Sail for boats

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sail for boats comprising a sail body (1) provided with a base (2) and fans (3) located on said sail body, wherein the sail body (1) is divided into several sections (4), each section (4) comprising at least one fan (3). Preferably, in each section, at least one fan (3) is located at a distal end with respect to said base (2), and each fan (3) is connected to a ventilation tube (5), which directs the air flow generated by the fan (3) to the outside of the sail body (1) through one or more outlets (6). The invention discloses a sail for boats that improves the aerodynamic efficiency of said sail.

Description

[0001] SAIL FOR BOATS

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Object of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a sail for ships, in particular to a suction sail that allows for an improvement in the aerodynamic efficiency of said sail.

[0005] Background of the invention

[0006] There are different types of sails for ships, one of which are the so-called suction sails, which allow ships to be propelled by wind power.

[0007] Suction sails are a type of wind propulsion device characterized by the use of a suction device, such as a fan, and a porous grid through which to suck in the boundary layer, allowing the generation of large aerodynamic forces.

[0008] Typically, a single fan or similar device is used to generate suction, creating the necessary pressure differential and flow rate. While using a single fan has mechanical advantages, it can lead to compromises in power requirements and fan efficiency.

[0009] The use of fan vapors in a single suction candle is also known, as described, for example, in document EP 0 055 638 A1. According to this document, the fans can be placed one at the bottom of the candle and another at the top, or several fans can be placed one above the other with their axes parallel and located in a central partition of the candle.

[0010] Description of the invention

[0011] Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide a sail for boats that allows for an improvement in the aerodynamic efficiency of said sail.

[0012] The ship's sail of the invention solves the aforementioned problems, presenting other advantages that will be described below.

[0013] The boat sail according to the present invention is described in claim 1, and the dependent claims include additional features that are optional.

[0014] In particular, the sail for boats comprises:

[0015] - a sail body provided with a base; and

[0016] - some fans located in said sail body, wherein the sail body is divided into several sections, each section comprising at least one fan.

[0017] Furthermore, preferably said at least one fan is located at a distal end of each section with respect to said base.

[0018] In the sail for boats according to the present invention, the airflow is divided between fan blades, each of which operates with a reduced blade pitch angle, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

[0019] Furthermore, by installing multiple fans inside the candle body, each one contributes to the overall efficiency of the system.

[0020] Preferably, each fan is connected to a ventilation tube, which directs an airflow generated by the fan to the outside of the sail body through one or more outlets, said one or more outlets being preferably located at the end of the sail body distal to said base.

[0021] Furthermore, two or more vent tubes may be of different lengths and / or connected to each other, and each vent tube may be straight, for minimal resistance, or define two sections or be curved, to accommodate space or design limitations, or have any shape suitable for managing airflow and optimizing ventilation pressure. Preferably, the sections are insulated from each other and extend one after the other along the sail body, i.e., one above the other in the sail's upright operating position.

[0022] Furthermore, ventilation pipes are preferably straight, although they can have other shapes to optimize airflow. For example, the pipe can be tapered to compensate for the pressure difference in height generated by the perforated sheet metal. This design creates a more uniform internal pressure distribution and reduces pressure losses in these pipes.

[0023] Curved sections or elbows can also be used to simplify the passage of the pipes, or a specific shape that changes the shape in height and the section of the pipe.

[0024] Brief description of the drawings

[0025] For a better understanding of what has been explained, some drawings are included which, schematically and only as a non-limiting example, represent a practical case of implementation.

[0026] Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a ship's sail according to the present invention, according to two alternative embodiments; and

[0027] Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional elevation views of the sails of the realizations in Figures 1 and 2.

[0028] Description of preferred embodiments

[0029] Figures 1 and 3 show a first embodiment of the sail for ships, in particular a suction sail, according to the present invention, comprising a sail body (1) and a base (2).

[0030] The sail body (1) is elongated and in its operating position is vertical, being fixed to the boat via the base (2). In this embodiment, the sail body (1) is divided into three sections (4) isolated from each other, positioned one after the other, i.e., one above the other in the operating position, as can be seen in Figure 3.

[0031] It should be noted, however, that the number of sections (4) may vary, and may be two or more, and they may also be located side by side or in any other suitable position inside the sail body (1).

[0032] Each section (4) comprises at least one fan (3) which is preferably located at one end of the section, specifically at the distal end with respect to the base (2), i.e., at the top of each section (4). It should be noted that each section (4) may comprise more than one fan (3) and they may be located in any suitable position within the section (4).

[0033] Furthermore, the airflow generated by each fan (3) can be expelled to the outside of the sail body (1) through an outlet (6), the outlets (6) being preferably located at the distal end of the sail body (1) with respect to the base (2), i.e., at the upper end.

[0034] As can be seen in the figures, at least one of the fans can be located at one end of the candle body (1) distal to the base (2), so that the airflow goes directly to the outside of the candle.

[0035] Communication between each fan (3) and each outlet (6) is preferably carried out through a ventilation tube (5), and the ventilation tubes (6) in a candle can have different lengths, as shown in Figure 3.

[0036] Figures 2 and 4 show a second embodiment of a candle according to the present invention.

[0037] In this embodiment, the main difference from the previous embodiment is that the ventilation tubes (5) are interconnected, so that the airflow generated by two of the fans (3) exits the sail through a single outlet (6). Furthermore, the ventilation tubes are preferably straight, although they can have other shapes to optimize the airflow. For example, the tube can be tapered to compensate for the pressure difference in height generated by the perforated sheet. This design results in a more uniform internal pressure distribution and reduces pressure losses from these tubes.

[0038] Curved sections or elbows can also be used to simplify the passage of the tubes, or a specific shape that changes the tube's height and cross-section. Although reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is evident to a person skilled in the art that the described sail is susceptible to numerous variations and modifications, and that all the details mentioned can be substituted with technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Sail for ships, comprising: - a sail body (1) provided with a base (2); and - some fans (3) located in said sail body, characterized in that the sail body (1) is divided into several sections (4), each section (4) comprising at least one fan (3).

2. Sail for boats according to claim 1, wherein in each section, at least one fan (3) is located at a distal end with respect to said base (2).

3. Sail for boats according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each fan (3) is connected to a ventilation tube (5), which directs an airflow generated by the fan (3) to the outside of the sail body (1) through one or more outlets (6).

4. Sail for boats according to claim 3, wherein two or more ventilation tubes (5) have different lengths.

5. Sail for ships according to claim 3 or 4, wherein two or more ventilation tubes (5) are connected to each other.

6. Sail for boats according to claim 3, wherein said one or more outlets (6) are located at the end of the sail body (1) distal to said base (2).

7. Sail for boats according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein each vent tube (5) is straight or defines two sections or is curved.

8. Sail for boats according to claim 1, wherein the sections (4) extend one after the other along the sail body (1).

9. Sail for ships according to claim 1 or 8, wherein the sections (4) are isolated from each other.

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