Scientists from the University of Southampton have received funding from Innovate UK to investigate the potential of the technology of wind powered ships as part of efforts to decarbonize the UK’s maritime sector.
The research team intends to create new software tools which accurately predicts how modern vessels perform on the ocean when fitted with the FastRig wing-sails, developed by UK company Smart Green Shipping. Lead scientist Dr Joseph Banks, from Southampton’s Marine and Maritime Institute, said that global shipping needs to decarbonize quickly.
As part of the two-year development programme, scientists will test the impact of a retractable 20metre-high FastRig wing-sail retrofitted on commercial ship the Pacific Grebe – a British 105 metre vessel.
Lead scientist Dr Joseph Banks, from Southampton’s Marine and Maritime Institute, acknowledged that ships powered by wind is nothing new, but almost every large vessel operating today is powered by fossil fuels, leaving a lasting mark on the environment. He added that while new wind-assist technologies are being developed, many are not ready for market and their predicted fuel savings have not been independently verified at sea and that is the reason why UK-funded research projects like this are so important.
Our team of researchers will investigate the complex interactions between the wing-sails and the ship hydrodynamics enabling accurate predictions of vessel performance which will be compared to the demonstration vessel Pacific Grebe as part of the project. This will require innovative numerical simulations backed up by experiments conducted in our highly instrumented 138metre Boldrewood towing tank and RJ Mitchell wind tunnel.
…said Dr Joseph Banks
The grants for the Winds of Change project, the collaboration between Southampton and Smart Green Shipping, was provided by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK, which is working to transform the UK into a world-leader for generating clean maritime equipment.
Experts from Southampton’s Marine and Maritime Institute hope their new tool, which predicts the fuel savings delivered by the wing-sails, will drive further investment in the UK’s marine technology sector and encourage the next generation into the exciting field of Maritime Engineering
