In superyacht concepts, you can increasingly see fancy inflatable sails - the wingsail system. Why this technology has the potential to change shipbuilding and how it can be used - read this material from Interparus
IWS system
Almost three years ago, the world saw the literally inflatable winged sail (Inflatable Wingsail - IWS for short). Its creators are inventors Edouard Kessy and Laurent de Kalbermatten. According to the original idea, such a sail is installed on an unsupported telescopic mast. IWS is inflated using a built-in air compressor. Surprisingly, in order to inflate it, extremely low pressure was required - only two millibars.
IWS is a soft and symmetrical sail (the creators call it simply wingsail or wingsale (in Russian)). It is much easier to manage than a classic mainsail, but it is also easy to set up and take down.
The IWS disappears below deck and takes up very little space when deflated. Many reviewers noted that the technology could be used in the superyacht and commercial shipping industries due to its simplicity and efficiency.
This simplification of the sail is not new in the engineering world. The IWS itself inherits many old ideas, most of which are based on an unsupported mast. The oldest variation of such a mast is found in Chinese junks. An analogue of such a mast is well known to radio amateurs - a telescopic antenna in all its glory.
AeroRig – the forerunner of modern Wingsail systems
Gary Hoyt's Freedom Yachts used this approach in the mid-1970s. Unfortunately, it didn't catch on at the time. Ten years later, the AeroRig was developed - a unique system of its kind.
The essence of the system boiled down to the fact that a rotating through boom (or two booms on both sides of the mast) was installed on the mast, on which the mainsail and staysail were installed. The advantage of such a system was ease of management. The pulling force of both sails are balanced and the whole structure was easily controlled only through the mainsail.
The descendant of AeroRig is Dynarig. This system was designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and implemented by Magma Structures in the UK for two impressive superyachts. These yachts were Maltese Falcon and Black Pearl.
Dykstra Naval Architects decided to expand their market and entered into an agreement with Southern Spars, a giant in the marine technology industry. The deal means that even more superyachts and large vessels will now be equipped with the Dynarig system. Dynarig is generally aimed at those customers who do not care about the sail, but do care about the simplicity and eco-friendliness of shipping.
Dykstra is currently implementing the Wind Assisted Shipping Project (WASP), a multi-purpose cargo vessel that uses Dynarig masts as cranes. Dykstra is working with Veer to create the world’s first zero-emission cargo fleet.
Simon Watin, president of VLPL’s marine division, says: “The technology is ready and working now. It just needs to be perfected, but that could take decades. Just as importantly, we want to encourage people to switch to Wingsail and Dynarig. Especially those who are usually motor yacht owners. And also people who are looking for simplicity and reliability.”
Batting points to advantages in fuel economy, cruising range, comfort and autonomy. An example of such a yacht concept from VPLP is Seaffinity, which we wrote about last October. It uses a modified Windsail technology called Oceanwings.
Concepts, concepts, concepts...
VPLP also collaborated with Ayro. Together they created the concept of the incredible superyacht Nemesis One – a 101-meter catamaran with hydrofoils. According to preliminary estimates, such a cat should reach speeds of about 50 knots!
Nemesis One is a fully automated catamaran. Almost all control is carried out from control panels. Nemesis One also uses Oceanwings. The sails of this system are essentially similar to IWS - they can be removed and installed simply by inflating them.
Despite advances in concept development, commercial vessels will be the first to experience modern wingsail in full. VPLP, together with the shipping company Alizé, set about building the Canopée. It will be designed to transport parts of the Ariane 6 rocket from European ports to French Guinea. The launch of the vessel is scheduled for the end of 2022. The Canopée is to be 121 meters long and powered by Oceanwings. In total there will be four masts with sails with an area of 363 m². This system should help reduce fuel consumption by at least 15% percent.
Simon Watin says: “We rely on the aerodynamic efficiency of each sail. We also rely on automation - no rigging, no physical human intervention in setting and cleaning the sail.”
Interestingly, there is also a difference in Oceanwing for superyachts and commercial shipping. So, for merchant ships, it is possible to use some Oceanwing models as cargo cranes. For the sail itself, reinforced PVC fabric is used. There should also be a tilting mechanism that will allow the vessel to pass under the low bridge.
