Bionic design

The design process today take so many steps to do/thing/compare//made,

so we can say the design is interdisciplinary process.

I am not new into hydrofoils, it was some moments in my life which push

me forward a bit. One was for sure the try on Aquaskiper, great tool on

the water! There is no better feel when you slide on the water surface

with almost no power, gliding I mean! It is like sailplane gliding true the air,

like a bird, like a fish under water! YES that is!

In my past 10+ years I was spend a lot of time with kitesurfing,

starting in late 90', make me still fun to go on the water today. The hydrofoil

for the kite board was made.There was no hi-tech CAD/CAM and FEA done,

just go strait forward with the goal to glide on the water! Shapes come to my

mind was for sure inspire from the nature, on the design process we call this

Bionic design,

/more here  http://public.beuth-hochschule.de/~bionik/BionicED.htm //

Well done here it is:

I was learn a lot from these geometry, it works well, almost too precise

and too powerful. It was crazy summer, with a lot of fun on the water.

Lets go back to Foil extensions for Moth. Here it is quite the same story.

Once I get the idea what to do, then is no restrictions any more. Drawing

table, pencil, paper on the first steps, then the comp is in charge.

Inspiration come for sure from nature, we can say bionic design!

It is simply like, if is enough good for the fish fin/flippers then is no doubt

anymore! Shapes which was created from the nature in the past evolution

are incredible. We can find a lot of answers there.

The Moth foils are specific, here we have the function/technology and

the shape, hand by hand together! I know a lot of today foils on the

moth have full span flaps and the question is why? It is driven by technology,

because any other shape is too difficult to made, or it is simply

development done step by step. For sure some kind of elastic flap

systems will be present in future, we need just to find the right

technology and materials.

And remember it was done years ago, by the mother nature!

Some nice Bionic designs, driven by hi-end technology are here:

Creative-bionic-designs

http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/06/03/ten-inspirational-and-creative-bionic-designs/

One nice step was done on transferring Whale flippers to the wind turbine propeller!

Picture currently from www.whalepower.com

This one and many others can be find over net.

The next step which make the hairs gray on the foils is connection in "T" corner.

As we all know any corner of two surfaces in aerodynamic or hydrodynamic

calculations made a drag. For example the wing and the body connection is

one of the biggest drag regions on the plane. It is the same on the moth,

of course it is! So on us is to solve the existing problem on the best way we can.

Here it is a lot of not academic know how to be read true:

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/induced.html

I was throw some ideas in brain reactor already, the process is not
finished yet, but when the results come out, it will be published!

touch and go
dr.lojz

We did it, Aerotow of the best!

One of side projects, not just for hobby, because I was learn making RC gliders, which give me a lot of knowledge from materials, technology and also to be patience, yes for a life!

Luc was made two foamies from a light Depron foam, he was enjoy like always to be creative. The electric motor plane is powered with 2s lipoly 700mAh at the weight of 150g, at wing span 800mm. For the sailplane he was take out the RC from Koaksial helicopter on 35Mhz. Sailplane is even lighter with good 110g.
He wish to proceed the Aerotow with booth creations. Last Saturday it was so far. I was invited to fly the towing plane, he was on glider controls. Well we was both a bit nervous but it works!
RC aerotow is one of the dificult steps on controling the models, booth pilots must to be simultan, precise and quick in case something go wrong!

Here it is the documentation ;-)

Moth hydrofoil elastic flap

Moth boat on the foils is some how extreme from the sport and also from technical side. OK not only these some problems are from the hydrodynamic also!
Current world champion Bora Gulari come up with interesting and professional done video study of cavitation/ventilation on the foils.
Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDpnXsAB1oc

The discussion on the SailingAnarchy forums started,
http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=98777 some good ideas and problems was discussed and here we have one answer to the foil
ventilation problem coming from the flaps gap!

Moth hydrofoil elastic flap

Elastic flap end or extension will close the gap we have now on some existing foils where the flap end before the tip of the foil! This gap is in any case the point where the vortex of water flow is presented. From this "mistake" on the flow we get then the ventilation and the cavity on the foils. Result NO foiling anymore, wet eyes and crash....
This small triangular shape with the flap section on one side and pointed as much the technology and materials give up, will be made out of day-cast elastomere in shore hardness A40-A55max, or even better made from two or three hardness. As I pointed the technology is open and here in Lab we are ready for this service on demand.
For any questions or information's
write a mail on primoz/at/seajump.com

Code Fire Box Flyers

There is no product without promotion material, a hard job for all of them who work in the sell department. In case of Fire Box the story is for a step different. This is not a public product it is dedicated more to small productions, workshops and fire departments. I was take over the graphic design and the page layout of the flayers. My goal was to present as good as possible the product, which not exist yet, to be well visual presented, with all clear functions on the board.
In all we have three systems the Powder, Foam and the CO2. On the first page they are all three together and then one by one, with all technical characteristics.
Again the power of Alibre systems was the right choice on the board. The best is to use the same 3D drawings of the parts for the renders too. All in one package and here are the results! The Flyers are done!

Step by step we are closer to the point to have this Blog up to date! Flyers survive the exhibition and fair!

Code Fire Box part II

Back on the route,
the design process of the chosen "edgy" take a place. From the initial shape some parameters was changed, like the pistol can not to be placed outside in a gap like here,

The Fire Box get the 300mm wells for better handling on a ruff surfaces! Parallel on the polishing the "EdgyBox" the whole inside of the Box was drawn into Alibre parametric CAD.
Here it is the CO2 set up with 9 bottles of gas

Parallel with the "EdgyBox" I was take a variation of the design3 on the table as well, because the corner holders was solved much more better here then on design2!

So step by step to the final design, at some point the decision was made, we need compromise true design2 and design3! That's mean less edgy and more round shape will be the right one!

