Floating wind power generation system using sailing ships

Abstract

To obtain an on-water wind power generating device using a sailing vessel suppressing deterioration in power generation efficiency with less energy.SOLUTION: An on-water wind power generating system 10 includes: a hull 16 including a sail 14; a kite 26 connected to the hull 16 through a tether 24; a lateral force generation unit 40 for generating lateral force Fb in a direction nearly perpendicular to the front to back direction of the hull 16; a steering gear 18 for controlling the direction of a bow 16A of the hull 16; and a control unit for controlling at least one of the sail 14 angle and the steering gear 18 to reduce tensile force T of the kite 26 by lateral force Fb.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an offshore wind power generation system using a sailing ship.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an offshore wind power generation system that generates electricity by flying a kite connected to a tethers through an engine from an offshore floating body such as a hull equipped with a propulsion device, by winding and unwinding the tethers.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, when performing wind power generation using a kite offshore, if the floating body is not moored, the floating body will be dragged by the kite and washed away. Therefore, the relative wind speed to the kite decreases, and the power generation efficiency decreases. Further, when operating a propulsion device such as a propeller or a screw provided on the floating body to prevent the movement of the floating body, energy for operating the propulsion device is required, and there is room for improvement.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain an offshore wind power generation system using a sailing ship that can suppress a decrease in power generation efficiency with less energy.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a hull equipped with a sail, a kite connected to the hull via a tether, a lateral force generating unit that generates a lateral force in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the hull, and a control unit that controls the angle of the sail and at least one of the steering device such that the tension of the kite is reduced by the lateral force. As the kite rises, the tether is repeatedly extended from a winch installed on the hull, and the tether is repeatedly wound back onto the winch, thereby generating electricity. ru.

[0007] When generating electricity with a kite, if the kite is positioned, for example, downwind, the hull is pulled downwind by the tension of the kite. Therefore, in the floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to the present invention as described in claim 1, the control unit controls at least one of the sail angle and the steering device so that the tension of the kite, which is connected to the hull equipped with a sail via a tether, is reduced by the lateral force generated by the lateral force generating unit.

[0008] In this way, by controlling at least one of the sail angle and the steering device, the tension of the kite can be reduced by lateral force. Therefore, compared to using propulsion devices such as propellers or screws, the pulling of the hull by the kite can be suppressed with less energy. This suppresses the decrease in relative wind speed to the kite, and thus the decrease in power generation efficiency can be suppressed with less energy.

[0009] The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to the present invention as described in claim 2, wherein in the configuration described in claim 1, the control unit controls the angle of the sail and at least one of the steering device such that, when viewed from above the hull, the vector direction of the tension of the kite and the direction of travel of the hull are substantially perpendicular. Here, "subtly perpendicular" is intended to include a certain tolerance range in addition to being perfectly perpendicular.

[0010] The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 2 of the present invention is configured such that the control unit controls at least one of the sail angle and the steering device so that, when viewed from above the hull, the vector direction of the kite tension and the direction of the ship's movement are substantially perpendicular. By making the direction of the ship's movement substantially perpendicular to the vector direction of the kite tension in this way, a lateral force substantially perpendicular to the direction of the ship's movement can be applied in the opposite direction to the vector direction of the kite tension. This makes it possible to reduce the kite tension more effectively.

[0011] The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 3, in the configuration described in claim 1 or claim 2, the lateral force generating section has a plate material provided on the bottom surface of the ship so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the ship's hull.

[0012] In the floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 3 of the present invention, the lateral force generating section has a plate material on the bottom surface of the hull that extends in the longitudinal direction of the hull. By providing a plate material on the bottom surface of the hull in this way, the depth dimension relative to the overall length dimension of the hull can be increased by the plate material, and the magnitude of the lateral force can be changed by the depth dimension of the plate material.

[0013] The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to the present invention as described in claim 4 has the configuration described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lateral force generating section is located at the bottom of the ship's hull below the waterline, and the ratio of the depth dimension to the width dimension is increased by decreasing the width dimension as the depth dimension increases.

[0014] In the floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 4 of the present invention, by increasing the ratio of the depth dimension to the width dimension of the hull, the flow velocity around the hull can be increased, making it easier to generate lateral force.

