Abstract
The flight of albatross (Diomedea exulans) takes advantage of the up-drift which is determined by the product of relative wind velocity and it’s gradient above the sea surface, to power its elegant (dynamic) flight over the ocean. Some of the complicated flight manoeuvres are determined by biological necessities. From its most basic flight manoeuvre a technical aerodynamically scheme can be derived which allows the design of a mechanical technical prototype of a wind generator. It is based on a rotational movement in combination with a skillful time dependent adjustment of the airfoil. Several technical possibilities are discussed and with one of these elaborated in some detail. The technology to be developed could be applied in highly asymmetric air streaming environment around high rise buildings, on mountain ridges and of course, also low above sea level and plains. Mathematical-technical conditions for power gain are discussed. The technology could, in principle, also be deployed to exploit velocity gradients in river water environment. The engineering challenges are significant and the presented work is just a blueprint for tasks to be accomplished.
Highlights
Our present wind and water turbines are technically conceived to respond to a quite homogeneous streaming pattern
Tributsch veloped strategies to exploit them efficiently. That this should be possible is convincingly demonstrated by a natural example: the seemingly effort-less flight of the albatross over the sea, where air up-drifts are essentially lacking
The flight manoeuvres of the albatross (Figure 1) have for a long time stimulated imagination of scientists and engineers. How is it possible to fly seemingly effortless without flapping wings over a sea surface which does not provide wind up-drifts [1]-[3]
Summary
Our present wind and water turbines are technically conceived to respond to a quite homogeneous streaming pattern. Tributsch veloped strategies to exploit them efficiently That this should be possible is convincingly demonstrated by a natural example: the seemingly effort-less flight of the albatross over the sea, where air up-drifts are essentially lacking. The flight manoeuvres of the albatross (Figure 1) have for a long time stimulated imagination of scientists and engineers How is it possible to fly seemingly effortless without flapping wings over a sea surface which does not provide wind up-drifts [1]-[3]. It has been known for a long time that the albatross is taking advantage of mechanisms which give rise to the Magnus effect, the same phenomenon which is giving a spinning tennis ball a characteristic deviation in its flight path [4]. Understanding the physical basis of the force which the albatross is exploiting we have to turn to the complicated task of constructing a wind machine, able to extract energy from inhomogeneous air streams
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