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Oceanbird - Why the delivery of your next European or Asian import might be delayed slightly

1K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  Car Problems 
#1 ·
Sweden's new car carrier Oceanbird is the world's largest wind-powered vessel

The Swedes are famous for good design - and we’re not just talking about IKEA.

Oceanbird might look like a ship of the future, but it harks back to ancient maritime history because it’s powered by the wind.

The transatlantic car carrier is being designed by Wallenius Marine, a Swedish shipbuilder, with support from the Swedish government and several research institutions.

With capacity for 7,000 vehicles, the 198-metre long vessel is a similar size to conventional car carriers.

But it will look radically different.

The ship’s hull is topped by five telescopic “wing sails,” each about 80 metres tall.

Capable of rotating 360 degrees without touching each other, the sails can be retracted to 18 metres in order to clear bridges or withstand rough weather.

The sails, which will be made of steel and composite materials, need to be this size to generate enough propulsive power for the 35,000-tonne ship.


Oceanbird might look like a ship of the future, but it harks back to ancient maritime history, because it’s powered by the wind. Credit: CNN

Although “the general principles of solid wing sails is not new,” designing the Oceanbird’s sails has been a challenge, says Mikael Razola, a naval architect and research project manager for Oceanbird at Wallenius Marine.

That’s because these are the tallest ship sails that have ever been constructed.

“This ship, at the top of the mast, will be more than 100 metres above the water surface,” says Razola.

“When you move up into the sky that much, wind direction and velocity change quite a lot.”

To better understand the atmospheric conditions at this height, Wallenius mounted sensors on top of its existing vessels while they were crossing the Atlantic.

They gathered data on wind velocity and veer (a clockwise change in wind direction), up to 200 metres above sea level.

“All of this information has helped us design an efficient wing and hull system, that can make the most of the power available in the wind,” says Razola.


The telescopic 'wing sails' of Oceanbird will be the tallest ever built. Credit: CNN

Reducing emissions

The shipping industry is under pressure to reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

Shipping accounted for 2.89 per cent of global manmade greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN body that regulates global shipping.

In the same year, the IMO introduced a mandatory 50 per cent reduction of total annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with the ambition to reach zero emissions “as soon as possible in this century.”

Oceanbird is designed to exceed these targets.

Wallenius says the ship will emit 90 per cent less CO2 than conventional car carriers.

It won’t be completely emission-free, however, because it will still rely on engines for manoeuvring in and out of ports and for emergencies.
Slow sailing

With a projected top speed of about 10 knots, Oceanbird will be slower than standard car carriers, which can travel at 17 knots.

It will take around 12 days, instead of the standard seven, to cross the Atlantic.

This long journey will require some scheduling changes, says Razola, as well as acceptance from carmakers.

“Of course, there will be challenges and we won’t be able to do things exactly as we’re doing them today, but the response so far from manufacturers has been very positive,” he says.

Jakob Kuttenkeuler, a professor at Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology - one of the project’s collaborators - is also optimistic.


A comparison between the wind-powered Oceanbird and a diesel-powered carrier. Credit: CNN

“People are environmentally informed enough now that we think there will be customers willing to put their cars on a ship that goes roughly half as fast as today’s ship, if we can make it carbon neutral,” he says.

Kuttenkeuler and his team are working with Wallenius on performance and aerodynamics calculations, using weather data to simulate realistic sailing conditions.

They have built a seven-metre model of Oceanbird which will sail in Stockholm’s archipelago later this year, to gather data that will help finalise the ship’s design.

Razola says it will take around three years, after that, to launch the full-size version.

“Our ambition is to see Oceanbird sailing in 2024,” he says.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Does the current Hero Class vessel fit under the bridge? From the basic outline drawing and story, it seems like the sails are telescopic and thus it may not be any taller than the current ships. It wouldn't be that smart to make them too tall to access major ports. They usually take that kind of stuff into account during design, don't they?

EDIT: https://www.oceanbirdwallenius.com/the-vessel/#future
Verazano Narrows bridge is 228 feet water to under deck. 45 meters is only 147 feet. No problem.

The 200 metres long and 40 metres wide cargo vessel will be able to cross the Atlantic in 12 days. The wing sails are all of 80 metres tall, giving the ship a height above water line of appr. 105 metres, but thanks to a telescopic construction they can be lowered, resulting in a vessel height above water line of appr. 45 metres.

This comes in handy when passing under bridges or if the surface area of the wingsails needs to be reduced due to strong winds. To be able to get in and out of harbours – and as a safety measure – the vessel will also be equipped with an auxiliary engine. Powered by clean energy, of course. The first vessel will be a cargo ship, but the concept can be applied to ships of all types, such as cruise ships.
 
#6 ·
"the sails can be retracted to 18 metres in order to clear bridges" it says. Maybe they thought of that?

At any rate, reducing the emissions of typical bunker fuel ships is a GREAT thing. A couple of those older ships coming into port can cause more pollution in the air than tens of thousands of cars.
 
#14 ·
#15 ·
This is ****ing bull****. What about my freedom to have a car shipped knowing I've polluted the world more? **** you libtards. I want my country back!
 
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