Around 3500 B.C., humanity first set sail aboard wind-powered vessels. For millennia, ships relied primarily on sails and wind as their main means of propulsion. In the 19th century, however, the advent of the steam engine ushered in a new era in maritime history, gradually reducing the role of sail power.
Today, the sail has reemerged in the shipbuilding industry in a fundamentally new form: the wind-assisted propulsion system (WAPS).
WAPS is a next-generation technology that harnesses wind energy to supplement a vessel’s primary propulsion system, thereby reducing fuel consumption. It also serves as a strategic solution that helps the shipbuilding and maritime industries advance their transition toward carbon neutrality.
A representative example of WAPS is a wing sail. Structurally, a wing sail resembles a vertically mounted aircraft wing. As the wind flows across its surface, it generates a force known as lift. In aviation, lift allows an aircraft to ascend; on a vessel, that same force acts horizontally, helping propel the ship forward
.Applying Aircraft Wing Principles: The Wing Sail
How does a wing sail improve fuel efficiency? (....)