Author(s)

Y. Noguchi & D.W. Atkins

Abstract

CFD assisted design and experimental testing of a wingsail with high lift devices Y. Noguchi, D.W. Atkins Mechanical 1 Introduction Wingsails are solid aerofoil sections and create lift/thrust in the same manner as a conventional soft sail. During the late 70's and early 80's the cost of crude oil rose sharply. As a result of this, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) commissioned a report entitled 'Wind propulsion for the ships of the American merchant marine' |1]. This report tested seven 'Wind Assist' devices and scored each on various aspects. Of the hardware alternatives examined, wingsails offer the greatest potential. To optimise wing sail performance, the maximum thrust is required from a given wingsail area. To accomplish this, high lift devices at both leading and trailing edges may be used as are used in aircraft wings. An aircraft wing is only required to create a lift in one direction, whereas a w

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