Inflatable Wingsail of Michelin on patrol ship

Michelin is announcing a Wingsail for a seagoing patrol boat. For this type of ship, usually equipped with large engines, wind support is a remarkable choice. Nevertheless, the initiators expect savings of around 15%.

The project is the result of a collaboration between three French companies: the Socarenam shipyard, which will be responsible for the construction, the Mauric naval architecture firm, which will take care of the design, and the Michelin group, which will equip the ship with its sail propulsion thanks to the WISAMO innovation solution. The WISAMO wing sail, with a surface area of 170 m², will provide wind support to a hybrid diesel-electric drive: based on the operational profile of the ship and the wind data of patrol boat Iris, a consumption gain of approximately 15% is expected.

This new patrol boat will be used for maritime surveillance in the EEZ, for sea control of ships of all tonnages and for state action at sea. In addition to surveillance and fisheries control, these units are also used for navigation monitoring and control of maritime pollution, compliance with environmental regulations or assistance and rescue of people.
The ship will be stationed in La Rochelle and will be deployed on the Atlantic coast, particularly in the Bay of Biscay.

WISAMO offers an innovative and practical solution in response to changing maritime developments. It consists of a telescopic and inflatable wing sail that uses the free and predictable energy of the wind to propel ships. The solution integrates an automated and intuitive control system and a simplified interface with the ship, thus limiting integration restrictions. Michelin’s WISAMO wing sail is suitable for any type of boat over 15 to 20 meters and can be used as the main propulsion or as a hybrid, providing extra power to the propulsion system. The system consists of three main elements:

• A fully retractable self-supporting telescopic mast that disappears completely depending on use.
• A lightweight and robust fabric covering that is inflated under low pressure and takes on the shape of a symmetrical wing sail.
• A fully automated system that controls all functions of the sail (hoisting, lowering, adjusting, maneuvering, reefing and securing depending on the environmental conditions, relieving the crew of additional work.

Source: a.o. NavalToday and Michelin.
Image: NavalToday

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