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Operational considerations of kite assisted merchant ship propulsion

Operational considerations of kite assisted merchant ship propulsion
Operational considerations of kite assisted merchant ship propulsion
One of the most promising sources of auxiliary propulsion for merchant ships is wind assisted propulsion by means of a kite to provide a force to the vessel. A dynamically flown kite can generate up to 25 times the force of a static aerofoil or kite of the same planform area. A kite attached to a relatively low mast also generates a much smaller heeling moment than a conventional sailing rig and occupies much less deck area – making it suitable as a retro-fit also. Advances in control technology allow a kite to be flown dynamically with minimal (or ideally no) crew intervention.

The intention of this study is to quantify the benefits in reduced fuel consumption and balance these against the potential safety risks in order to determine the feasibility of kiteassisted propulsion of merchant ships. The potential environmental benefits are assessed in terms of energy savings and CO2 reductions.

In order to simulate correctly the forces provided by a kite to the ship, a model of the dynamically flown kite is required. The assumptions and performance of a model of kite dynamics are presented and validated through comparison to experimental data. This model is integrated with a hydrodynamic model of the ship to determine a drift angle and consequent resistance increase together with the thrust required from the propeller in this (off design) condition. Using realistic engine performance data the power required by the propeller and fuel consumption in the ‘kite flying’ mode are determined.

This model of the integrated kite/ship/propeller/engine system is applied in a case study to a small merchant vessel. Overall fuel-savings are investigated for a trans Pacific route. A formal safety assessment is carried out to identify hazards and possible mitigation strategies to address key hazards are discussed.
Hudson, D.A.
3814e08b-1993-4e78-b5a4-2598c40af8e7
Shenoi, R.A.
a37b4e0a-06f1-425f-966d-71e6fa299960
Hirdaris, S.E.
3fc55841-74b3-41ff-a8f6-fe15a080aa5c
Dadd, George M.
ea26a6f8-2f89-45f8-8e4f-1d6d32755be6
Chapman, T.
221a2064-25a2-4638-96e3-1482fc00d055
Hudson, D.A.
3814e08b-1993-4e78-b5a4-2598c40af8e7
Shenoi, R.A.
a37b4e0a-06f1-425f-966d-71e6fa299960
Hirdaris, S.E.
3fc55841-74b3-41ff-a8f6-fe15a080aa5c
Dadd, George M.
ea26a6f8-2f89-45f8-8e4f-1d6d32755be6
Chapman, T.
221a2064-25a2-4638-96e3-1482fc00d055

Hudson, D.A., Shenoi, R.A., Hirdaris, S.E., Dadd, George M. and Chapman, T. (2009) Operational considerations of kite assisted merchant ship propulsion. 2nd Annual ME ShipTech 2009 Conference, United Arab Emirates. 08 - 09 Nov 2009.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Other)

Abstract

One of the most promising sources of auxiliary propulsion for merchant ships is wind assisted propulsion by means of a kite to provide a force to the vessel. A dynamically flown kite can generate up to 25 times the force of a static aerofoil or kite of the same planform area. A kite attached to a relatively low mast also generates a much smaller heeling moment than a conventional sailing rig and occupies much less deck area – making it suitable as a retro-fit also. Advances in control technology allow a kite to be flown dynamically with minimal (or ideally no) crew intervention.

The intention of this study is to quantify the benefits in reduced fuel consumption and balance these against the potential safety risks in order to determine the feasibility of kiteassisted propulsion of merchant ships. The potential environmental benefits are assessed in terms of energy savings and CO2 reductions.

In order to simulate correctly the forces provided by a kite to the ship, a model of the dynamically flown kite is required. The assumptions and performance of a model of kite dynamics are presented and validated through comparison to experimental data. This model is integrated with a hydrodynamic model of the ship to determine a drift angle and consequent resistance increase together with the thrust required from the propeller in this (off design) condition. Using realistic engine performance data the power required by the propeller and fuel consumption in the ‘kite flying’ mode are determined.

This model of the integrated kite/ship/propeller/engine system is applied in a case study to a small merchant vessel. Overall fuel-savings are investigated for a trans Pacific route. A formal safety assessment is carried out to identify hazards and possible mitigation strategies to address key hazards are discussed.

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Published date: November 2009
Venue - Dates: 2nd Annual ME ShipTech 2009 Conference, United Arab Emirates, 2009-11-08 - 2009-11-09
Organisations: Fluid Structure Interactions Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 155135
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/155135
PURE UUID: 0106dc07-76e9-4a85-80c8-e4fa3aa39924
ORCID for D.A. Hudson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2012-6255

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 27 May 2010 08:10
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:38

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Contributors

Author: D.A. Hudson ORCID iD
Author: R.A. Shenoi
Author: S.E. Hirdaris
Author: George M. Dadd
Author: T. Chapman

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