Cylindrical 'sail' helps boats speed up

The British company's rotor sail will rotate to harness wind energy, creating auxiliary propulsion to help the ship accelerate and save fuel.

The rotor sail has a high mast. Photo: Anemoi

British company Anemoi has developed a unique rotor sail to help save energy for the transport industry, Design Boom reported on December 10. This modern mechanical sail has a tall mast. As it spins, it harnesses wind energy to propel the ship across the water. This auxiliary thrust significantly reduces fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.

The rotor sail is rotated by a motor. When the wind hits the rotating rotor sail, a pressure difference occurs. This creates additional propulsion for the ship, which can help the ship accelerate or reduce the energy consumption of the main propulsion system. According to Anemoi, if the rotor sails are installed on every suitable ship, the world can reduce fuel and emissions per ship by 5 - 30% annually, 17 million tons of fuel and 56 million tons of carbon.

Anemoi offers a wide range of rotor sails in standard sizes to suit most boats. "Our intelligent core design is easily scalable. So we can adjust the rotor sail size based on each ship design to optimize performance," the team of experts said. at Anemoi explained.

For complex cargo ships, Anemoi developed a system of rails that moved the sails along the deck so that the crane could efficiently and unhindered cargo. In addition, the company also offers the Folding Deployment System. The rotor sail equipped with this system can be lowered, allowing the ship to pass under the bridge or avoid affecting the loading and unloading of goods. Both the rail system and the folding system require little manpower and take only 10 minutes to operate.

The number of rotor sails on each ship is determined by factors such as ship size and deck space. They can be installed on new vessels or retrofitted to existing vessels. According to Anemoi, the rotor sail has a lifespan of 25 years and does not require complex maintenance.