Back in 2017, we posted Inflated Wing Sail — Rig of the Future? The post showed a prototype daysailer with a single inflatable wing sail (IWS) without winches, halyards, shrouds, or complex deck gear. Now French tire manufacturer Michelin has collaborated with the two Swiss developers to scale up the IWS design to provide sail assist on merchant ships. Their Wing Sail Mobility (WISAMO) project design is an automated, telescopic, inflatable wing sail system that is expected to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%.
Splash reports that Michelin considers these wing sails to be especially suitable for RORO ships, bulk carriers, and oil and gas tankers, and can be fitted as original equipment on newbuilds or retrofitted on in-service vessels.
The WISAMO system will first be fitted on a merchant ship in 2022, when Michelin expects it to go into production following completion of the trial phase.
This is a perfect idea. It will be better if it use our tech which each blade are sail when the ship driving and each four blades become a large wind vertical wind turbine.