ITER’s wind tunnel facilities have been chosen by Bound4blue as the site for aerodynamic testing of its rigid suction sail systems for large vessels.
The Institute of Technology and Renewable Energies (ITER), an entity under the Cabildo of Tenerife, has hosted during the month of October the aerodynamic tests in its wind tunnel for the company Bound4blue. Specifically, the tests carried out are aimed at optimizing the suction area in the design of their rigid suction sail systems for large vessels.
Bound4blue has been working for years on the research and development of suction sail propulsion systems. This type of system combines the advantages of rigid sails and flettner rotors while avoiding their disadvantages. To this end, they have developed a modernized suction sail, called eSAIL®, which converts wind into direct propulsion for the vessel and enables ship owners and operators to reduce their environmental footprint while cutting fuel costs.
In 2021 ITER collaborated with Bound4blue in conducting preliminary tests to study the profile of the suction sail and the different pressures and velocities that this system introduces in its operation in order to determine an optimal configuration.
After several years of research, new needs have arisen, and now there is a need to evaluate the suction area in more detail in order to optimize its performance. For this purpose, Bound4blue has chosen, once again, to carry out a test campaign in ITER’s wind tunnel facilities.
In this campaign, ITER has been in charge of the construction of the test model and the integration of different configurations of the suction zone. In addition, it has worked on the instrumentation of the model by taking pressure measurements with a high precision scanner, as well as the instrumentation of a fan that simulates the operating conditions of the suction sail.
The results of this test are very valuable for bound4blue, as they allow us to confirm improvements in existing systems and theoretical calculations, always keeping the focus on constant improvement.
