New wind power design to offer 20-40% fuel savings
Australia's FR Shipwrights Pty Ltd (Shipwrights) has told Ship & Bunker that its new wind powered sailing system design offers a lower investment cost and 12% to 34% improved efficiency over the current generation of rigid sail systems.
Design principle Brian Milgate said the Ming Ship sailing system will provide 20-40 percent fuel savings for both coastal and international vessels along with the associated emissions savings from reduced bunker consumption.
Designed for broad based industry take up, the system is based on a modular, standardised unit consisting of a mast, sail, and operating equipment.
Vessels can utilise either multiple masts, or 'scale up' the individual units as required.
"This makes it very economical for most ships and significantly less expensive than other proposed and developing technology," said Milgate. "The poorest ship operator can afford our system."
Laminar Flow
Efficiency gains over existing rigid sail technology come from the Ming Ship system's design to maximise laminar wind flow.
"Our system uses the wind 100% efficiently through 220 degrees, whereas others use the wind efficiently through 130 degrees," Milgate explained.
Operating the system needs only basic cargo handling skills, which can be on a mast by mast basis or remotely controlled from the bridge deck, with training also provided from the Ming Ship school in Zhoushan, as well as in Australia and in Panama.
Masts can be operated as cargo handling booms, or for lifting deck hatches, and can also be lowered for severe weather, passing under low clearance bridges, or when not in use.
As well as being installed on newbuilds, the Ming Ship system can be retrofitted to existing tonnage without the need for dry docking.
"The biggest factor in considering installation time will be the ship's design and the cargo handling system," said Milgate.
"In some cases fitting can be done in transit waiting areas such as the Panama Canal."
Return on investment will vary depending on the individual vessel and the future price of bunkers, he said, but could be achieved in as little as one to three years.
Milgate noted that 3000 years ago European ships returning from America to Europe with cargoes of copper were making the transit using the Gulf Stream in 14 to 17 days.
"Maybe our reliance on oil has taken us too far in one direction and affordable wind assisted ships can be a step to turn the corner and go back in a more sustainable direction."
