First Official Funneller Cavitation Tunnel Test

On April 12, 2005 the Funnellers first official cavitation tunnel test was performed at the
University of Duisburg Germany.

The Funneller, although
quite primitive in
appearance, performed
well despite multiple
unforeseen drag co-
efficiencies.

The 100mm radius
Funneller, with a pitch
angle of 12.9 degrees, was
connected at the tip to the
propeller shaft and
mounted together with the
fixed wooden base-
stabilizer in the 300mm
wide cavitation tunnel.

Because of the weight of the massive aluminum Funneller (10.2 Kg.), the University
elected to install a shaft into the wooden base-stabilizer to support the Funneller base.

Securely mounted into the
base stabilizer, this stainless
steel shaft protruded into the
Funneller base where, at the
end of the shaft, two stainless
steel bearings supported the
Funnellers weight.

These bearings were well greased to
keep the overall consequential drag
minimal. Even so, this bearing-drag
must be taken into consideration when
interpreting performance results.

In addition to the unanticipated bearing-
drag, a second unforeseen drag co-
efficient materialized when the wooden
base-stabilizer took on moisture and
expanded considerably. Drag caused by base-stabilizer expansion could be substantial.

The Funneller patent application is registered at The International Bureau of WIPO # PCT/1B03/01727. All Rights Reserved.

Moreover, the stabilizer expansion caused
irregularities in the gap between Funneller and
base-stabilizer; as a result: this gap could not
be set properly.

Even more noteworthy, when the gap was set
at approximately 10mm before rotation
commenced, as rotation speed increased, this
gap closed to ca. 2mm indicating that the
under pressure at the Funneller base was
exercising significant pull on the securely
mounted base-stabilizer.

The effective pull-factor on the base-stabilizer could not be measured, but this pull-factor
clearly affected efficiency and therefore must be taken into consideration.

In addition, the close proximity of the cavitation tunnel walls may also have affected the
test results.

All in all, considering the
bearing-drag, the
stabilizer-expansion
drag, the base-stabilizer
pull-factor, the close
wall-proximity, and
perhaps some other
unknown factor, the
Funneller test results were quite phenomenal!

The results show that despite all above
mentioned hindrances, at rotation speeds
up to 1500 rpm this Funneller achieved
results that rival the most efficient
propeller!

Even more remarkable, these results stop
at 2966 rpm for two reasons: first the
cavitation tunnels Tkg meter maxed out
at 50, and second the circuit breaker
tripped between 3000 and 3300 rpm.

the tunnel was MAXED OUT !

Most phenomenal of all: NO CAVITATION OCCURRED AT ANY SPEED!

The Funneller patent application is registered at The International Bureau of WIPO # PCT/1B03/01727. All Rights Reserved.