A CFD STUDY ON WIND ASSISTED PROPULSION TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMERCIAL SHIPPING

Abstract

Wind assisted propulsion has the potential to significantly reduce emissions from global shipping, with a range of technologies available including wing sails, kites, Flettner Rotors, and Suction Aerofoils such as Turbosails. Despite this, there are only a few studies publicly available on the performance of Suction Aerofoils, which operate on the same principle as a traditional sail but use boundary layer suction to develop high lift coefficients. Therefore, a CFD study was carried out in Numeca FINE/Marine software to determine values for the lift and drag coefficients over a range of angles of attack and suction levels. Supplementary studies also investigated the effects of introducing an endplate to reduce end vortices, and the effect of a ship side on the wind speed incident on the Suction Aerofoil. The plots of lift and drag coefficients developed in this paper were used to inform the BMT-led VTAS project [1], as well as contributing to wider knowledge on wind assisted propulsion for shipping. Throughout the study, Suction Aerofoils continued to show promise as an effective means of auxiliary propulsion for ships, and their use should be encouraged as part of the range of solutions to tackle the pressing issue of climate change.