Hyundai Heavy Develops New Concept Sail... "Generating Propulsion Using Wind"

Wind-Assisted Propulsion Device 'HiRotor' Obtains Class Design Approval
Deck Column-Shaped Structure... 6-8% Fuel Savings

A bird's-eye view of a ship equipped with the Hi-Rotor independently developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries. Photo by Hyundai Heavy Industries

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Hyundai Heavy Industries is accelerating the development of new technologies related to eco-friendly ships in preparation for the carbon-neutral era.

On the 26th, Hyundai Heavy Industries announced on the 28th that it had obtained design approval for its independent model of the ship wind-assisted propulsion device Rotor Sail, called "Hi-Rotor," from the Korean Register (KR) for the first time in the domestic shipbuilding industry at its headquarters in Ulsan.

The Rotor Sail is a cylindrical structure installed on the ship's deck, characterized by its ability to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by generating additional propulsion power using wind.

The Rotor Sail, which rotates by an electric motor, creates a pressure difference around the rotor sail when it meets the wind blowing around the ship, utilizing the "Magnus effect," which generates forward propulsion.

When installed on ships, the Rotor Sail can reduce fuel consumption by 6-8% and carbon emissions, making it one of the alternatives to strengthened global environmental regulations.

The Hi-Rotor, independently developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries, obtained basic certification (Approval In Principle) from the Korean Register in December 2020, and with the recent design approval, the reliability of the technology has been further enhanced.

The Hi-Rotor applies a reduction gear method to the drive part connecting the electric motor and the rotor, improving the stability of the drive system compared to the belt method used in existing commercial products.

Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to begin land-based demonstrations in the second half of this year and actively pursue product orders based on this design approval.

Joo Won-ho, Head of Technology at Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, "We will take a step further in the eco-friendly ship market by meeting diverse customer demands through the development of various eco-friendly products such as LNG, ammonia, hydrogen fuel propulsion ships, and wind-assisted propulsion devices."

Kim Yeontae, Head of Technology at the Korean Register, said, "We hope that Hyundai Heavy Industries' Rotor Sail technology competitiveness will be further enhanced with this design approval, and we will continue to support Hyundai Heavy Industries in strengthening technologies to respond to environmental regulations."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group is accelerating the securing of next-generation eco-friendly technologies, having developed a wing-shaped Wing Sail wind-assisted propulsion device and obtained basic certification (AIP) from DNV GL in December 2020.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.