Gold August
[08.05.2011]Gold August is the name for a Magnetohydrodynamically propelled boat. Many people have not heard the term Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) let alone understand the theory or applications of this technology. MHD is the study of movement of electrically conducting fluids. The field of magnetohydrodynamics was first started by Michael Farraday. Magnetohydrodynamics works by inducing a current through a fluid which is in the presence of a magnetic field and therefore results in a force on the fluid. The MHD forces can be calculated using Navier-Stokes equations along with Maxwell’s equations.
The most popular idea of application probably comes from the 1990 film “The Hunt for Red October” where the magnetohydrodynamics propulsion system is used on a nuclear submarine. With the submarine using the magnetohydrodynamic propulsion system the submarine is able to operate silently because there are no moving parts. The benefit of having a silent drive on your submarine is that it makes sonar detection very difficult.
We decided to take the idea of magnetohydrodynamic propulsion and apply it to a boat. Having a silent boat has just as many advantages as a silent submarine. Imagine instead of hearing the roar of your 2 cylinder motor you are able to move along with less sound than a running electric golf cart produces. Instead of turning your motor on and off you have a tiny click that engages the power source to the magnetohydrodynamic propulsion system. These things are all possible when you have a magnetohydrodynamic propulsion system. With the system being completely silent there is an application for military and commercial use. They both would be able to silently move small ships or submarines with the MHD technology. The use could be for documentation purposes: such as approaching an easily spooked animal for Discovery channel, or for National Security: to sneaking past sonar guarded ports for the Navy inspections. The applications for this type of technology are endless.
For additional project information, see the documents listed to the right.
David Hobbs is a senior Electrical Engineering student at the University of Central Florida. David plans on graduating in August 2011 with his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He plans on continuing his education at the University of Central Florida to pursue his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering.
Jeffrey Schaffer is a senior Electrical Engineering student at the University of Central Florida. Jeff plans on graduating in August 2011 with his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He is currently working for Lockheed Martin in the fields of power distribution, lightning protection and grounding, and facilities construction. He plans to continue his work with Lockheed Martin upon graduation.
Alex Mavrommatis is a senior Electrical Engineering student at the University of Central Florida. He plans on graduating in December of 2011 and his interests lay in digital signal processing and communication systems. He plans in pursuing a job in industry upon graduation.
Jared Kelley is a senior Electrical Engineering student at the University of Central Florida. He is a veteran of the United States Navy, currently working as a Network Administrator for a telecommunications company. Jared plans on pursuing a career in research, development and implementation of solar power upon graduating.