Wallenius Marine is conducting advanced wind tunnel tests aimed at realising what it says will be the first wind-powered PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier) vessel.
The tests are being carried out in a wind tunnel in Gothenburg, with wind speeds of up to 250 km/h.
Wallenius Marine is working with RISE, KTH, and Oceanbird on a series of crucial tests to validate its latest design for wind-powered PCTC vessels, which are expected to confirm the design and contribute to the development of new data simulation models for wind-powered ships.
Carl Fagergren, Senior Project Manager, Wallenius Marine said: “We are currently at a central stage in the design process where we want to ensure that our design meets all technical and operational requirements before we finalise the tender design.”
The tests are being conducted by RISE Maritime Department (formerly SSPA), which has constructed a 5m x 2m model using advanced technology. The model weighs 1.2t and is used to simulate the full aerodynamic performance of the ship in the wind tunnel. Previously, wing sails have been tested independently without a hull, but this combination of hull and multiple wings in a large tunnel with a full-scale model is thought to make this test unique. This round of tests includes:
- The interaction between the vessel’s hull and six high-tech wing sails.
- Testing the optimal distance between hull and wing for maximum performance.
- Testing three different types of command bridges and their impact on the vessel’s performance.
- How ‘off-design conditions’ affect the ship’s operation, such as when a wing sail is positioned at the wrong angle or location.
- Data for the development of wing control systems
The hull and multi-wing wind tunnel tests are the next stage in a journey that started as a sketch on a paper in 2017. The next important step is during 2025, when the Oceanbird wing sail will be tested live aboard Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s vessel Tiranna. This will give further input in on the advancement of zero emission shipping and the development of the ship design.
Image: Wind tunnel testing of PCTC design (source: Wallenius Marine)
