帆船已經作古了么

作者：托馬斯·克魯伊夫(takluyver (Thomas Kluyver)) 曹宇(tsaoyu (Tony Yu Cao))

This was a particularly interesting question we were asked at the science fair: "Isnt sailing old hat?" Its easy to think about the Golden Age of Sail in the 1800s, or the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

So why is sailing still interesting in 2017? First off, theres an environmental concern. Most cargo ships, cruise liners and ferries burn fossil fuels, releasing carbon dioxide and other kinds of pollution into the atmosphere, while an enormous source of clean energy literally whistles past them. If larger boats could harness wind power, they could reduce emissions and fuel costs together.

But theres another angle that fits more closely with our work on small boats.

A small autonomous sailing boat could travel far out into the ocean, carrying sensors to monitor water, air or wildlife. A similarly sized boat with an engine wouldnt get far before it needed refuelling.

Our boat still uses batteries for the computer and the servos, however, which led to another interesting question: could we fit it with solar panels, so it could run indefinitely without needing someone to switch and recharge the batteries? Yu Caos PhD work is related to this. His study shows that renewable energy resources such as wind, wave and solar can power up small size maritime vehicles. It is possible to supply energy with renewable and ultimately archive fully autonomous operation on the sea. More details can be found on Yus research webpage at http://www.soton.ac.uk/~yc6n13).

The ultimate challenge for autonomous sailing boats is the The Microtransat Challenge, in which contestants attempt to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. So far, none of the boats valiantly setting out from either side have made it. Wed love to have a go in a few more years!