SkySails
Encyclopedia
SkySails GmbH & Co. KG is a Hamburg
-based company that sells equipment to propel cargo ship
s, large yacht
s and fishing
vessels by the use of wind energy. The company was founded in 2001 by engineer
s Stephan Wrage and Thomas Meyer. A test facility was set up in Wismar
.
The SkySails propulsion system
consists of a large foil kite
, an electronic
control
system for the kite and an automatic system to retract the kite. The system bears similarities to kitesurfing
. The system was first tested on the Baltic Sea
, before commercial implementation. The kites, which have an area of around 320 square metres (3,444.5 sq ft), can be flown at altitudes of 100–300 m (328.1–984.3 ft). Because of the stronger winds at these heights, they receive a substantially higher thrust per unit area than conventional mast-mounted sails. A ship equipped with the current SkySails could consume from 10 to 35% less fuel. A conventional ship with a SkySail-system has two propulsion methods, making it a type of hybrid vehicle
. SkySail kite propulsion from upper wind power is a traction use of high altitude wind power
.
is the world's first commercial container
cargo ship which is partially powered by a 160 square metres (1,722.2 sq ft), computer
-controlled kite. It was launched 17 December 2007 and departed the northern German port of Bremerhaven
to Guanta
, Venezuela
in January 2008. Stephan Wrage, managing director of SkySails GmbH announced: "During the next few months we will finally be able to prove that our technology works in practice and significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions."
The ship completed its journey on 13 March 2008 after sailing from Germany to Venezuela, then to the United States, and ultimately arriving in Norway. While the kite was in use, the ship saved an estimated 10-15% fuel, $1,000 to $1,500 per day.
The - at the EU-funded Life project WINTECC (duration four years) determined - annual consumption-saving is, on windy routes, at about 5.5%.
In early 2010, the company announced that it had sold one of its 160m2 systems to be installed on the Maartje Theadora, the first application of the SkySails system on a fishing trawler. The vessel is described as Germany's largest fishing ship, and the kite is expected to reduce fuel costs on the runs to fishing grounds along the African coasts or the South Pacific.
In the future scaling up to a 1,600-square-metre (17,000 sq ft) sail will eventually cut fuel costs by over 50% for cargo ships. Competitor KiteShip is planning a 4,650 metre (50,000 sq ft) sail for oil tankers.
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
-based company that sells equipment to propel cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
s, large yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
s and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
vessels by the use of wind energy. The company was founded in 2001 by engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s Stephan Wrage and Thomas Meyer. A test facility was set up in Wismar
Wismar
Wismar , is a small port and Hanseatic League town in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,about 45 km due east of Lübeck, and 30 km due north of Schwerin. Its natural harbour, located in the Bay of Wismar is well-protected by a promontory. The...
.
The SkySails propulsion system
Marine propulsion
Marine propulsion is the mechanism or system used to generate thrust to move a ship or boat across water. While paddles and sails are still used on some smaller boats, most modern ships are propelled by mechanical systems consisting a motor or engine turning a propeller, or less frequently, in jet...
consists of a large foil kite
Foil kite
Foil kites are soft kites based on the design of the parafoil. They consist of a number of cells running fore to aft, some or all of which are open at the front to allow air to inflate the kite so it takes on an aerofoil section...
, an electronic
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
control
Control engineering
Control engineering or Control systems engineering is the engineering discipline that applies control theory to design systems with predictable behaviors...
system for the kite and an automatic system to retract the kite. The system bears similarities to kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
. The system was first tested on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, before commercial implementation. The kites, which have an area of around 320 square metres (3,444.5 sq ft), can be flown at altitudes of 100–300 m (328.1–984.3 ft). Because of the stronger winds at these heights, they receive a substantially higher thrust per unit area than conventional mast-mounted sails. A ship equipped with the current SkySails could consume from 10 to 35% less fuel. A conventional ship with a SkySail-system has two propulsion methods, making it a type of hybrid vehicle
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
. SkySail kite propulsion from upper wind power is a traction use of high altitude wind power
High altitude wind power
High-altitude wind power has been imagined as a source of useful energy since 1833 with John Etzler's vision of capturing the power of winds high in the sky by use of tether and cable technology...
.
Practical use
MS Beluga SkysailsMS Beluga Skysails
MS Beluga SkySails is a German commercial container cargo ship. It is the world's first ship partially powered by a giant computer-controlled kite, called the SkySails system...
is the world's first commercial container
Containerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
cargo ship which is partially powered by a 160 square metres (1,722.2 sq ft), computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
-controlled kite. It was launched 17 December 2007 and departed the northern German port of Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven is a city at the seaport of the free city-state of Bremen, a state of the Federal Republic of Germany. It forms an enclave in the state of Lower Saxony and is located at the mouth of the River Weser on its eastern bank, opposite the town of Nordenham...
to Guanta
Guanta
The Guanta Municipality is one of the 21 municipalities that makes up the eastern Venezuelan state of Anzoátegui and, according to a 2007 population estimate by the National Institute of Statistics of Venezuela, the municipality had a population of 31,629...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in January 2008. Stephan Wrage, managing director of SkySails GmbH announced: "During the next few months we will finally be able to prove that our technology works in practice and significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions."
The ship completed its journey on 13 March 2008 after sailing from Germany to Venezuela, then to the United States, and ultimately arriving in Norway. While the kite was in use, the ship saved an estimated 10-15% fuel, $1,000 to $1,500 per day.
The - at the EU-funded Life project WINTECC (duration four years) determined - annual consumption-saving is, on windy routes, at about 5.5%.
In early 2010, the company announced that it had sold one of its 160m2 systems to be installed on the Maartje Theadora, the first application of the SkySails system on a fishing trawler. The vessel is described as Germany's largest fishing ship, and the kite is expected to reduce fuel costs on the runs to fishing grounds along the African coasts or the South Pacific.
In the future scaling up to a 1,600-square-metre (17,000 sq ft) sail will eventually cut fuel costs by over 50% for cargo ships. Competitor KiteShip is planning a 4,650 metre (50,000 sq ft) sail for oil tankers.