METHOD FOR OPERATING A SHIP, IN PARTICULAR A CARGO SHIP, WITH AT LEAST ONE MAGNUS ROTOR

• US 20140102344A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wobben Properties Gmbh (Aloys Wobben Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Wobben Properties Gmbh (Aloys Wobben Stiftung)
• Inventors: Wobben, Aloys
• Application Number:
  US14/109,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20140102344A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 114/39.3
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/02 using Magnus effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/5236 Renewable or hybrid-electric solutions

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a ship, in particular a cargo ship, with at least one Magnus rotor, comprising a step of detecting the direction of a wind. Furthermore, the at least one Magnus rotor is operated with one direction of rotation, so that by means of the interaction between the wind and the Magnus rotor a force is generated which is directed substantially opposite the forward direction of the ship.

Claims

1. A method of operating a cargo ship having four Magnus rotors that are spaced apart from each other in the form of a rectangle, the method comprising:

detecting a direction of wind; and

operating each of the four Magnus rotors with a direction of rotation such that action between the wind and the corresponding Magnus rotor generates a force that is directed substantially in opposite relationship to a forward direction of the cargo ship.

2. A method of operating a cargo ship, with at least four Magnus rotors that are spaced apart from each other in the form of a rectangle, wherein two first Magnus rotors of the four Magnus rotors are provided on a port side of the cargo ship and two second Magnus rotors of the four Magnus rotors are provided on a starboard side of the cargo ship, the method comprising:

detecting a wind direction of wind;

rotating the first Magnus rotors in a first direction such that action between the wind and the first Magnus rotors generates a force that is directed substantially in a forward moving direction or a rearward moving direction of the cargo ship, and

at the same time rotating the second Magnus rotors with a second direction that is opposite to the first direction such that action between the wind and the second Magnus rotors generates a force that is directed substantially in an opposite relationship to the direction of the force of the first Magnus rotors.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein rotating the first Magnus rotors comprises rotating the first Magnus rotors at a first speed, and wherein rotating the second Magnus rotors comprises rotating the second Magnus rotors at a second speed, and wherein the first speed is different from the second speed.

4. A method of operating a cargo ship, with two first and two second Magnus rotors that are spaced apart from each other in the form of a rectangle, wherein two first Magnus rotors are provided on a port side of the cargo ship and two second Magnus rotors are provided on a starboard side of the cargo ship, the method comprising:

determining a wind direction of wind,

rotating the first Magnus rotors in a first direction and at a first speed and rotating the second Magnus rotors in a second direction at a second speed, the first and second directions being the same direction such that action between the wind and the two first and second Magnus rotors generates a force that is directed substantially in a forward direction or a rearward movement of the cargo ship, wherein the second speed is different from the first speed.

5. A cargo ship, comprising:

four Magnus rotors mounted to a surface of the cargo ship in a configuration that spaces each Magnus rotors apart from each other in the form of a rectangle, a motor associated with each Magnus rotor and with a respective converter;

at least one control unit for controlling the respective converters to control direction of rotation and speed of rotation of the corresponding Magnus rotor, wherein the control unit is configured to operate in at least one of a first operating mode, a second operating mode, and a third operating mode,

wherein in the first operating mode, the control unit is adapted to control the direction of rotation of the four Magnus rotors in such a way that action between wind and the four Magnus rotor generates a force directed substantially in opposite relationship to a forward direction of the cargo ship,

wherein in the second operating mode, the control unit is adapted to operate two first Magnus rotors of the four Magnus rotors on the port side of the cargo ship with a first direction of rotation such that action between the wind and the two first Magnus rotors generates a force directed substantially in the direction of the forward direction or the rearward movement of the cargo ship, and to operate two second Magnus rotors on the starboard side of the cargo ship with a second direction of rotation which is opposite to the first direction of rotation such that action between the wind and the two second Magnus rotors generates a force that is directed substantially in opposite relationship to the direction of the force of the two first Magnus rotors, and

wherein in the third operating mode, the control unit is adapted to operate the two first Magnus rotors on the port side of the cargo ship and the two second Magnus rotors on the starboard side of the cargo ship with the same direction of rotation such that action between the wind and the two first and two second Magnus rotors generates a force directed substantially in the direction of the forward direction or the rearward movement of the cargo ship, wherein the speed of rotation of the two first Magnus rotors is different from the speed of rotation of the two second Magnus rotors.

6. The cargo ship according to claim 5 wherein the control unit is configured to operate in each of the first operating mode, the second operating mode, and the third operating mode.