Credit: Lade AS/Gizmag
A ship can be made more efficient by adding sails to supplement the engines — a hybrid. Even more economical: eliminate the sails & reshape the hull into a symmetrical airfoil to achieve a similar effect.
http://www.gizmag.com/wind-freighters/35634/ / 2013 Norway Lade AS designs Vindskip hybrid merchant ship harness wind speciallyshaped hull natural gas powered engines saving fuel research researchers Fraunhofer Institute Center for Maritime Logistics and ServicesCML develop development developing algorithm Vindskip's navigation system combination power sail economical old clipper captains catch caught wind modern ship design hull sails take advantage of the wind sea breeze cargo vessel angles close to headwind wind generates force ship’s direction Lade hull shaped symmetrical air foil airfoil oblique wind opposite side leeward travel a longer distance partial vacuum low pressure pulls the ship forward CML developing weather routing module ship's course hydrography weather predictions many other factors algorithm complex calculation best route best course aerodynamic hull works best advantage speeds up to 19 knots Fraunhofer first version module went online Lade AS freighter model tank tests /