[0015] The offshore wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to the present invention described in claim 5 has, in the configuration described in claim 1 or claim 2, a keel extending in the longitudinal direction of the hull provided at the bottom of the hull located below the water surface.

[0016] In the offshore wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to the present invention described in claim 5, a keel extending in the longitudinal direction of the hull is provided at the bottom of the hull located below the water surface. Therefore, the magnitude of the lateral force can be changed according to the depth dimension of the keel.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] As described above, the offshore wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to the present invention has an excellent effect of being able to suppress a decrease in power generation efficiency with less energy.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of an offshore wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the lower part of a sailing ship including a lateral force generating part. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the relative wind speed, the traveling speed, and the wind speed with respect to the sailing ship. [Figure 4] It is a top view showing the relationship between the sail angle as seen from above the sailing ship and the force applied to the sailing ship. [Figure 5] It is a plan view for explaining the lateral force generating method. [Figure 6] It is a plan view for explaining the force relationship applied to the sailing ship. [Figure 7] It is a plan view for explaining the lateral force generating method in a modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a plan view for explaining the lateral force generating method in another modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a plan view for explaining the lateral force generating method in still another modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] It is an enlarged plan view showing the board of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] It is a front view showing the lower structure of the sailing ship according to the second embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, the offshore wind power generation system 10 using the sailing ship 12 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In each figure, the arrow UP appropriately shown indicates the upper side in the vertical direction of the hull, and the arrow FR indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the hull. Further, the arrow W indicates the width direction of the hull. In addition, in each figure, for the sake of clarity of the drawing, only some of the reference numerals are shown, and the others are omitted.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the offshore wind power generation system 10 includes a sailing ship 12 operated in the sea, lake, river, etc., a power generation system 20 that generates electric power, and a control device 30 that performs steering control of the sailing ship 12 and drive control of the power generation system 20. The control device 30 as a control unit includes various electrical devices (electrical components) and a control unit, etc., although not shown in the figure. The control unit is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit: processor), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage, a communication interface (communication I / F), and an input / output interface (input / output I / F). The generator 22A, etc. described later are connected to the input / output I / F.

[0021] (Configuration of Power Generation System 20) The power generation system 20 includes, as an example, a power generation device 22 disposed on the hull 16 and a kite 26 connected to the hull 16 via a tether 24. The kite 26 is composed of a kite body and is moored on the hull 16 by the tether 24.

[0022] The power generation device 22 comprises a generator 22A and a winch 22B. A rotating shaft body 22C is connected to the rotating shaft of the generator 22A, and the generator 22A rotates the rotating shaft body 22C based on a command from the control device 30. The winch 22B uses the rotating shaft body 22C as its axis of rotation, and a tether 24 is wrapped around the rotating shaft body 22C. The power generation device 22 unwinds the tether 24 from the winch 22B or winds the tether 24 onto the winch 22B by rotating the rotating shaft body 22C clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0023] In the power generation system 20, when the kite 26 rises, the tether 24 is extended from the winch 22B in conjunction with the rise of the kite 26. This extension of the tether 24 causes the rotating shaft 22C to rotate, and the rotation of the generator 22A rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating shaft 22C, thereby generating electricity. The amount of electricity Q generated by the rise of the kite 26 is the value obtained by multiplying the tension of the tether 24 by the extension speed of the tether 24.

[0024] Then, once the tether 24 has been extended to a predetermined length, or after a predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 30, based on a command, rotates the rotating shaft 22C in the opposite direction, i.e., in the direction to rewind the tether 24, via the generator 22A, for example, by a motor (not shown). As a result, the tether 24 is rewinded, and the kite 26 descends. Note that the amount of electricity Q generated by the rise of the kite 26 is greater than the power used to rewind the tether 24.

[0025] The power generation system 20 generates electricity by repeatedly extending and retracting the tether 24.

[0026] (12 components of a sailing ship) As shown in Figure 1, the sailing ship 12 has a hull 16 equipped with sails 14. The hull 16 is the main body of a floating vessel configured to float on the water surface S in the sea, lakes, rivers, etc., and generates buoyancy, which is an upward force equivalent to the weight of the water displaced by the bottom of the hull 16 located in the water. The hull 16 also has a rudder 18 as a steering device and a lateral force generating unit 40 located below the water surface S that generates a lateral force, which will be described later.

