Evaluation Method for Energy Saving of Sail-Assisted Ship Based on Wind Resource Analysis of Typical Route

Abstract

Sail-assisted technology can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by saving the energy consumption of ships with wind energy utilization. The distribution characteristics of marine wind resources are critical to the energy-saving effect of sail-assisted ships. However, due to the lack of effective energy-saving evaluation methods for improving the utilization rate of wind energy, a high potential for wind energy utilization still exists. A novel energy-saving evaluation method based on the wind energy resource analysis of typical ship routes is proposed in this paper. First, a three-degree-of-freedom motion model for sail-assisted ships considering the wing sail forces is constructed. Then, a wind resource acquisition and analysis method based on spatial–temporal interpolation is proposed. On this basis, the wind field probability matrix and wing sail force matrix are established. Ultimately, an energy-saving evaluation method for sail-assisted ships on typical routes is proposed by combining the sailing condition of ships. The case study results show that the energy-saving effect of a wing sail-assisted oil tanker that sailed on the China-to-Middle East route was more than 5.37% in 2021 and could reach 9.54% in a single voyage. It is of great significance to realize the popularization and application of sail-assisted technology, thus improving the greenization of the shipping industry.

Trim and Engine Power Joint Optimization of a Ship Based on Minimum Energy Consumption over a Whole Voyage

“…Generally speaking, there are four main categories of methods for the energy saving and emission reduction of ships, which are as follows: optimal design of ship form [2], application of green energy [3], waste heat recovery [4], and operation optimization of ships, etc. Modern ships typically first collect ship performance data [5], then employ one or more of the aforementioned methods to reduce the fuel consumption for better economy and to cut carbon emissions in order to meet the increasingly strict standards, such as the Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator (EEOI) [6] and the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) [7], for cargo ships.…”

Analysis of Dynamic Characteristics of Rotor Sail Using a 4DOF Rotor Model and Finite Element Model

“…By implementing a control system that measures wind direction and intensity to automatically control the rotor sail, it is possible to improve the energy efficiency of the ship by approximately 5-20% without the need for additional crew members [20,21]. This trend of applying rotor sails is observed in large vessels such as VLCCs (very large crude-oil carriers) and bulk carriers [22][23][24][25].…”