Helena Frye
The Alcyone is a ship that has been in use since 1810, with several vessels bearing the name. The Alcyone launched in 1985 is a Cousteau Society expedition ship that uses a revolutionary system called Turbosail, which combines hydrodynamics and aerodynamics with electronics and computers to harness the wind as a supplementary energy source. This system, comprised of two turbosails with axial turbines for power generation, allows for fossil fuel savings of up to 35%. The Alcyone's home port is Concarneau, Brittany, France, and it has a servosystem that runs the Turbosails automatically, with a central system managing and steering 21 electronic, electromagnetic, and hydraulic controls based on data collected by 43 sensors.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Launch date | 1985 |
| Home port | Concarneau, Brittany, France |
| Propulsion | Turbosails |
| Turbosails | Two |
| Sail material | Metal |
| Sail surface stress | Reduced |
| Power generation | Axial turbines |
| Sensors | 43 analog or digital |
| Controls | 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic |
| Navigation | DVonSat system |
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What You'll Learn
- The Alcyone's home port is Concarneau, Brittany, France
- The ship has two Turbosails, which are essentially empty stovepipes
- The Turbosails are controlled by a central system that manages 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic controls
- The ship's engines take over automatically when the wind dies down
- The Alcyone is equipped with a DVonSat system, allowing it to transmit images instantly by satellite
The Alcyone's home port is Concarneau, Brittany, France
The Alcyone is a ship that has been in operation since 1985. It is currently based in Concarneau, Brittany, France, but its home port was previously La Rochelle, France, and it has also been based in Caen, France. The Alcyone is equipped with two Turbosails, which are essentially empty stovepipes with shutter-flaps that can be opened and closed to catch the wind. The Turbosails are controlled by a central system that manages and steers 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic controls based on data collected by 43 analog or digital sensors. This system allows the Alcyone to be sailed with heightened efficiency compared to conventional sails. The Alcyone is also equipped with a DVonSat system, which enables it to transmit images instantly by satellite all around the world to the Internet and television.
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The ship has two Turbosails, which are essentially empty stovepipes
The Alcyone is an expedition ship that has been used by the Cousteau Society since 1985. It has two Turbosails, which are essentially empty stovepipes. The Turbosails are installed vertically on each of the faces of the giant tubes, with a door or shutter-flap that runs the height of the unit. These shutter-flaps can be opened and closed, while the cylinder is rotated hydraulically into the direction of the wind. This allows the boat to be sailed with heightened efficiency compared to a conventional sail. The Turbosails also contain axial turbines for power generation.
The Alcyone's Turbosails are controlled by a servosystem, which runs completely automatically. This central system manages and steers 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic controls based on data collected by 43 analog or digital sensors. The functioning of the Turbosails and engines is optimised by computers, which maintain a constant speed. When the wind dies down, the engines take over automatically, and they stop completely when the wind is of sufficient strength and blowing in the right direction.
The Alcyone's Turbosails are a revolutionary system that allows for fossil-fuel savings of up to 35%. The ship's designers sought a compromise between a monohull and a catamaran, which would be perfectly adapted to the mixed propulsion system. Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau realised his dream of capturing the wind to propel a ship when, in 1985, the Alcyone crossed the Atlantic and arrived in the port of New York.
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The Turbosails are controlled by a central system that manages 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic controls
The Alcyone is an expedition ship that has been used by the Cousteau Society since 1985. It is equipped with two Turbosails, which are essentially empty stovepipes with shutter-flaps that can be opened and closed. The Turbosails are rotated hydraulically into the direction of the wind, which propels the ship forward. The Turbosails are controlled by a central system that manages 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic controls. This central system is comprised of a multitask computer and a graphic interface, which steers the Turbosails based on data collected by 43 analog or digital sensors. The Turbosails also contain axial turbines for power generation, and the functioning of the Turbosails and engines is optimised by computers. When the wind dies down, the engines take over automatically to maintain a constant speed, and they stop completely when the wind is blowing in the right direction with sufficient strength.
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The ship's engines take over automatically when the wind dies down
The Alcyone is a ship that has been used by the Cousteau Society as its expedition ship since 1985. It was launched in 1985 and benefited from the development of the original turbosail Moulin a Vent. The ship has two turbosails of reduced aspect ratio, which reduces the stress placed on the metal of the sail surfaces. The sails also contain axial turbines for power generation. The ship's engines take over automatically when the wind dies down, maintaining a constant speed. When the wind is blowing in the right direction with sufficient strength, the engines stop completely. Inside the ship, a servosystem runs the Turbosails completely automatically. The central system manages and steers 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic controls based on data collected by 43 analog or digital sensors.
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The Alcyone is equipped with a DVonSat system, allowing it to transmit images instantly by satellite
The Alcyone is a sailing boat that has been in use since 1985, when it was launched by the Cousteau Society. It has two turbosails, which are essentially empty stovepipes with shutter-flaps that can be opened and closed. The shutter-flaps are installed vertically on each face of the giant tubes, and the tubes themselves are rotated hydraulically into the direction of the wind. This system operates on the same principle as a conventional sail, but with heightened efficiency. The Alcyone is also equipped with a DVonSat system, allowing it to transmit images instantly by satellite all around the world to the internet and television. This is achieved through a central system that manages and steers 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic controls based on data collected by 43 analog or digital sensors.
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Frequently asked questions
The Alcyone is equipped with two Turbosails, which are essentially empty stovepipes with shutter-flaps that can be opened and closed. The shutter-flaps rotate hydraulically into the direction of the wind, allowing the boat to be sailed. The Turbosails are also equipped with axial turbines for power generation.
The Turbosails are controlled by a servosystem, which runs the Turbosails completely automatically. The central system manages and steers 21 electronic, electromagnetic and hydraulic controls based on data collected by 43 analog or digital sensors.
The Alcyone's engines take over automatically when the wind dies down, and they stop completely when the wind is of sufficient strength and blowing in the right direction.
The Turbosails allow for fossil-fuel savings of up to 35%, as they use the wind as a supplementary energy source. They also reduce the stresses placed on the metal of the sail surfaces.