[0027] Sail 14 is made of a membrane material and is composed of a soft sail formed of an elastic material that expands in the wind. In this embodiment, sail 14 is composed of a soft sail as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be composed of a hard sail formed of a rigid material having an airfoil shape, for example. Also, there may be more than one sail 14.

[0028] The sail 14 is fixed to the hull 16 via the mast 15, and the base of the mast 15 is rotatable relative to the hull 16. By rotating the base of the mast 15 relative to the hull 16, the sail angle αs, described later, can be set to any angle. The mast 15 is driven and controlled by the control device 30 described above. If the mast 15 is operated manually, the control device 30 will notify the amount of rotation required to set the sail angle αs to the desired angle via a display unit, voice notification, or other notification means (not shown). In this embodiment, as an example, the sail angle αs is changed by rotating the base of the mast 15 relative to the hull 16, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the method of changing the sail angle αs can be changed as appropriate.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the rudder 18 has a flat surface and is located on the rear side of the bottom surface of the hull 16, controlling the direction of the bow 16A of the hull 16. Specifically, the rudder 18 is configured to be rotatable, and by rotating, it changes the direction of the water flow, which in turn changes the direction of the bow 16A. The rudder 18 is driven and controlled by the control device 30 described above. If the rudder 18 is operated manually, the control device 30 notifies the amount of movement required to move the bow 16A of the hull 16 in the desired direction using the notification means (not shown).

[0030] Furthermore, the method for controlling the direction of the bow 16A of the hull 16 is not limited to the rudder 18; known technologies such as thrusters (propulsion devices) that generate a moment in the direction of the bow 16A can be used.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lateral force generating section 40 is provided on the bottom surface of the hull 16 and, in this embodiment, has a board 42 as a plate material fixed to the center of the width direction of the hull 16 so as to extend in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 2, the board 42 increases the depth dimension B relative to the overall length dimension A in the width direction of the hull 16. The board 42 generates a lateral force Fb, which will be described later, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the hull 16.

[0032] (Thrust generation method using Sail 14) Next, the method of generating thrust by the sail 14 will be described. In this embodiment, the sail 14 generates thrust by utilizing the wind power of natural wind. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between relative wind speed with respect to the sailing ship 12 and the sailing speed and wind speed. In Figure 3, the direction of the vector represents the wind direction, and the magnitude of the vector represents the speed. As shown in Figure 2, the relative wind speed Vw with respect to the sailing ship 12, shown by the solid line, is represented by the combined speed of the natural wind Vwd, shown by the dotted line, and the sailing speed V of the sailing ship 12, shown by the dashed line. This relative speed Vw is detected by a wind direction and wind speed sensor (not shown) mounted on the hull 16. Specifically, the wind direction and wind speed sensor detects the relative wind direction γw and relative wind speed Vw, which are the wind directions relative to the sailing ship 12.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the lift force Ls and drag force Ds change with the change in the sail angle αs, which is the angle of attack between the sail 14 and the relative wind speed Vw. The lift force Ls is generated in a direction perpendicular to the relative wind speed Vw, and the drag force Ds is generated in the same direction as the relative wind speed Vw. The component of the combined force of both the lift force Ls and the drag force Ds in the direction of the sailing ship 12's movement D becomes the thrust force Ps due to the sail 14. The thrust force Ps increases as the sail angle αs increases, and the greater the thrust force Ps, the faster the sailing ship 12 moves.

[0034] Furthermore, the values ​​of lift Ls and drag Ds for a given sail angle αs are inherent characteristics of each sailing vessel 12. Therefore, the values ​​of lift Ls and drag Ds for a given sail angle αs are obtained in advance through wind tunnel tests and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics).

