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WELCOME
TO: BLUEBIRD
MARINE SYSTEMS (BMS) LTD
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INSPIRATION - These famous British engineers: Christopher Cockerell, Barnes Wallace and Frank Whittle, gave us the hovercraft, bouncing bomb and jet engine. Their achievements are our compass in the quest to excel.
ABOUT US: We are a British company established early in 2013 to exploit patent technology and associated intellectual property for manufacturing and license sharing (technology transfer) with our associates in Europe and we hope eventually worldwide. The aim is to benefit mankind by sharing.
BOAT BUILDING: We hand craft small vessels in our own workshops, up to 7 meters (23 feet in length), mainly as one-off custom designs or for prototype development purposes, such as hydrodynamic tow tank and robotic testing.
The latest scale hull in our stable was built to develop a ship concept that could harvest energy from nature for blue water endurance operations, while also having a high payload capacity. The patent (pending) design is particularly suited to autonomous operation in both fully unmanned and drone functions. To date aircraft have a significant lead over ships, where flight regulators (FAA) have given the thumbs up for general commercial use, but waterborne fleet operators (cargo and cruise) are way behind aviation robotics, even with Rolls-Royce taking an interest.
AUTOMOTIVE: We custom build one off prototype vehicles in our own workshops, in connection with the conceptual development of sustainable transport networks.
MULTIFUEL SYSTEM - The Ecostar DC50 (50Kw) above (left: under construction in timber, Right: bodywork shaping) is designed as a city-sports car, but is also suitable as a club racer, if fitted with 200-300Kw or larger motors, this lightweight sports car could be very competitive as the Ecostar AC300. A racing version of this car would feature carbon fibre body panels and conventional wishbone suspension with coil over shocks, to take advantage of existing club racing components. The patent recharging system will speed up pit stops and so make any racing event that much more competitive.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: Our four main areas of research are:-
1. AUTOMOTIVE: EVs with built in cartridge exchange refueling. 2. AUTOMOTIVE: EV service stations to handle a universal cartridge. 3. MARINE: Advanced hull designs, stable platforms with reduced drag for electric propulsion. 4. MARINE: Energy harvesting from nature, with microprocessor control for clean endurance missions.
We are available for work with private customers for one-off prototypes, or to collaborate with corporations and governments internationally to tailor or develop our designs for specific duties, which might include by way of example:
AUTOMOTIVE
a) National energy infrastracture concepts and design b) Vehicle prototyping c) Energy storage cartridge developments
MARINE
a) Hydrographic missions b) Oceanographic surveying c) Ocean waste cleansing g) Green cruise and cargo vessels of the future
Customer confidentiality is absolute in all cases.
ENERGY SAVINGS: Savings in terms of diesel fuel, thus pollutants, could be considerable - if it is feasible to replace existing fleets with clean electric fleets, and we have every reason to believe that that is fast becoming a practical proposition with the drive to clean up bunker fuels, putting renewable energy on the map economically.
COLREGS RECOGNITION: Marine safety could improve many times over with the take up of autonomous navigation. Imagine an autopilot combined with an automatic identification system. Then imagine that system is capable of robotically exceeding collision regulations without a crew onboard. How? This is achieved with a combination of dedicated microprocessor sub-systems, computer programs and associated sensors, linked to the ships helm and satellite communications.
ICE COMPETITION: Systems are already marketed by firms such as Iridium and Transas, designed to save fuel via better navigation precision. The BlueTracker satellite linked (gps based) diesel fuel consumption monitoring system is seen in the diagram below. The fact that such a system has been developed is a sure sign that fleet operators are looking to reduce fuel consumption - from where the next step must be to consider zero carbon energy alternatives.
Navigation and ship management is such that autonomous transport is just around the corner. The Iridium setup on the fishing vessel above is an example of where ship control is headed.
Type approval is one issue we wish to put to rest via certification, where in all certainty, our system meets the criteria. We have been in communication with the IMO, with a view to gaining recognition in SOLAS terms and other conventions - which is sure to require rigorous demonstration and test result analysis. The IMO say that the rules will remain unchanged, which for us is good news. That leaves it open to test a system for compliance once we have a platform worthy of such testing. And we are working on it.
