So last night I saw the 5/11/2011 episode of Mythbusters where they tested the myth that you could propell a sailboat with a fan mounted on that boat. It ended up working, but I didn't buy Grant's explanation.
You see, the venturi effect, has to do with BLOWING, not so much sucking. If you take more air from say, up and down (on a 2D model), and put most of it side-ways, then those forces are NOT equal, when you are thinking of the x-axis (horizontal), are they.
It fall back to, force created from the intake of the fan, which is from a WIDE range of direction... to the output, a FOCUSED direction, which wraps around the sail, pushing up, and somewhat back.
But.. in all honestly, I cannot indeed see that they are sucked forward, after 20 tries. I THINK I know what you are demonstrating though, which is the "venturi" effect, yes?? Well, that's not so much "it". It's more so that the force of the "intake" of the fan is from really so many directions, while the force "out" of the fan is in relation, quite focused. That focused force, wraps around the curved sail, and ends put pointing somewhat back (and greatly up, yes).
(prev comment)...However, when you blow wind (force) into a CURVED sail, most of that wind will end up wrapping around, and in their case blowing mostly up, slightly backward. If they would have had a more slacked sail, then they would have received a more backwards pointing thrust, meaning, more forward motion.
I too am very disappointed in this abomination of an episode, and am not sure of their intelligence.
You are correct in saying that there is no force AT ALL pushing forward on the sail.. Well, there IS, but that SAME force is also pushing backwards, since the fan is mounted on the same boat..
Now, in a theoretical model of RATIONAL minds (hehe), we would think that the boat goes slowly backwards, since some of that force is literally missing the sail. In theory, and certainly in a lot of cases, that is true. (see my next comment, thanks to youtube)
You see, the venturi effect, has to do with BLOWING, not so much sucking. If you take more air from say, up and down (on a 2D model), and put most of it side-ways, then those forces are NOT equal, when you are thinking of the x-axis (horizontal), are they.
It fall back to, force created from the intake of the fan, which is from a WIDE range of direction... to the output, a FOCUSED direction, which wraps around the sail, pushing up, and somewhat back.
inputverifier 1 month ago
But.. in all honestly, I cannot indeed see that they are sucked forward, after 20 tries. I THINK I know what you are demonstrating though, which is the "venturi" effect, yes?? Well, that's not so much "it". It's more so that the force of the "intake" of the fan is from really so many directions, while the force "out" of the fan is in relation, quite focused. That focused force, wraps around the curved sail, and ends put pointing somewhat back (and greatly up, yes).
inputverifier 1 month ago
(prev comment)...However, when you blow wind (force) into a CURVED sail, most of that wind will end up wrapping around, and in their case blowing mostly up, slightly backward. If they would have had a more slacked sail, then they would have received a more backwards pointing thrust, meaning, more forward motion.
I too am very disappointed in this abomination of an episode, and am not sure of their intelligence.
inputverifier 1 month ago
You are correct in saying that there is no force AT ALL pushing forward on the sail.. Well, there IS, but that SAME force is also pushing backwards, since the fan is mounted on the same boat..
Now, in a theoretical model of RATIONAL minds (hehe), we would think that the boat goes slowly backwards, since some of that force is literally missing the sail. In theory, and certainly in a lot of cases, that is true. (see my next comment, thanks to youtube)
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inputverifier 1 month ago
It worked because its magic!
jimster602 9 months ago