Exploring Paddle Board Varieties: Inflatable vs Rigid
Disadvantages of Hard Shell Paddle Boards
On the flip side, hard shell paddle boards do have some drawbacks to consider:Portability: These boards can be cumbersome compared to their inflatable counterparts, and transporting them can be a hassle for those who lack sufficient vehicle space or tools.
Storage: Hard shell boards require more physical space for storage compared to inflatable models, which can be more compact when deflated.
Weight: Often heavier than inflatables, these boards can be harder to manage for some paddlers, especially those looking to carry them significant distances or loading them alone.
Stitching: The drop-stitch fibers are sewn together within a pattern that will ensure a flat surface once inflated.
shapewave® could take on wing profiles.
“Often heavier than inflatables”, but not always. Although the video on the initial topic rather stated the opposite, one might think that the weight of the two types of boards is comparable, which does not bode well for the scalability for AWES, knowing the pressure inside the inflatable drop-stitch or shapewave® profile could increase with the dimensions.
The whole thread have been reflected in the preprint (PDF) Vertical axis wind turbine(s) connected to Flettner or Sharp balloons, also including:
As indicated below, rigid blades could perhaps advantageously accommodate to the cambered profile. Thus, as shown in the Fig. 11 [29], the medium solidity turbine, with chord length blades c of 0.5 m (in red) would replace inflatable high solidity turbine with chord length blades c of 1 m (in green) which are required for the structural outfit. Note that in the red curve (for c = 0.5 m), the best Cp (close to 0.5) corresponds to the slowest TSR (far below 1), which is ideal for low consumption of aligned balloons. And rigid 0.5 m chord length blades can be lighter that inflatable 1 m chord length blades. These numerical indications apply to the reference turbine represented in table 2 [29], with a radius of 3.333 m. The chosen radius here being 10 m, the proportions of the blades are accordingly adjusted.
However, since individual use is planned, it may be possible to reconsider the dimensions based on the aforementioned table 2 [29], which would result in a swept area of approximately 44.435 m² with a blade height substantially equal to the diameter of the turbine, which is 6.666 m.