The Case for Powered Propellers on Ship Wingsails

Abstract It is well-known that wingsails operating as auxiliary propulsion on cargo ships can reduce fuel consumption. But the wingsail’s utility can be further increased by installing powered propellers on the wings, which can serve as highly effective ship maneuvering tools, much like azimuth thrusters. In addition, the powered wingsails, referred to as Propeller-Sails or Powered Wingsails, can offer greater lift forces than conventional wingsails. In this work, a velocity prediction program (VPP) is used to compare the power consumption of powered and unpowered wingsails, Flettner rotors and normally powered ships. Finally, limited model testing is used to show the extreme maneuverability possible by the wingsail-mounted propellers. Keywords propeller-sail; Flettner rotor; high-lift device; velocity prediction program; sailing cargo ship; powered wingsail