A Flettner rotor that employs localized suction over its surface improves performance and fuel efficiency. Simulations and analysis show that such a method can significantly improve the performance of the Flettner rotor. Improvements in rotor performance enable reduction in fuel costs and greenhouse gas emission by ships or other modes of transport. Improvements in rotor performance can also reduce noise for applications such as drones or other devices having rotors.

The propulsion system for vessels comprises at least one suction sail (3), said at least one suction sail (3) comprising a suction system (10) and a transmission unit (8) to drive the rotation of said suction sail (3), wherein the suction sail (3) comprises at least two suction zones (7) arranged symmetrically on two sides of the suction sail (3), said suction zones (7) comprising variable suction means.

It provides a propulsion system for vessels that allows reducing their fuel consumption and polluting emissions by using an improved version of suction sails.

The propulsion system for vessels comprises at least one suction sail (3), said at least one suction sail (3) comprising a suction system (10) and a transmission unit (8) to drive the rotation of said suction sail (3), wherein the suction sail (3) comprises at least two suction zones (7) arranged symmetrically on two sides of the suction sail (3), said suction zones (7) comprising variable suction means.

It provides a propulsion system for vessels that allows reducing their fuel consumption and polluting emissions by using an improved version of suction sails.

A shipping container includes a container configured to be secured onto a vessel or a vehicle. The shipping container further includes at least one wingsail stored in the container and configured to be unfolded to deploy from the container and folded to be stowed in the container,

A marine vessel can be propelled by using wind or solar energy. This propulsion results in the forward movement and six degrees of motion (roll, heave, pitch, yaw, surge, and sway) of the marine vessel. This invention capitalizes on the fact that solar, wind and wave energy are cyclical by nature. The invention enables the vessel to manage stored and harvested energy and use the stored energy during periods when the external natural sources of energy are not available in adequate quantities to maintain a reasonable speed of advance for the vessel. The vessel's natural energy management system (NEMS) manages it in such a way that harvesting of the energy during high energy cycles, storing it and using it when needed during low external energy cycles, allows a marine vessel to maintain faster average speed without reliance on any fossil or chemical fuel and by only using renewable energy sources.

The invention relates to a sailing rig system (SRS) for a sailing ship comprising one or more airfoil sails comprising one or more sail defining frames including at least three airfoil sail shape-defining edges and/or at least three airfoil sail shape-defining corners. The sail may be controllable, rotatable, pivotable, trimmable, reefable, stowable, slidable, windable, guidable, coaxial, weathervaning, wind/sun tracking, freestanding; it may provide cambering, reinforcing, sealing, boundary layer control, shielding means, sections and connections and it may be transparent. The frame may be a closable/deployable rotor sail frame. The frame may include rig components and the SRS may further comprise vertical/oblique/horizontal spars coupled with spar couplings. It may further comprise lateral, fore-and-aft, superposed sails, actuators, power generators, power sources, thermal management systems, defined rotor sails. It may provide sail twist. It may be coupled with a sailing ship with defined ship couplings. A sailing method is proposed.

A method for controlling a wind propulsion device arranged on a vessel includes providing pressure information from a first pressure sensor arranged on a surface of the wind propulsion device, estimating pressure distribution on the surface of the wind propulsion device based on the pressure information from the first pressure sensor, providing angular position information of wind propulsion device, estimating apparent wind angle based on the angular position information of wind propulsion device and the estimated pressure distribution on the surface of the wind propulsion device, using the estimated apparent wind angle for determining initial approximation for control parameters, and using the estimated pressure distribution as a feedback in closed-loop control method to optimise the control parameters of the wind propulsion device.

A method for controlling a wind propulsion device arranged on a vessel includes providing pressure information from a first pressure sensor arranged on a surface of the wind propulsion device, estimating pressure distribution on the surface of the wind propulsion device based on the pressure information from the first pressure sensor, providing angular position information of wind propulsion device, estimating apparent wind angle based on the angular position information of wind propulsion device and the estimated pressure distribution on the surface of the wind propulsion device, using the estimated apparent wind angle for determining initial approximation for control parameters, and using the estimated pressure distribution as a feedback in closed-loop control method to optimise the control parameters of the wind propulsion device.

An upright tank-based propulsion assistance rotor sail system is proposed. The system may include an upright tank fixed to a hull of a ship, and a rotor sail in a form of a cylindrical shape having a length and diameter greater than or equal to the upright tank, and installed to surround part or all of an outer circumferential surface of the upright tank. The rotor sail may be rotatably installed while surrounding the upright tank concentrically with the upright tank, and may be movable along a height direction of the outer circumferential surface of the upright tank depending on situations to maintain a predetermined height. In addition, a vessel equipped with the upright tank-based propulsion assistance rotor sail system is proposed, The fuel tank may be installed to stand upright on the vessel so that the rotor sail is installed to be movable in the vertical direction.

An upright tank-based propulsion assistance rotor sail system is proposed. The system may include an upright tank fixed to a hull of a ship, and a rotor sail in a form of a cylindrical shape having a length and diameter greater than or equal to the upright tank, and installed to surround part or all of an outer circumferential surface of the upright tank. The rotor sail may be rotatably installed while surrounding the upright tank concentrically with the upright tank, and may be movable along a height direction of the outer circumferential surface of the upright tank depending on situations to maintain a predetermined height. In addition, a vessel equipped with the upright tank-based propulsion assistance rotor sail system is proposed, The fuel tank may be installed to stand upright on the vessel so that the rotor sail is installed to be movable in the vertical direction.