Ship Propulsion by Means of Acoustic Radiation

Abstract:
Nowadays in almost all cases, the propulsion of ships is generated by mechanically moved propellers, which causes water flow and thrust. The disadvantage of this technology is the wear of the mechanical moving parts as well as the danger of the rotating parts in the water for example for living beings. The only alternative is still the sail or wind power. In our approach the propulsion of a boat is generated without moving parts by means of ultrasonic waves emitted into the water. In contrast to already existing experiments in which surface acoustic waves are conducted directly into the water on piezoelectric substrates in order to generate a thrust, here the sound input takes place by piezoelectric transducers attached to the backside of non-piezoelectric material at the outer hull of the boat. A 3D printed model boat was built and tested. In contrast to the previously published literature, the used electronic components and their operation for the propulsion of the boat are described in detail. Sound generation and propagation are simulated in COMSOL.