BV grants AiP for Suction Wing wind assistance

French partners Crain Technologies and REEL have been granted Approval in Principle (AiP) by Bureau Veritas (BV) for Suction Wing SW270, an auxiliary wind propulsion device designed to provide additional forward thrust for cargo ships.

The concept, based on the principle of boundary layer suction, has a high lift coefficient and a lift-to-drag ratio that provides good performance in upwind conditions and for ships sailing at relatively high speeds, BV said.

Grids located on both sides of the wing section create a suction force that draws air around the wing section from the outside to the inside of the wing. Mounted on a structural foundation, the wing rotates around a vertical axis and adjusts to wind direction for optimal performance.

The partners plan to develop Suction Wings over a range of sizes for different vessel types. However, the device that was considered for this AiP was a wing with a span of 27m.

BV Marine & Offshore’s senior vice president Technical & Operations, Laurent Leblanc, commented: “The suction wing concept appears to be a very promising option to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cargo ship operations. We are pleased to deliver this AiP to CRAIN, and we are proud to help build trust for innovative wind propulsion solutions, which are a key component of shipping’s decarbonisation transition. We look forward to seeing the system in operation.”