Η French company Airseas installed its first automated Seawing wing (half-size) on a cargo ship chartered by Airbus. The ship will begin six months of testing in January. This is a feather as in the kite or paraglider. The full-size feather is estimated to save up to 20 percent on fuel and emissions.
The 154-meter Ville de Bordeaux, owned by Louis Dreyfus, is currently on long-term lease from Airbus, which is using it to move large aircraft structures between its plants in Europe.
The ship was equipped with a wing of 500 square meters, as well as all the deck and deck equipment required for the operation of the Seawing system. The Seawing develops automatically, first coming out of its case with a trolley, then rising from the deck to a crane to catch the wind and finally, being left on a long cable to catch the steady, strong winds over about 200 meters from sea level.
Thus begins a navigation at speeds above 100 km / h, which is monitored and controlled by an automated system on the ship that is programmed to place the wing in a place that offers maximum traction. Seawing computers are also interfaced with the ship's navigation systems, monitoring wind conditions and rerouting the ship to follow the most efficient route without affecting its arrival time.
The system can be installed on almost any large ship in a matter of days, without affecting its loading or storage space.
The Seawing to be tested is half the size of the normal 1.000-square-foot wing that Airseas will eventually release for commercial use.
Airseas relies on a 2009 study that found that an 8.000 TEU container carrier burns about 225 tons of fuel per day at 24 knots (44,4 km / h), but can reduce fuel by 33 percent if it travels a little longer. slowly with 21 knots (38,9 km / h).
