power. Actually, a hybrid catamaran that lifted out of the water on hydrofoils at a certain speed would likely win the contest, if it could be engineered for balance and control. Both hybrid hydrofoils and planing hulls have been winners in world championships for human-powered watercraft. One planing boat used a giant air propeller-----not a bad idea to consider for a lightweight solar boat.
Steve McDonald
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