In 2012 Lloyd’s Register’s (LR) Strategic Research Group joined forces with Totempower Energy Systems to support Zodiac Maritime Agencies in assessing the potential for wind-generation devices to be placed onboard commercial ships.
Last year, a fully autonomous wind-monitoring system, designed and assembled by Totempower, was installed on the Zodiac-managed bulk carrier Cape Flamingo. Sensors were installed in locations where the best wind conditions and the most relevant environmental data (wind speed, direction and turbulence) could be expected, with consideration given to the potentially most effective locations for onboard wind generation. For seven months data was collected.
Measuring the Generating Capacity for Wind Power
The project has successfully identified and measured the potential generating capacity from wind power for the ship’s trading patterns. This data will be used to support the development of computational fluid dynamics-based simulation models, suitable for predicting the potential energy yields on other Zodiac ships.
Wind for Auxiliary Power
The project demonstrated wind assisted power generation may be considered for auxiliary power generation, but are highly unlikely to replace it completely for plractical and operational safety considerations. Wind energy generators are best placed as bridge wind stations where the vessels receive the best quality of unobstructed air flow. The next step is to design a wind turbine for the prevalent conditions and the environment.
Picture: Wind monitoring equipment onboard the Cape Flamingo (by Totempower)
