On 3/12/2010 6:28 PM, Robert Bonomi wrote:
In ,
Morris wrote:

With a platform like the Hobie, I think I can mount a tracking solar
concentrator and have 3-4 kW of input power to work with and (perhaps)
50% of that in pump power.

That'll give you a theoretical roughly 2HP. Enough to move it around,
but -not- with much speed. Think 'trolling motor'.

OTOH, if you can fit one concentrator/fluidyne, maybe you can get 2-3 of
'em on board. Now, you're approaching the capabilities of a 5HP outboard.
That should be enough to leave a wake -- at least a small one.grin

Two is a definite maybe - but from a practical standpoint, just one will
be an accomplishment, and a two-mile round trip on a calm, sunny day
should be enough to stir up a bit of interest. It might even be a good
thing to set a record that'd be easy for someone else to beat.

Heh - it just occurred to me that if I needed a horn, I could disconnect
the pump and use the engine (at say, } to warn off the jet
skiers.

That hurts just to *think* about it.

Here's a video showing a couple of very crude pipe oscillators being
driven with a small propane flame:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L5fK...eature=channel

It's an application of the gas laws that I'd never thought about, and
some really serious heat (say, about 200 suns on 8' of tube) should
produce a pretty good hoot. :-]

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/