[0035] (Method of generating lateral force) Next, the method of generating lateral force in the sailing ship 12 will be explained. When the sides 44 of the board 42 in the width direction of the hull 16 are at an angle with respect to the water flow, the water flow will strike one of these sides 44, and the board 42 will generate a lateral force Fb in a direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of travel of the hull 16. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, by tilting the bow 16A of the hull 16 in the direction of arrow M1, for example, with respect to the direction of travel D of the hull 16, the relative angle between the direction of travel D of the hull 16 and the side 44 of the board 42 becomes the board angle Rb. As a result, the side 44 of the board 42 is at an angle with respect to the water flow, and the board 42 can generate a lateral force Fb. The direction of the bow 16A of the hull 16 is controlled by the rudder 18 described above.

[0036] Furthermore, the lateral force Fb generated by the board 42 increases as the speed of the water flow hitting the side 44 increases. In other words, the faster the speed of the hull 16, the faster the relative speed of the water flow hitting the side 44. Therefore, in order to generate a larger lateral force Fb with the board 42, the thrust force Ps from the sail 14 must be increased. The control device 30 generates the thrust force Ps such that the lateral force Fb generated by the board 42 is greater than the component of the combined force of both the lift Ls and the drag Ds, and the tension T of the tether 24, that is perpendicular to the direction of travel D of the sailing ship 12.

[0037] (Method for canceling kite tension due to lateral force) As described above, the sailing ship 12 of this embodiment is equipped with a power generation system 20 using a kite 26. As shown in equation (1) below, the amount of power Q generated by the rise of the kite 26 is the value obtained by multiplying the tension T of the tether 24 by the payout speed Vt of the tether 24. Q = T × Vt ... (1)

[0038] The tension T of the tether 24 is the tension generated by the kite 26 (see Figure 6), and as shown in equation (2) below, it is approximately equal to the aerodynamic force Pk of the kite 26. Furthermore, as shown in equation (3) below, the aerodynamic force Pk of the kite 26 is proportional to the square of the relative wind speed Vwk, which is the combined wind speed of the natural wind speed Vwd and the flight speed of the kite 26. T≒Pk ···(2) Pk∝Vwk 2 ...(3)

[0039] Therefore, if the power generation system 20 is mounted on an unmoored sailing ship 12, the sailing ship 12 will be pulled by the tension T of the kite 26, causing the relative wind speed Vwk to decrease. When the relative wind speed Vwk decreases, the aerodynamic force Pk of the kite 26 also decreases, and therefore the tension T also decreases. When the tension T decreases, the amount of power generated Q decreases.

[0040] As shown in Figure 6, when the wind direction is downward in Figure 6, the kite 26 generating power is often located downwind. Therefore, if the sailing ship 12 is not moored, the tension T from the kite 26 will pull the sailing ship 12 downwind. In this embodiment, the tension T from the kite 26 is reduced by the lateral force Fb generated by the board 42. Specifically, the control device 30 controls the sail angle αs so that the lateral force Fb generated by the board 42 becomes larger. That is, the control device 30 increases the sail angle αs so that the thrust Ps becomes larger. The control device 30 also controls the direction of travel of the hull 16 so that the lateral force Fb generated by the board 42 acts in the opposite direction to the tension T from the kite 26. That is, the control device 30 changes the rudder angle αr so that the lateral force Fb acts in the opposite direction to the tension T from the kite 26.

[0041] Normally, the lateral force Fb generated by the board 42 acts approximately perpendicular to the direction of travel of the hull 16. Therefore, when the kite 26 is downwind, the control device 30 controls the direction of travel of the hull 16 to be upwind. Here, the upwind direction includes the direction of the wind beam which is approximately perpendicular to the wind direction. Specifically, the control of the direction of travel of the hull 16 is performed by controlling the rudder angle αr (see Figure 4) based on a command from the control device 30. In this embodiment, the control device 30 controls the rudder angle αr so that the vector direction of the tension T of the kite 26 and the direction of travel D of the hull 16 are approximately perpendicular.

[0042] (Effects of the first embodiment) Next, the effects and advantages of the first embodiment will be described.

[0043] In the floating wind power generation system 10 according to the first embodiment, the control device 30 controls the sail angle αs and rudder angle αr such that the tension T of the kite 26, which is connected to the hull 16 equipped with the sail 14 via a tether 24, is reduced by the lateral force Fb generated by the board 42.

