A wind-propelled small waterplane area spar

This paper presents some of the preliminary design considerations of a wind-propelled small waterplane area spar. The mobile spar concept, a hybrid between a passive buoy and unmanned surface vehicle, is introduced as a novel oceanographic platform that maximizes range, stability, and survivability. System-level design concepts for two different types of scientific missions are explored: (1) a general oceanographic sampling spar and (2) a tropical cyclone oceanographic sampling spar. A performance prediction algorithm is used to provide an approximate baseline for the equilibrium conditions of a wind-propelled spar sailing in an ideal seaway. Initial expectations were that a small waterplane area spar design would be capable of significantly higher operating speeds than a wind-powered oceanographic sampling platform of conventional displacement hull design. However, it is found that the operating speeds of spar and displacement hulls are nearly the same. Thus, although the spar vehicle concept studied might not provide significant improvements in speed, their potential as a robust and survivable mobile platforms justify further investigation.