How do Norsepower Rotor Sails™ work
Norsepower Rotor Sail™ is a radically modernized version of the Flettner rotor. The product uses wind and rotating cylinders to create thrust. Just as a normal sail, but in bigger scale.
How does it work
Norsepower Rotor Sail™ explained
Norsepower Rotor Sail™ is a cylindrical sail on the ship’s deck. A common misconception is that wind spins it, but that is not true. Instead, the cylinders are rotated actively, by an electrical motor. The rotating cylinders utilize wind to pack the air behind them. This is done to create pressure difference, which causes a powerful thrust. This allows the main engine to be throttled back, saving fuel and reducing emissions. Alternatively, the extra thrust can be used to raise the top speed of the vessel.
The Norsepower Rotor Sail™ is around ten times more efficient than a conventional sail. Due to its simplicity, it requires no reefing or other old-fashioned crew attention when in operation.
Science behind the product: The Magnus effect
When wind meets the surface of the visible, spinning rotor part of the sail, the air flow accelerates on one side and decelerates on the opposite side of the rotor sail. The change in the speed of air flow results in a pressure difference. This creates a force that is perpendicular to the wind flow direction. The same phenomenon can also be observed for example in golf, tennis, or football, where spinning balls curve in flight.