Cargo vessel trials energy-saving kite system designed to reduce fuel needs

The ship MV Beluga SkySails started its maiden voyage from the city of BremerhavenGermany to South & North America (and back) and the SkySails-System with its 1722 square-foot towing kite has been put into operation successfully.

This new technology can tow cargo vessels and superyachtsreducing fuel consumption by 10 to 35percent on annual average. SkySails used Maple symbolic mathematical software for engineers to develop its simulation devices.

SkySails GmbH & Co KGbased in HamburgGermanydevelopsproducesand distributes towing kite wind propulsion systems for modern means of sea travel and transportation. These systems make the operation of ships more profitablesafeenvironment friendlyand independent of scarce oil resources.

The technology differs from conventional sailing systemswhich fit the sail to a mast and thereby connect it to the shipin that the towing kite of the SkySails system is connected to the ship via a towing rope. Sail area and ship are thus separate from each other. The resulting characteristics of the SkySails technology offer ships an auxiliary wind propulsion with an entirely new performance spectrum: high performancehigh practicability and high safety.

The system consists of a large towing kite similar to a paragliderwhich is navigated by a fully-automated control pod and is connected to the ship via a towing rope. The control pod performs similar tasks as a paraglider pilot – shortens or lengthens the control cordsthus changing the aerodynamic profile of the towing kite – and governs its flight path.

The traction forces are transmitted to the ship via a traction cord made of high performance synthetic fibresensuring high load capacity as well as low weight and low elongation under load. The control system is comparable to an aircraft auto pilot. An automated routing systemaligned with historic routes of large cargo sailerswill allow cargo ships to reach their destination as quicklyand at a much cheaper cost.

"We can once again actually ‘sail’ with cargo shipsthus opening a new chapter in the history of commercial shipping" was the verdict from Captain Lutz Heldt following his return from the nearly two-month maiden voyage of the multi-purpose heavy-lift project carrier Beluga SkySailswhich sailed from Germany to Venezuelathe United States and Norway.

In even moderate windsthe first flights of an initial 160-square-meter towing kite propulsion system from the Hamburg-based manufacturer SkySails demonstrated how this innovative auxiliary propulsion system was able to substitute for 20percent of the engine’s power.

The Beluga SkySails set sail to Venezuela from Bremen on 22nd January and reached the Norwegian port of Mo-I-Rana on 13th March 2008 after travelling a total of 11952 nautical miles. The testing of the SkySails-System on board the MV Beluga SkySails to be equipped with this innovative technology is being co-funded with some

SkySails used Maple to develop its simulation software. Maple was chosen for its symbolic computation enginewhich considerably simplifies the derivation of the equations of motion for multi body systems. Many matrix operations and derivatives needed to be applied in order to set up the equations in three dimensions. Editing the three-dimensional mathematical models by hand was not feasible within the project’s time frame.

A flight simulator presenting the movements of the kite system in real time is under development.

Maplesoft is a provider of high-performance software tools for engineeringscienceand mathematics. Its product suite reflects the philosophy that given great toolspeople can do great things. Maplesoft has transformed the way engineersscientistsand mathematicians use mathenabling them to workbetterfaster and smarter.

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For more informationvisit www.skysails.com or www.maplesoft.com