[0044] In other words, increasing the sail angle αs increases the thrust Ps, thus increasing the speed of the sailing ship 12. The faster the sailing ship 12 moves, the greater the lateral force Fb generated by the board 42, thus reducing the tension T of the kite 26. Also, changing the rudder angle αr changes the direction of the bow 16A of the hull 16. The closer the direction of travel D of the hull 16 is to a direction approximately perpendicular to the vector direction of the tension T of the kite 26, the more a lateral force Fb in the opposite direction to the tension T of the kite 26 can be generated, thus efficiently reducing the tension T of the kite 26.

[0045] In this way, by simply controlling the sail angle αs and rudder angle αr, the tension T of the kite 26 can be reduced by the lateral force Fb. Therefore, compared to using propulsion devices such as propellers or screws installed on the hull to prevent the hull from moving, the pulling of the hull 16 by the kite 26 can be reduced with less energy. This suppresses the decrease in the relative wind speed Vwk to the kite 26, and thus suppresses the decrease in power generation efficiency with less energy.

[0046] Furthermore, in the floating wind power generation system 10 according to the first embodiment, the control device 30 controls the rudder angle αr so that, when viewed from above the hull 16, the vector direction of the tension T of the kite 26 and the direction of travel D of the hull 16 are approximately perpendicular. By making the direction of travel D of the hull 16 approximately perpendicular to the vector direction of the tension T of the kite 26 in this way, a lateral force Fb that is approximately perpendicular to the direction of travel D of the hull 16 can be applied in the opposite direction to the vector direction of the tension T of the kite 26. This makes it possible to reduce the tension T of the kite 26 more effectively.

[0047] Furthermore, in the floating wind power generation system 10 according to the first embodiment, the lateral force generating unit 40 is provided on the bottom surface of the hull 16 and has a board 42 as a plate material fixed to the center of the width direction of the hull 16 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. By providing the board 42 on the bottom surface of the hull 16 in this way, the depth dimension B relative to the overall length dimension A in the width direction of the hull 16 can be increased by the board 42. Therefore, the lateral force Fb can be increased by the depth dimension B of the board 42.

[0048] In the first embodiment described above, the board 42 is made of a substantially rectangular plate material as shown in Figures 1 and 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the board 42 may be configured to have an airfoil-shaped cross-section.

[0049] (Variation 1) Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the board 42 is fixed to the bottom surface of the hull 16, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in Figure 7, the board 42 may be rotatably fixed to the hull 16. In this case, the necessary lateral force Fb is generated by rotating the entire board 42 in the direction of arrow M2 by a command from the control device 30.

[0050] (Modification 2) Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the lateral force generating unit 40 may include a movable part 46 connected to the rear end of the board 42 on the hull 16 side, so as to be rotatable relative to the board 42 in the direction of arrow M3. For example, the movable part 46 is formed to have approximately the same width as the board 42 on the board 42 side, and to taper towards the opposite side of the board 42. In such a configuration, the necessary lateral force Fb is generated by rotating the movable part 46 in the direction of M3 according to a command from the control device 30.

[0051] (Variation 3) Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the lateral force generating unit 40 may not include the board 42 described above, but instead include a board 50 with a variable horizontal cross-sectional shape. As shown in Figure 10, the board 50 is configured to change its dimensions in the hull width direction. That is, the control device 30 commands the board 50 to change the shape of at least one side in the hull width direction from the shape shown by the dotted line to the shape shown by the solid line, which is widened outwards (in the direction of arrow H in the figure). In this configuration, the control device 30 commands the side on which the lateral force Fb is to be generated to expand, thereby creating a bias in the flow velocity E and generating the lateral force Fb.

[0052] Specifically, the board 50 may, for example, be composed of a balloon-shaped membrane surface and utilize an inflatable mechanism that changes its shape by applying internal pressure, such as gas, to inflate it. Alternatively, the board 50 may be composed of variable parts and utilize a morphing mechanism that changes its shape by deforming the variable parts. Known techniques can be used to deform the board 50.

[0053] Furthermore, in the first embodiment and modifications 1 to 3 described above, the lateral force generating section 40 has a board 42, but the present invention is not limited to this and may not have boards 42 and 50.

