The Solar ship

MS Turanor PlanetSolar, known under the project name PlanetSolar, is the largest solar-powered boat in the world.The vessel was designed by LOMOcean Design, built by Knierim Yachtbau in Kiel, Germany, and launched on 31 March 2010. In May 2012, it became the first ever solar electric vehicle to circumnavigate the globe. The huge ship length is 31 m (35 m with flaps), Beam 15 m (23m with flaps) and its Speed 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) (max) 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) (cruising).

Technical characteristics

The 31-meter boat is covered in over 500 square meters of solar panels rated 93 kW,which in turn connect to one of the two electric motors in each hull. There are 8.5 tons of lithium-ion batteries in the ship's two hulls. The boat's shape allows it to reach speeds of up to 14 knots. The hull was model tested in wind tunnels and was tank tested to determine its hydrodynamics and aerodynamics. The boat has been designed to be used as a luxury yacht after the record attempt is finished. It is currently being used as a floating marine research laboratory by Geneva University. View of the bow, showing the three hulls.The boat is registered in Switzerland and was financed by a German entrepreneur. Construction cost was € 12.5 million. The name Turanor, derived from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, translates to `The Power of the Sun`.

 

Around the world

On 27 September 2010, Turanor PlanetSolar set off from Monaco to circumnavigate the globe solely with the aid of solar power. One aim of the project was to focus public awareness on the importance of renewable energies for environmental protection. The boat had a crew of six. The captain of the expedition was Frenchman Patrick Marchesseau, but at the midpoint of the circumnavigation (in New Caledonia in mid-May 2011) the French Canadian Erwann Le Rouzic took over as captain, to share the master's responsibility with Captain Marchesseau. Other participants were Christian Ochsenbein (Bern, Switzerland) and Jens Langwasser (Kiel, Germany); as well as the project initiator, president and expedition leader Raphaël Domjan (Neuchatel, Switzerland).

A significant stopover was Cancun, Mexico, during the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference held there from 29 November to 10 December 2010. During the expedition, Turanor PlanetSolar broke two records: the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by solar boat and the longest distance ever covered by a solar electric vehicle.Technical problems with the propeller system forced the vessel to stay in an Asian port for two weeks of maintenance.Turanor PlanetSolar returned to Monaco on 4 May 2012 after 584 days sailing around the globe. The vessel was then scheduled for a refit so it could be chartered to tourists in the Mediterranean Sea. Cruises are planned with 12 passengers and four crew on board.

Voyage and transatlantic record

After an engine refit, Turanor PlanetSolar broke its own record, crossing the Atlantic ocean from Las Palmas to Saint Martin in the Caribbean in only 22 days, four days faster than on the circum navigation trip. The boat left Las Palmas on April 25 and arrived in Marigot on Saint Martin on May 18. The trip led to Miami, Florida, and then continued as a scientific expedition along the Gulf Stream. On the return trip the boat reached St John's, Newfoundland, 1 August 2013 before heading back across the Atlantic.

Mars-Rain

Our fourth planet in the Solar system, is named after the ancient roman god of war, Mars. People also called it the `Red Planet` as its surface if covered by iron oxide (loose dust and rock) which gives it a red bright rust colour surface appearance. During the Solar System's formation, Mars was created out of the protoplanetary disk. Also, Mars has two moons: Phobos and Deimos. Mars’ size is relatively smaller than our Earth and approximately half the size of the Earth; therefore, it takes longer to orbits the Sun(about two Earth years). Mars also has a surface area about the same as the land surface area of Earth. The Earth is about nine times more massive than Mars. Truly, there are some similarities between Mars and Earth which kept our interest to discover this mystery planet over decades. For example,Mars have a relatively thin atmosphere similar to Earth’s. Its atmosphere contains oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and argon, but proportionally different to our Earth. Moreover, it has similar observable features like volcanoes, valleys, deserts and polar ice caps. Mars’ seasonal cycles are likewise similar to those of Earth as well. These integrated features give rise to our suspect about the past or existing presence of life and many more questions related to its history. As Mars is the neighbour of Earth,its history of ideas about the presence of life has been a controversy issue over decades. Therefore, the research on Mars has never been stopped. 

No chance of rains:It never rains on Mars because of the thin atmosphere and the lack of a magnetosphere. A magnetosphere is not important for rain to be present, but it is necessary to shield liquid water from solar radiation. Since the Sun’s radiation and the solar wind are constantly bombarding the planet, liquid water can not exist; therefore, rain can not form nor fall. Occasionally, however, clouds do form and snow does fall. Clouds on Mars are very small and wispy and the majority of them are formed by carbon dioxide ice. Scientists believe that a few are compromised of small water particles. Since Mars is so cold the water in these clouds could never fall as rain, but can fall as snow in the upper atmosphere of the planet.Scientists have only seen this a few times and have no evidence that the snow ever reaches the ground.

Dramatic Forecast:The forecast on Mars is usually dramatic. Mars weather varies quite a bit day to day and, sometimes, hour to hour. That seems a bit unusual for a planet that has an atmosphere that is only 1% as dense as the Earth’s.As a rule, Mars is dry, cold, and clear. In the summer daytime temperatures at the equator can be as warm as 20 C. Nice short sleeve weather and comfortable for most activity. That same night, temperatures can drop to -90 C. The 110 degree difference in one day can create warm and cold temperature fronts that can lead to dust devils and dust storms that can engulf the entire planet for weeks. Winter temperatures can stay as low as -140 C. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere freezes and becomes dry ice. The Martian North Pole has a one meter layer of dry ice in the winter, while the South Pole is covered by a permanent eight meter deep layer.

