The present invention relates to a rig (2) for a nautical means comprising: a reference plane intended to coincide with a symmetry plane extending in longitudinal and vertical direction of the hull of the nautical means; at least one wing; at least one rigid support capable of supporting said wing and transmitting a propulsive thrust to the hull of the nautical means given by the aerodynamic lift generated by the wing when it takes wind; the wing comprising a first and a second main face opposite to each other, the rigid support being capable of supporting the wing at least in a first operating configuration in which at least a main portion of the first or second face is facing a first side of the reference plane and in a second operating configuration in which said main portion is facing the opposite side of the reference plane; the rigid support comprising a wing sliding path for switching from the first to the second operating position and vice versa.

A double airfoil mounted on a structure controlled angularly around a generally vertical axis. The double airfoil includes a fore flap and an aft flap at least one of which has a fore-to-aft asymmetry. Each flap includes a series of shape members distributed in height, wherein the structure includes a fore mast and an aft mast connected by a boom member and a gaff member. The shape members of the fore flap are traversed by the fore mast while being able to turn around an axis defined thereby, while the shape members of the aft flap are traversed by the aft mast while being able to turn around an axis defined thereby. The aft mast is twistable, the shape members of the aft flap are rotationally locked to the aft mast, and the controller can act on the bottom and the top of the aft mast.

A wing-type sail system is provided. The system includes a mast assembly pivotally mounted on a swiveling base attachable to a craft and a substantially rigid multi-element asymmetric wing pivotally attached to a top of the mast assembly. The system further includes a control mechanism for modifying roll and yaw of the substantially rigid wing with respect to the craft.

A submersible vessel having wing and keel assemblies that are extendable for wind-powered surface operation and retractable to reduce drag for submerged operation or to place the vessel in a more compact configuration. A deployment mechanism including an actuator and linkage pivots the wing and keel assemblies-simultaneously between the deployed and retracted configuration. The vessel may have first and second pressure hulls flanking the wing and keel assemblies. A drive mechanism including a motor and a gear train employing pulley-and-cable assemblies rotates either the wing and flap together such that the flap angle relative to the wing is constant, or to change the flap angle relative to the wing with the wing angle of incidence held constant. The invention also provides a retractable wind-powered propulsion apparatus that is mountable to the hull assembly of a submersible or non-submersible vessel.

A frame device (200) for a profiled sail device, the frame device (200) having at least one adjustable frame element (202), the at least one adjustable frame element (202) having longitudinal struts which are spaced apart from one another and are assigned to sail surfaces which are spaced apart from one another, and transverse struts which extend between the longitudinal struts, characterized in that the longitudinal struts and the transverse struts delimit quadrangles which each have two diagonals with varying lengths depending on the adjustment, and the diagonals each have a predetermined maximum length, and a profiled sail device having sail surfaces which are spaced apart from one another and against which the flow can impinge and which form profiled surfaces, a sail front edge and an adjustable skeleton device arranged between the sail surfaces. The skeleton device has at least one frame device (200) of this type.

The present invention relates broadly to a rigid wing (10) which in its preferred embodiment is a rigid wing sail fitted to a water-borne vessel. The rigid wing sail (10) comprises a pair of elongate rigid panels (12A) and (12B), and a hinge element designated generally as (14) coupled to the panels (12/B) to permit pivotal movement of the panels (12A/B) relative to one another. Each of the pair of panels such as (12A) includes an adjoining edge (16A) and an opposing lateral edge (18A). The hinge element (14) is coupled to the panels (12A/B) at the respective adjoining edges (16A/B) to form either: 1) a closed configuration of the wing (10) with lateral edges (18A/B) of respective panels (12A/B) positioned adjacent one another wherein the rigid wing sail (10) is closed; or 2) an open configuration of the wing (10) with the lateral edges (18A/B) of the respective panels (12A/B) separated from one another wherein the rigid wing sail (10) is set at a variable camber.

A system for autonomous ocean data collection includes at least one sensor capable of collecting sensor data, at least one transmission device, and at least one computing device comprising one or more hardware processors and memory coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the memory storing one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the at least one computing device to generate data for transmission based on the sensor data collected by the at least one sensor, and cause the at least one transmission device to transmit the data.

An unmanned sailing vehicle comprising: a primary hull; a rigid wing rotationally coupled with said primary hull that freely rotates about a rotational axis of said rigid wing; a boom comprising a first end extending from a leading edge of said rigid wing and a second end extending from a trailing edge of said rigid wing, said first end of said boom comprising a counterweight configured to dynamically balance a wing system comprising said rigid wing, said boom, and said tail with respect to said rotational axis of said rigid wing; a tail coupled to said second end of said boom; a control surface element disposed on said tail and configured to aerodynamically control a wing angle of said rigid wing based on a position of said control surface element; and a controller configured to determine a control surface angle and generate a signal to position said control surface element.

The invention relates to a system and method of sail propulsion for sailing vessels and tugboats, consisting of one or more rows of sails secured at their upper vertices or corners by means of the ends of masts, and cables or ropes located between the upper ends of the masts, or the ends of the radial arms of said masts, with masts provided in the bow and others in the stern. The sails are secured at their lower vertices or corners to rings fixed to the deck, to ropes or cables, the ends of which are attached to the deck, to small posts, to the lower region of the main masts, to the ends of radial arms fixed in the lower region of the masts, or to pulleys on which the cables are wound using motors. The rows of sails, aligned from bow to stern, include a mast at the end sails. Cables or ropes form the upper ends of the intermediate sails.

A wingsail structure for a wind-assisted propulsion arrangement of a marine vessel can be stowed in a space saving manner. The wingsail structure includes a wingsail frame including a rigid or semi-rigid main wingsail and flap having an aerofoil, and at least one upper and lower coupling member connecting the main wingsail and the flap. The wingsail structure includes a foundation arranged to be fixed to a body of the vessel, the wingsail frame being rotatable in respect to the foundation. The upper and lower coupling members are configured to bring the main wingsail and the flap to a first unfolded standing position and to a second folded standing position. The wingsail structure includes a tilting arrangement configured to bring the wingsail frame from the second folded standing position to a third tilted position.