To determine the sensitivity of yacht velocity to design variable variations, the VPP can output Lagrange multipliers on constraints on the design variables. These give the percentage changes in the objective for a percentage change in the design variable, other things being held constant. These values allow estimates to be made as to the usefulness of improving force models for particular aspects of the virtual yacht. To develop an inverse structural method for the design of optimal sails: In current sail design methods, one specifies an unloaded sail shape and then determines its loaded shape and pressure and stress distributions. The aim of this project is to reverse this process. Aerodynamic theory can be used to find an optimum pressure distribution and the corresponding loaded shape for a set of sails. The question is then, what corresponding unloaded sail shape should be constructed in the loft? This is the aim of this work. The answer is not unique and will depend on the elastic properties of the sail and its boundary conditions, and is greatly complicated by the possibility of wrinkling. The method will be based on an existing finite element method, but the first step will be to figure out an appropriate theory for this (unsolved) problem! To test the speed and accuracy of some improvements to potential flow calculations for flow over interacting sails: The panel method is an established tool for calculating flow around 3D lifting bodies. Different results are obtained with different panel layouts, but there are for theoretical reasons for expecting the best performance from one particular layout. The aims of the research are to test whether this layout does give the best accuracy and to find the relative accuracy and speed of other, simpler layouts. With interacting sails the calculation of the wake position is important but prone to numeral error and instability with the panel method. An additional aim is therefore to try out a new method of wake calculation and compare it with older methods. To investigate the effects of boat motion on sail performance in the wind tunnel: With a tight design space such as the America's Cup it is necessary to focus on the areas where the biggest gains are likely to be made. One such area is the dynamic effects on the performance of the sail, and how manouevring can be optimised aerodynamically. Likely areas will include pitch and roll motion, and course changes such as tacking. This project will involve adding a dynamic capability to the Twisted Flow Wind Tunnel and possible full-scale validation. To investigate the performance of double surface, or inflatable, sails: Double surface sails in many forms (mast fairings, inflatable leading edges, 2-surface shaped sails) can significantly improve a boat's performance but in most cases are not allowed under the rules, so insufficient research has been done on them. This project will look at a range of ideas "outside the normal" focussed on making the boat go faster from the aerodynamics. Work will consist of computational and experimental modelling of sails, with the possibility of full scale testing.
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