The superyacht version will be a little more complex, but the essence of the technology will remain the same. Superyachts will have a greater variety of colors and materials for sails and masts. More attention will also be paid to weight distribution and the installation of all the associated control wiring.
Bold initiatives - a variation of wingsail from Michelin
After the IWS was launched, many commentators noted that the commercial shipping industry was likely to outpace the superyacht market. And so it did.
The WISAMO system is an initiative of Michelin. The project and its testing are supervised by two-time Vendée Globe winner Michel Dejoie. WISAMO is a reinterpretation of the IWS, which uses an inflatable sail mounted on an unsupported telescopic mast.
“When I saw this system, I thought it had many advantages over others,” says DeGioio. “The WISAMO system offers a plug-and-play option. It is easy to install on a vessel, remove, operate or repair. Simplicity is what you need when there are few crew members on the bridge. More importantly, it operates autonomously.”
Literally at the beginning of 2022, Michelin announced that it was testing its system. To do this, the company entered into a partnership agreement with Compagnie Maritime Nantaise. The system will soon be installed on one of the ships that sail between Bilbao (Spain) and Poole (UK). It is planned to put the vessel into operation by the end of 2022.
Emission reduction
And yet the entire shipping industry significantly pollutes the environment. The impact of large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions is especially noticeable. According to the latest estimates, shipping generates 2.2% of all global air emissions.
The International Maritime Organization, part of the UN, has published a strategy to reduce carbon emissions. Shipping must achieve an average reduction of 40% by 2030, and up to 50% by 2050.
The EU is already taking many steps to enshrine these goals in law. There is very little time left until the first limit – 8 years. The task seems impossible, but the road is mastered by the one who walks it.
Despite the short time left, many companies and corporations are already investing their money and energy to get closer to the targets as soon as possible. It is ironic that the emission reduction target will be implemented with a sail.
The last commercial sailing vessel, the Pamir, ceased operations in 1957. And at that time, 150 years had already passed since the total dominance of the sail in the World Ocean. But during all this time, we have clearly learned one lesson - any changes in any fleet require endurance and time.
In general, the world fleet has one global problem, which at the first stage seemed to be a salvation. Ships are built for a long time. Many ships have a lifespan of at least 20 years. Humanity will have to rebuild its entire navy with new technology, but this time we have a deadline.
Do not be surprised that on the site about yachts and the article about the new type of sails, so much time is devoted to the merchant fleet. Because only after testing new technologies, having tested them in a highly competitive commercial shipping industry, will they (the technologies) get into the civilian fleet.
There are no easy options.
There are many different technological solutions available today. Unfortunately, most of them are quite simple and local – they will not help the industry achieve a reduction in 40% emissions by 2030. Everything that we and our colleagues talk about on our websites – engines and power plants, new fuel sources and environmentally friendly materials – is just the tip of the iceberg.
All these new solutions are in the development stage and often require exorbitant capital investments. The industry is developing, but we (sailors, yachtsmen and shipyards) are not keeping up with climate change. But at least the good news is that most of us and many companies have realized the scale of the problem and the time frame for its solution.
Simon Schofield, COO of BAR Technologies, a division of the British America's Cup team, says:
“They have a huge problem on their hands! We’ve seen a huge difference in the industry in the last two years. Two or three years ago, when we talked about this [wingsail] technology, people were like, ‘Yeah, that’s great.’ But we’d been hearing about it for years, and no one was really interested… Now it’s like, ‘How fast can we get a wingsail? What else do you have? We’ve got to get going, we’ve got to get going.’”
The good news is that there seems to be no shortage of enthusiasts who are trying to find a solution to the problem.
Difficulties of wingsail technology
The problems arise not so much with the wingsails themselves, but with their interaction with other ship systems. If such a system is installed on a ship that was not designed for it, then the load on the propeller shaft and propeller will change, and this will affect its efficiency. Following this, fuel consumption will change. The list of consequences can be long.
Although wingsail and its counterparts still have a long way to go, we think that we will soon see many interesting superyachts, catamarans, trimarans, monohuls and gigayachts using this technology.
But first, we are waiting for significant changes in merchant and commercial courts. With a probability of 100%, we predict that new solutions from there will find their wide application in sailing.
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29.10.2022
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