A 24.5-metre tall spinning cylinder, called a rotor sail, will be built and tested in the UK to help cargo ships burn less fuel. Ships crossing the North Atlantic burn heavy fuel oil, producing carbon emissions and air pollution. Rotor sails use the wind to generate forward thrust, cutting engine power demand. But existing designs are optimised for global routes, not the variable winds and tight schedules of European and North Atlantic shipping. This project targets that gap by designing a 3.5-metre diameter rotor sail specifically for those waters, then building a full-scale demonstrator to test its internal mechanics under high loads and rotational speeds. If the design works, a UK manufacturer could produce rotor sails ready for installation on bulk carriers and other vessels. The project also includes a desk-based certification process with Lloyds Register, and market research to identify UK companies that could build, assemble, and install the sails. A separate study will examine combining rotor sails with future fuels, providing evidence that wind propulsion can help shipping reach net-zero without sacrificing cargo capacity or voyage speed.
View original technical description
This project aims to revolutionise wind propulsion technology by developing a novel 24.5-meter tall, 3.5-meter diameter Rotor Sail design tailored for vessels predominantly operating in UK, European, and North Atlantic waters. Our innovative design incorporates advanced features aimed at optimising Rotor Sail performance and cost effectiveness. To bolster confidence in the seamless integration of these innovative Rotor Sails onto vessels, we will develop and build a full-scale demonstrator in the UK. This platform will serve as a rigorous test bed to comprehensively assess and mitigate risks associated with innovative design elements, particularly the internal mechanical components. Rigorous testing will subject the new designs to high loads and rotational speeds, with comprehensive thermal and dynamic instrumentation providing critical data for thorough performance analysis. Experts at Frazer Nash Consultancy will conduct dynamic analyses throughout the design phase, allowing us to compare the demonstrator's measured performance with that of the final Rotor Sail design. Over the course of this 12-month project, we will design, manufacture and test the demonstrator, and produce a complete design for a 3.5-meter Rotor Sail ready for production in the UK to exploit the market for wind propulsion on vessels sailing on the European and North Atlantic routes. Our project also encompasses a desk-based certification process involving two representative vessels within our target local market, both incorporating the new 3.5-meter Rotor Sail. This initiative, led by Stehr Consulting Ltd and Lloyds Register, leverages their extensive combined regulatory expertise, considering both Flag State and Class perspectives. Additionally, UK-based vessel operator Victoria Steamship will offer invaluable insights and vessel specifications, serving as both a product end-user and a potential facilitator for trials on one of their bulk carriers. To gain a deeper understanding of the market landscape, Connected Places Catapult will undertake comprehensive market research to quantify the UK, European and transatlantic market potential for the new Rotor Sail. Furthermore, with technical support from Frazer-Nash, they will conduct supply chain research to identify specific UK companies with the requisite capabilities and infrastructure for manufacturing, assembly, and commissioning of Rotor Sails and installation onto vessels. Their study will also explore the combination of Rotor Sails and future fuels, providing critical evidence of Rotor Sail technology's pivotal role in enabling net-zero shipping without compromising productivity.
Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.
Is something wrong? Let us know