science

Yamato-1

Yamato-1 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Yamato-1 rather than just read about it. In short: Yamato-1 is a ship built in the early 1990s by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. at Wadasaki-cho Hyogo-ku, Kobe. It uses magnetohydrodynamic drives (MHDDs) driven by liquid helium-cooled superconductors and can travel at 15 kilometres per hour (8.1 kn).

Key takeaways

Yamato-1 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Yamato-1 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Yamato-1 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Yamato-1 is a ship built in the early 1990s by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. at Wadasaki-cho Hyogo-ku, Kobe. It uses magnetohydrodynamic drives (MHDDs) driven by liquid helium-cooled superconductors and can travel at 15 kilometres per hour (8.1 kn). Yamato-1 was the first working prototype of her kind. It was completed in Japan in 1991, by the Ship & Ocean Foundation (later known as the Ocean Policy Research Foundation). The ship, which includes two magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) thrusters, which have no moving parts, was first successfully operated in Kobe harbour in June 1992. An MHDD works by applying a magnetic field to an electrically conducting fluid. The electrically conducting fluid used in the MHD thrusters of Yamato-1 was seawater. In the 1990s, Mitsubishi built several prototypes of ships propelled by MHDD systems. Despite projected higher speeds, these ships were only able to reach speeds of 15 km/h due to constraints imposed by the weight of the superconducting magnets, and the relatively low system efficiency of 15%. Afterwards, Yamato-1 was on display at the Kobe Maritime Museum, until it was demolished in 2016.

Further reading Yohei Sasakawa: Yamato-1 - The World's First Superconducting Magnetohydrodynamic Propulsion Ship. Ship & Ocean Foundation, Tokyo 1997, ISBN 4-916148-02-9

References

External links

Magnetohydrodynamic and the Mitsubishi Yamato Popular Science November 1992 Superconductivity Goes To Sea Popular Mechanics August 1990 100 MPH Jet Ships Ship Sails on High-Tech, `Silent' Drive The Washington Post, June 17, 1992; Japanese Ship's Magnetic Attraction; Revolutionary Drive Design Lacks Moving Parts The Washington Post, June 22, 1992

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Yamato-1

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Yamato-1 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Yamato-1 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Yamato-1 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Yamato-1

In research: Yamato-1 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Yamato-1 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Yamato-1 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1991 ships, Boat types, Experimental ships, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Yamato-1 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Yamato-1 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Yamato-1 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Yamato-1 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Yamato-1 in simple terms?

Why does Yamato-1 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Yamato-1?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Yamato-1.