Again parallel the hard work was done on inside parts and renders to bring this pieces to the life. Here is one of the in between steps, the inside firebox pieces into the hangar! /no real photo just illusion and computer graphic//

The Box shape after close of the month work come to the final shape. The top is opening, the Z side cut remain, the corner holders was adapt to the best ergonomic shape and again we are in Hangar for presentation.

At the ens and also on the edge with the timing of the project some small changes was done! Not only in colors but also in dimensions, door placement, base of the box and so on! Lets take a look on the "final"
renders into the Hangar which was used for the flayers as well! More regarding Flyers later on!

In closer look on the last two designs you can see on the door the round shape box, this will be control box for the CO2 bottles! I was prepare the initial design for the control box as well, the design is not yet confirmed /15.11.2009/ and I will post here if we go forward with this shape or not!

From the beginning I was wondering how the corner holders will work in 1:1 measurement. Drawing on the screen is one side of the world and reality is sometimes different. To check the situation I was simply mill out of RDM plate the corner on the small cnc router in the studio lab. This works well true and we have for the first time the corner part into the real dimension!

At the last stage the final CAD drawings was done in AlibreCAD and the solids was send to CAM workshop to mill out of the Ciba Block materiel the pre-mold shape of the whole box! Two shots more from the screen, the wire-frame image of the box and the solid one!

More of this and closer look on the 1:1 box next time!

Code Fire Box

This pages must content some design work as well, otherwise it will be not here! The world is turning and I honestly believe into good will also on work side. I was at end of August invited to work with the project group on the new Fire Box set up. My part on the group will be the product design. Timing like most of the time in my job was short, less then two weeks for the first propositions, just standard design process on my drawing desk! The task was clear, make new design for Fire Box! The parameters are LWH 1200x800x1100mm, so eurobox top view, to go true 80cm door! Here are the design propositions and presentation for the company! This was the design presentation to the company, on first meeting the edgy-Box was chosen for next steps. Now some real work can begin. Into next steps of projecting the 3D CAD was use and photo renders for illusion of the real product! In next posts we will follow the whole process of design. I was take over to prepare the Flayers of the product which doesn't exist, magic touch is here! More later!

Moth hydrofoil extensions

I am connected to the nature, air and water are my elements, this is for sure. From the early beginning making the boats models, then RC sailing and at the end my connection to the kitesurfing / www.seajump.com / Over last years I was flowing the Moth sailing class, which I find weary interesting! The whole story went so far, I was buy a Moth this spring! Yes Moth on hydrofoils come to my place late April. Here it is first time on the lake! Some nice sailing days I spent over the summer, but this crazy machine need 10-12knots wind to come up on the foils! The spe of the main foil and the tail is squere, this is bad hydrodynamic solution. I was looking already over summer to change and make new foils, doesn't happened true the lack of time! Axeman 7 GBR 4067 on the foils, it was hard this day because the wind was strong in gusts up to 30knots, well to much for this boat! The story for today writing is different. The decision was Axeman need new extensions on the foils. In vision to have more performance, less drag and earlier take of, I go for it! In short, there was couple of steps to do. First find the foil sections, then use the CAD, in my case the www.Alibre.com! Working n the foils sections and shape. Solid was constructed on the 1/2 size of the foil. On next steps some surface check was done with the mesh elements. Logical step forward go to CAM, here is the first milling path, and the finishing steps! A quick jump to the lab, use Carbon fibre material, vacuum and we have first two extensions out of the mold. //OK OK, it is not so easy, but I am lazy to write!// Like every piece done from Carbon fibers looks great! Here they are finally assembled on the existing Axeman/Fast-craft hydrofoils Don't ask me what is next step is ........ sure go to test them, the extensions! The only problem will be the air and the water temperatures on North Adria. Water have today around 15deg C and the air the same. Goal is to be on the water for next week, I hope I will make it! In all I am still not sure if these extensions are just modifying of Axeman or it is beginning of designing the new Moth! I will see and post here what the future will show! Next time some more design news!

Tailless gliders history

For the first steps I like to clean for a bit the history! So where to start, lets take a look on my big love the RC Tailless gliders. A huge development was done over more the 10 years on his activity. Itt was a lot of falls, but also good competitions wins! Good fell anyway! Here they are, from free-flight to full Carbon Mystery II, all together!

Somewhere we must to start.This Blog will bee a good mix of Creativity, Design, Technology, Sport and yes, sometimes a truth of life! As dr. James wrote once for SEAJUMP kiteboards, I will past and copy his words about. Because dr. James is dr. Lojz thats true and simply. I was found the Seajump name in late '90 from then up to now nothing change. The brain lab still works with full power and results are outside in use! So as dr. James says:

Seajump - what is it?

It is all and nothing, but above all it is a deeply rooted stubbornness. Once it was a vision, and it remains a vision. It is our and your soul that drives us forward. Seajump is always one step ahead of time and never follows the herd instinct. We have an excitingly strong and well equipped laboratory for performing and studying brain flips, which are subsequently intravenously injected into the evolving products. The transfer of molecular vibrations is achieved using a development reactor, from which the spatial form is then created. We are also able to clone our products, but at the same time we aim to upgrade and further develop them. Obtained reflected frequencies at forums and spots are vital for our further research and development. After every successful project completion, we move to a secret home-spot and enjoy! Our laboratory staff consists also of the special group of psychoanalysts, who are dealing with too powerful brain waves of our selected specialists, whose brain vibrations must be adjusted to a normal level as prescribed by the national health service. Our research results are being used by several market leading sport companies in the world, located in various climates from cold Switzerland, hot Hawaii, to wet Britain. So much about the laboratory and the reactor.

Regards, Dr. James