Abstract: This paper describes the approach taken to create a new assisted propulsion technology for commercial shipping, giving preliminary indications of the benefits achievable. The wind power technology described is the Rotor sails which are essentially the improved version of the Flettner rotors, with full automation. Although the basic principle of Flettner-rotors has been known for a long time, this is the first time that a rotor has been retrofitted on to a ship and made commercially available. This unique type of powered sail has attracted more recent interest for its potential to reduce fuel consumption on ships. Wind is a renewable energy source that is freely available on the world’s oceans. As shipping faces the challenge of reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and cutting its carbon emissions this technology explores the potential for harnessing wind power for shipping. Consideration has been given to some of the practical limitations of retrofitting Flettner rotors to a ship, and some of the negative side effects that have been incorporated into the study. An attempt is also made to give a balanced and conservative assessment of the potential benefits.
Keywords: Flettner rotors, Magnus Effect, Aspect ratio, Yaw forces, “invisibility”.
Title: A Review of Flettner Rotor Sails
Author: C. Manasseh Karnan, V.Thanikachalam, M.Rajesh, K. Anbazhahan
International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations
ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online)
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