Evaluation Method for Energy Saving of Sail-Assisted Ship Based on Wind Resource Analysis of Typical Route

Abstract

Sail-assisted technology can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by saving the energy consumption of ships with wind energy utilization. The distribution characteristics of marine wind resources are critical to the energy-saving effect of sail-assisted ships. However, due to the lack of effective energy-saving evaluation methods for improving the utilization rate of wind energy, a high potential for wind energy utilization still exists. A novel energy-saving evaluation method based on the wind energy resource analysis of typical ship routes is proposed in this paper. First, a three-degree-of-freedom motion model for sail-assisted ships considering the wing sail forces is constructed. Then, a wind resource acquisition and analysis method based on spatial–temporal interpolation is proposed. On this basis, the wind field probability matrix and wing sail force matrix are established. Ultimately, an energy-saving evaluation method for sail-assisted ships on typical routes is proposed by combining the sailing condition of ships. The case study results show that the energy-saving effect of a wing sail-assisted oil tanker that sailed on the China-to-Middle East route was more than 5.37% in 2021 and could reach 9.54% in a single voyage. It is of great significance to realize the popularization and application of sail-assisted technology, thus improving the greenization of the shipping industry.