Not sure I understand how this works. How does the air get “sucked in and pressurized” without using fan(s) or without using some form of power?
Anybody have any info?
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Aren’t rotary sails old tech? I read Maersk has one equipped with them but the best they claim is 8% fuel conservation
Flettner Rotors have been around for a while. They utilize something called the Magnus Effect. This looks similar, but agree with Ombugge that it is not clear how this design is different or how it works.
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The idea of these curious ‘non-rotary rotary sails’ is an extension of studies in the aircraft sector, where they looked to reinforce the uplift forces of the wings.
In a transversal section of the wing, the air is aspired at the back end of the wing, compressed mechanically inside the wing and pushed out at the front end of the wing, just above the point where the incoming wind separates above or under the wing. This augments the speed of the air passing above the wing, which reinforces the uplift component of the whole wing.
I do not know, if this theory has any real and useful application.
https://acfdlab.miami.edu/CFJ_webpage/CFJ_web_dir/introduction_CFJ.html
However, it is well above my capacity of imagination, to see how this could work with a fixed cylindrical ‘mast’ where the apparent wind may come from any direction.
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From the linked article:
It appears to be a “pump” of some sort involved in the airplane application, thus some form of power supply must be involved. (Unless he has invented “perpetuum mobile”, or there are some other means to compress air involved)
From OP:
“Zha claiming they can cut fuel consumption by as much as 50% on some routes”.
Even the most efficient Flattner Rotor (Norpower) or Wind Wing sail (BAR Technology) doesn’t claim anywhere near the same fuel saving, even in ideal conditions.
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I’m all for sails but then I’ve read a lot of old time sail books. I think wind will significantly help in propulsion but i doubtr 50%, maybe at some slower speed we’d see 50% but i can’t get past the idea that you need area, and mechanical pump on this one? i gather that power is from the engine room?
must be one heck of a hurricane exhaust on there?
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