[0054] (Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, a floating wind power generation system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 11. In the floating wind power generation system of the second embodiment shown in Figure 11, parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted, and only the different parts will be described.

[0055] Figure 11 is a front view showing the substructure of the sailing ship 12 according to the second embodiment. The shape shown by the solid line B1 on the left side of Figure 11 is the shape of a conventional sailing ship, while the shape shown by the dotted line B2 on the right side of Figure 11 is a shape in which the ratio of depth dimension to width dimension is increased compared to a conventional sailing ship. In other words, compared to a conventional sailing ship, the width dimension near the center in the vertical direction of the hull is made particularly small while keeping the depth dimension unchanged. This makes it possible to increase the flow velocity around the hull, so that a lateral force Fb is more easily generated.

[0056] Furthermore, the shape shown by the dashed line B3 on the right side of Figure 11 forms a keel 48 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the hull in the central part of the hull width direction, without changing the depth dimension compared to conventional sailing ships. By forming the keel 48 in this way, the magnitude of the lateral force Fb can be changed by changing the depth dimension of the keel 48.

[0057] In the embodiments described above, the sailing ship 12 has one hull 16, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the sailing ship 12 may have a twin-hulled vessel, such as a catamaran and a trimaran, in which two or more hulls are connected in parallel by a deck. The lateral force generating section 40 of the embodiments described above can also be applied to this twin-hulled vessel configuration.

[0058] Furthermore, in the floating wind power generation system 10 according to the above embodiment, the control device 30 controls the rudder angle αr so that, when viewed from above the hull 16, the vector direction of the tension T of the kite 26 and the direction of travel D of the hull 16 are approximately perpendicular. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the rudder angle αr may be controlled to be within approximately ±10° of the direction in which, when viewed from above the hull 16, the vector direction of the tension T of the kite 26 and the direction of travel D of the hull 16 are approximately perpendicular. However, this range varies depending on the area of ​​the kite 26 and the magnitude of the wind speed Vwd, and the larger the area of ​​the kite 26 and the wind speed Vwd, the narrower the above range becomes. In the present invention, the control device 30 only needs to be able to control the rudder angle αr so that it can generate a lateral force Fb in a direction that cancels out the tension T of the kite 26.

[0059] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the rudder angle αr is controlled to change the direction of travel D of the hull 16, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the direction of travel D of the hull 16 may be changed by controlling the sail angle αs to increase the thrust Ps and generate a larger lateral force Fb. Alternatively, the direction of travel D of the hull 16 may be changed by controlling both the rudder angle αr and the sail angle αs.

[0060] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications may be used in appropriate combinations with one embodiment, and of course, the invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10. Floating Wind Power Generation Systems 12 sailing boat 14 Sale 16 hull 18. Rudder (steering device) 24 Tether 26 Kite 30 Control device (control unit) 40 Lateral force generation section 42 boards (wooden planks) 48 keels 50 boards (wooden planks) D Direction of travel Fb Lateral force S water surface T Tension (Kite tension) αs Sail angle (sail angle) αr rudder angle (rudder angle)

Claims

1. A hull equipped with sails, A kite connected to the hull via a tether, A lateral force generating unit that generates a lateral force in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the hull, A steering device that controls the direction of the bow of the hull, A control unit controls the angle of the sail and at least one of the steering device so that the tension of the kite is reduced by the lateral force, Equipped with, A floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship, in which power is generated by repeatedly performing an unwinding operation in which the tether is unwound from a winch installed on the hull as the kite rises, and a winding operation in which the tether is wound back onto the winch.

2. The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the angle of the sail and at least one of the steering device such that, when viewed from above the hull, the vector direction of the tension of the kite and the direction of travel of the hull are substantially perpendicular.

3. The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 2, wherein the lateral force generating section has a plate material provided on the bottom surface of the ship so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the ship's hull.

4. The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 2, wherein the lateral force generating section is located at the bottom of the ship's hull below the water surface, and the ratio of the depth dimension to the width dimension is increased as the depth dimension increases.

5. The floating wind power generation system using a sailing ship according to claim 2, wherein the lateral force generating section is provided with a keel extending in the longitudinal direction of the ship at the bottom of the ship located below the waterline.

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