Rotor sail and ship with a rotor sail

Abstract

A rotor sail is provided having a base (2) and a rotary cylinder (3) mounted on the base (2) in a manner permitting rotation about its longitudinal axis designed as the rotor axis (r), and a drive (5) for rotating the rotary cylinder (3). An enclosing outer surface (4) of the rotary cylinder serves as a wind-exposed surface in operation. So that the rotor sail can be operated in a more environmentally friendly manner, it is provided with a photovoltaic system (7) having solar cells (8) to generate electric energy for the drive (5) having an electric motor (6). The solar cells (8) are located in the rotary cylinder (3) and have photoelectrically active layers facing toward the enclosing outer surface (4). The rotary cylinder (3) has a sleeve (9) which is transparent, at least in an area covering the solar cells (8).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Section 371 of International Application No. PCT / DE2006 / 001821, filed Oct. 17, 2006, which was published in the German language on Apr. 26, 2007, under International Publication No. WO 2007 / 045220 A1 and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a rotor sail with a base, a rotary cylinder, which is mounted on the base in a manner permitting rotation about its longitudinal axis designed as the rotor axis, and whose enclosing outer surface serves as a wind-exposed surface in operation, and a drive for rotating the rotary cylinder.[0003]A rotor sail of this kind is also known as a Flettner rotor, which rotates when driven by a drive. When the wind flows against the rotating rotor sail, a force transverse to the direction of flow of the wind is formed in accordance with the so-called Magnus effect as a result of surface friction between the rotor...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]Expediently, the end face of the rotary cylinder that is free in operation can also be of transparent design, at least in its radially outer areas. This can further increase the solar irradiation toward the solar cells.

[0019]Solar cells that are inflexible, due to being thicker, require application to a plane supporting surface, meaning that the embodiments of the core with prismatic side faces are open to consideration in this case. However, these inflexible solar cells usually demonstrate greater efficiency. The solar cells can be made, for example, using amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper-indium-diselenide (CuInSe2; CIS), copper-indium-gallium, or the like as the active layers. However, since a relatively large sleeve surface of the core or inside surface of the sleeve of the rotary cylinder can be available on relatively large rotor sails, the solar cells can also have flexible, semiconductive organic polymers in the active layer, these currently being a low-cost alternative to inflexible solar cells, but demonstrating far lower efficiency.

Problems solved by technology

The environmental pollution caused by the drive is, however, a disadvantage.

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