Challenge

It is all funny game. Not only that Awareness also behind in this,And leads every one in to exciting movement.i.e `The Ice Bucket Challenge`, sometimes called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on one's head to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and encourage donations to research.It went viral throughout social media during mid 2014.In the United Kingdom, people also participate in the challenge for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.The challenge dares nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and challenging others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated people have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation.
Corey Griffin: Co-founder of the ice bucket challenge, Corey Griffin, died on Wednesday, in a diving accident hours after raising $100,000 for ALS, say reports.
Inspired by Pete Frates, a friend who was diagnosed with ALS,a neurodegenerative disease, Griffin launched the ice bucket challenge to raise awareness and funds for the disease.On the night of August 15, after making a call to his father from Nantucket Island Griffin drowned after diving from the roof of the Juice Guys building into Nantucket Harbor. Griffin was in town to do more fundraising for ALS research.
Challenge Rules: The ice bucket challenge that involves participants to accept a previous participant's challenge within 24 hours or donate $100 to the ALS Association proved to be an instant hit. Celebrities from David Beckham and Taylor Swift, to former US presidents like George Bush also participated in the challenge. So far, the ALS Association has received $31.5 million in donations from July 29 to August 20, compared to $1.9 million in the same period last year.`He was so happy to be able to help [Frates],` Corey Griffin's father said.

Sir MV

      Sir Mokshagundam Visweswaraiah the great engineer forever. He was an eminent and statesman and played a key role in building of modern India. Born: September 15, 1860. His Achievements: Architect of Krishnarajasagar Dam; devised steel doors to stop the wasteful flow of water in dams; honored with Bharat Ratna. He instrumental in developing a system to protect Visakhapatnam port from sea erosion. Visvesvaraya designed automatic gates for increasing the storage of water level in dams. These gates were first used at Khadakvasla dam to control the flood of the Mootha Canal flowing through Poona. Visvesvaraya got the gates (Automatic Sluice Gates) Patented in his name (1901-03). Here we quote what Visvesvaraya wrote on the working of the gates designed by him : `The reservoir overflowed every year upto a height of six to eight feet above the crest of the surplus weir. A system of automatic gates was designed by me to raise the storage water level of the lake permanently by about 8 feet (over 2 metres) above the original surplus weir. This increased the storage in the reservoir by about 25 per cent without raising the dam. The gates held up water in the lake till it rose to the full height of the previous floods but whenever water rose above that level the gates automatically opened and allowed the surplus water to escape. When water in the lake again fell below the 8 feet (over 2 metres) level over the surplus water the gates automatically closed and stopped further loss of water.` The gates similar to the ones developed by Visvesvaraya were later used in the Tagra Dam in Gwalior, Krishnasagar dam in Mysore and other large storage dams. In August 1927 Mahatma Gandhi visited Mysore State (reported in September 1, 1927 issue of Young India). In a speech during that visit Gandhi said,`Bhadravathi (Iron Works), like Krishnarajasagar Dam, is a tribute to the patriotism and constructive genius of Visvesvaraya, who has placed his talents, knowledge and industry and all his time and energy at the service of Mysore.  One thing that strikes us most here is that the whole undertaking is from top to bottom a self-contained one.  The originator is a Mysorean, at any rate, entirely South Indian. That is a thing about which you and India may well be proud.`Dedication & excellence: He did his work with passion & dedication and always gave his best. One of his popular quote is: `Remember, your work may be only to sweep a railway crossing, but it is your duty to keep it so clean that no other crossing in the world is as clean as yours` Visvesvaraya pleaded for a `self-examination not moral or spiritual, but secular - that is, a survey and analysis of local conditions in India and a comparative study of the same` with those in other parts of the globe.It is interesting to note here what Gandhiji and Visvesvaraya thought of each other's views on 'solving the problem of the overgrowing poverty of the masses'. Both had tremendous respect for each other. In 1934 Gandhiji in his letter to Visvesvaraya wrote : `In spite of strength of my conviction, I have certain great regard for your fine abilities and love for the country and that shall be unabated whether I have the good fortune to secure your cooperation or face your honest opposition... I see that we hold perhaps diametrically opposite views. My conviction based upon extensive experiences of village life is that in India at any rate for generations to come, we shall not be able to make much use of mechanical power for solving the problem of the ever growing poverty of the masses.`
Visvesvaraya wrote : `You say we hold perhaps diametrically opposite views. You are for developing village industries and I favour both heavy industries and village industries. To the extent that you f-6.TIF (1167634 bytes)propose to advance village industries, I am at once with you. I can never persuade myself to take up a hostile attitude towards any constructive work, from any quarter, least of all towards work attempted by one with your brilliant historic achievements in public life... I am in favour of heavy industries because heavy industries will save the money that is going out of the country in large sums every year; heavy industries are required to provide the local manufactures of machinery and equipment required by our railways and for defence forces and heavy industries are required also for supplying machinery and tools for the village industries themselves. I recommend more extended use of mechanical power because it produces results for the country much more rapidly than human power. The object is to get food and commodities required by our people for a decent standard of living as speedily as possible ...`. Sir Visvesvaraya passed away on April 14, 1962 at the age of 101.