This may be of particular interest to freight operators, where there are so many small autonomous vessels operating, that are of course exempt from COLREGS proper, but where practical endurance vessels of a size that demand collision regulation compliance, are envisaged when it comes to fleet replacements. This is the next stage in the evolution of ASVs and potentially the dawning of a new age of robotics.
LEAD PATENT - Patent progress 2013 - 2014, the lead application has now passed to the Search stage, as of 20 January 2014. As a SME with limited funding, this strategy is the logical next step in developing the IP for our investors. Research that we hope to complete in the next 12-24 months is sure to lead to International improvement patents as new markets are identified that need specific IP protection. Whatever follows, the market in the UK is secured against unauthorized intellectual property poaching. We anticipate that unauthorized imitators will take our ideas and go offshore, but then navy customers and other commercial fleet operators are unlikely to cotton to what would then by IP theft - that they could not hide from the media.
AUTOMOTIVE: FORMULA E CIRCUIT RACING - INSTANT PIT STOP RECHARGING
As a diversion from marine energy systems, we are interested in R&D on automotive energy-transfer systems as may be applicable to Formula E competition vehicles or the implementation of low cost service stations.
We are potentially interested in collaborating or otherwise working with companies and academia to improve products aiming for a zero carbon economy, about which road cars is also an area of concern.
The Ecostar DC50 above is particularly suited for club racing, being fitted with a road going version of our Formula E system. Fitted with 200Kw or larger motors, this lightweight sports car could be very competitive.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE FORECASTS
An
authorative report summarising and forecasting every sector of the EV industry remains unique. It adds new sectors as they become substantial, the latest being car-like microEVs homologated as quadricycles in Europe. In the last year it has become a more closely integrated market - pure electric and hybrid whether on land, water or airborne. For example, Nissan has launched hybrid cars selling in tens of thousands yearly. The e-bike company Brammo has taken orders for 4,000 of its $20,000 record-breaking e-motorbike on its launch in the USA. Previously, e-motorbikes have been merely a curiosity. Many profitable niches are emerging just as the largest major sectors are changing in importance; the industrial and commercial sector is now bigger and much more profitable than e-cars, and is set to remain so for at least eight more years.
Fig. 1 Ex-factory value of EVs, in 2024, by sector application
Sales forecast for some volume sectors of electric vehicles
Further information
Or call one of
their sales managers:
http://www.idtechex.com/reports/electric-vehicle-forecasts-trends-and-opportunities-2014-2024
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY - The Bluefish ZCC platform is enabling research for unmanned zero emission cargo ships and oil tankers of the future to include submarines and aircraft (drone) carriers, mine and drone countermeasures. This concept vessel is based on a stable SWASH hull design proposed for development in the UK under license from patent GB2511731. A design like this uses no diesel fuel in normal continuous operations to monitor the oceans autonomously at relatively high speeds of 7-10 knots continuous average, 24/7 and 365 days a year. Larger versions of this format might carry significant weaponry for coordinated convoys, or persistent deterrent. This is only possible with the unique energy harvesting (wind and solar) system. This vessel could pay for itself in bunker costs every 10 years. Fuel for thought for both military and merchant fleet operators looking for ways to save money and clean up their act in support of the call against climate change! Red Storm Eagle, over and out.
To cap it all, the same ship can carry an onboard ROV for remote controlled disposal of mines. All of this technology is available off the shelf. The only difference is that we've incorporated it in an active hull, in an innovative way that nobody in the world of naval architecture could have come up with, mainly because of the conservative nature of the profession. Albert was right when he said that: "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Please use the EVENTS, INDEX and ROBOTICS links above to navigator this site. If you would like to know more about any of the above technology as may fit in with your future products or services, please use the contacts page, preferably using email.
Note: This legacy site has much unrelated content that we are contractually obliged to maintain.
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This website is Copyright © 2015 Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd. The names Bluebird™, Bluefish™, SeaVax™, Ecostar DC50™ and the blue bird and fish in flight logos are trademarks. All other trademarks are hereby acknowledged. CONTACTS NOTE: We are not affiliated with any other company using the name "Bluebird." The color blue is reserved to our company and our affiliates.
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