History | |
---|---|
Route | Transatlantic crossings |
In service | 2026 (planned) |
Status | In the prototyping stage |
General characteristics | |
Type | Wind-powered vessel, roll-on/roll-off |
Displacement | 32 000 tons |
Length | 200 m (660 ft) |
Beam | 40 m (130 ft) |
Height | 65 m (213 ft) |
Propulsion | Wind-assisted propulsion, four sails |
Speed | 10 knots |
Capacity | 7,000 cars |
Oceanbird is a concept for wind-powered cargo vessels under development by Wallenius Marine. The concept aims to lower emissions by up to 90 percent [1] [2] and the design was developed in collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Swedish maritime technology company SSPA. Financial backing for the development was provided by the Swedish Transport Agency. [2] In 2021, Wallenius announced a partnership with Swedish heavy industry company Alfa Laval to further develop the concept's wingsail design. [3] Construction of a full-scale prototype wing was commenced in 2023, to be installed ashore at Landskrona to test the concept and to develop the crew operation and automation aspects. [4] Meanwhile, Wilhelmsen's car carrier Tirranna has been prepared to receive the second prototype wing, which is planned to be fitted in early 2025. [5]
The concept features expandable wingsails that can rotate 360 degrees and tilt down if needed. The masts will measure 40 m (130 ft) for a total height above the waterline of 65 m (213 ft). The rigging will be made from steel and composite materials and resemble airplane wings. [6] An auxiliary engine will be used to navigate harbors and provide emergency power. [7]
While the design is meant to be usable for different types of ships and even retrofitted to existing vessels, [7] the first vessel from the Oceanbird concept is planned to be a 200 m (660 ft) long roll-on/roll-off ship with a capacity of up to 7,000 cars. Such ships are optimized for transatlantic routes. The first vessel based on the concept is planned to set sail in 2026. [8]
In February 2021, shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen announced their intention to order a vessel of the Oceanbird concept, tentatively named Orcelle Wind. [9]
In May 2022, Wallenius was confirmed as the official partner to the concert residency ABBA Voyage in London. [10] In this partnership, Wallenius will act as the exclusive logistics provider for ABBA Voyage, in addition to providing support and consultation around sustainability. The partnership also allows for future Oceanbird vessels to be named after ABBA songs. Inside the ABBA Arena in London, the VIP lounge section is named The Oceanbird Departure Lounge, as an homage to the namesake wind-powered concept.
A wing is a type of fin that produces both lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-drag ratio, which compares the benefit of lift with the air resistance of a given wing shape, as it flies. Aerodynamics is the study of wing performance in air.
Alfa Laval AB is a Swedish company, founded in 1883 by Gustaf de Laval and Oscar Lamm. The company started by providing centrifuges to dairies to be used to separate cream from milk. It now deals in the production of specialised products for heavy industry. The products are used to heat, cool, separate and transport such products as oil, water, chemicals, beverages, foodstuffs, starch and pharmaceuticals.
MV Freewinds is a former cruise ship operated by International Shipping Partners and owned by San Donato Properties, a company affiliated with the Church of Scientology. She was built in 1968 by Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard in Turku, Finland, for Wallenius Lines as MS Bohème for service with Commodore Cruise Line. She was the first cruise ship built in Finland. Her ownership passed to a Church of Scientology-controlled company in 1985.
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930. On 14 December 2015, the Indian multinational Mahindra Group acquired 76.06% of Pininfarina S.p.A. for about €168 million.
A rotor ship is a type of ship designed to use the Magnus effect for propulsion. The ship is propelled, at least in part, by large powered vertical rotors, sometimes known as rotor sails. German engineer Anton Flettner was the first to build a ship that attempted to tap this force for propulsion. "The idea worked, but the propulsion force generated was less than the motor would have generated if it had been connected to a standard marine propeller."
The turbosail or French turbovoile is a marine propulsion system using a sail-like vertical surface and a powered boundary layer control system to improve lift across a wide angle of attack. This allows the sail to power the boat in any direction simply by moving a single flap at the back of the sail, unlike conventional sails which have to be continually adjusted to react to changes in the relative wind.
Ulstein Group is a group of companies focusing on various marine-related industries, but is mainly known for its shipbuilding and ship design activities. The largest unit is Ulstein Verft AS. The company's head office and primary operations are located in the town of Ulsteinvik in the municipality of Ulstein in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, an important area for the Norwegian maritime cluster, and with subsidiaries in several other countries. The group also includes companies working with power & control systems, engineering, site follow-up and aftermarket services. The company has also been engaged in shipping.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics was a privately owned Norwegian/Swedish shipping company, established in 1999 and co-owned by the two shipping companies Wallenius Lines and Wilh. Wilhelmsen.
Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA (WWH) is a Norwegian multinational maritime group, headquartered in Lysaker, Norway. The group employs more than 21,000 people and has operations in 75 nations. The Wilhelmsen group operates the largest maritime network in the world, with over 2200 locations worldwide.
A wingsail, twin-skin sail or double skin sail is a variable-camber aerodynamic structure that is fitted to a marine vessel in place of conventional sails. Wingsails are analogous to airplane wings, except that they are designed to provide lift on either side to accommodate being on either tack. Whereas wings adjust camber with flaps, wingsails adjust camber with a flexible or jointed structure. Wingsails are typically mounted on an unstayed spar—often made of carbon fiber for lightness and strength. The geometry of wingsails provides more lift, and a better lift-to-drag ratio, than traditional sails. Wingsails are more complex and expensive than conventional sails.
MV Taiko was a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) freighter managed by the Norwegian-Swedish shipping line Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. She was built as Barber Hector by Hyundai Heavy Industries at Ulsan, South Korea in 1984 for Blue Funnel Line, part of the Liverpool company Ocean Transport & Trading Ltd, and was Blue Funnel's last newbuilding. She was deployed on Barber Blue Sea Line, a joint venture between Blue Funnel, Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Oslo and the Broström Group of Sweden. In 1988 Ocean withdrew from Barber Blue Sea line and Barber Hector was sold to the Swedish partner, chartered to Wilhelmsen and renamed Taiko. Wilhelmsen purchased the vessel in 1993.
M/V ARC Independence, formerly M/V Faust is a large ro-ro car carrier built in 2007 by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering for Wallenius Lines AB, Sweden. It is currently operated by American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier (ARC), having formerly served with Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics. It is one of the largest car carriers in the world.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to wind energy:
Wind-assisted propulsion is the practice of decreasing the fuel consumption of a merchant vessel through the use of sails or some other wind capture device. Sails used to be the primary means of propelling ships, but with the advent of the steam engine and the diesel engine, sails came to be used for recreational sailing only. In recent years with increasing fuel costs and an increased focus on reducing emissions, there has been increased interest in harnessing the power of the wind to propel commercial ships.
The AC50 was a wingsail catamaran development rule that governed the construction of the yachts used in the 2017 Louis Vuitton Cup and the 2017 America's Cup. Like the larger AC72s used in the 2013 America's Cup, AC50s used L-shaped daggerboard stabilizers as well as T-shaped rudder elevators that were able to generate enough lift to allow the boats to exit displacement mode in winds in excess of 7kt. Prototype versions of crossbeams, wingsails, appendages, as well as steering and trimming systems had been tested by all syndicates on AC45 platforms as surrogate yachts before building their AC50. The class allowed hydraulic control of the wingsails and appendages. Motors and computer automation was banned in the class. Each challenger team was only allowed to build one AC50 for competition and only six boats were built. The class was replaced with the monohull AC75 after the 2017 America's Cup.
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