The science
The scientific relationship behind this phenomenon is that wind energy is a cubic function of wind velocity, as is represented in the graph opposite. Solar power creates forward drive from an electric motor, which in turn creates ‘relative wind’. When added to the ‘true wind’, this increases the ‘apparent wind’, being the wind direction and strength as felt by an observer on the vessel (the sum of the vectors of ‘true’ and ‘relative wind’). The ‘apparent wind’; shifts the vessel to the right on the cubic curve, greatly increasing the amount of energy available to create forward drive. For example, a solar sailor vessel travelling at 6 knots, on solar power alone, across a true wind of 10 knots will mathematically create an apparent wind speed of 11.7 knots. The true wind of 10 knots contains energy of [Read more...]