Wind-assisted propulsion system for ship using flap

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, wherein a flap can adjust the air suction direction and discharge direction on the left and right-side surfaces while moving laterally relative to a column-shaped body according to the direction of wind blowing from the front while the ship is sailing, and lift can be increased by reducing turbulence by ejecting air via the flap. The wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship according to the present invention may comprise: a wing body part mounted on the upper surface of a deck of the ship and having inlet ports, through which air flows in, formed on both side surfaces so as to open outward; a flap part which is installed at the rear of the wing body part so as to be able to slide laterally, opens one of the two inlet ports on the wing body part while closing the other inlet port by sliding relative to the wing body part according to the direction of wind blowing while the ship is sailing, and has an outlet port, through which the air that flows in via the inlet ports of the wing body part is discharged, formed so as to open outward; and a blowing module which is installed inside the wing body part and forcibly suctions air through one inlet port opened by the flap part and then discharges the air to the outside through the outlet port of the flap part.

Description

Wind-assisted propulsion system for ships using flaps

[0001] The present invention relates to an auxiliary propulsion device for a ship, and more particularly, to a wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship that is installed on the deck of a ship and generates lift by the wind blowing during navigation to increase the propulsion power of the ship.

[0002] The shipping industry is actively pursuing the use of wind energy as a means of responding to marine environmental regulations and assisting ship propulsion.

[0003] Wind-powered ships typically utilize wind propulsion as auxiliary power while maintaining the existing fuel system.

[0004] Wind propulsion devices that utilize wind energy can be categorized into rotor sails, wing sails, and kites.

[0005] A rotor sail is a system that vertically installs a cylindrical pillar on the deck of a ship and rotates it to generate propulsive force using the pressure difference caused by the wind. It is a technology that propels a ship by utilizing the Magnus Effect. The Magnus Effect refers to the phenomenon that when a sphere or cylinder rotates and passes through a fluid, the pressure is bent from high to low, generating a force that moves forward. Therefore, the Magnus Effect generates a transverse force due to the fluid flowing into a cylinder that rotates around its own length, direction, and axis, and the transverse force acts perpendicular to the direction of the inflow to generate propulsive force.

[0006] A wing sail is a system that obtains propulsion by receiving wind while facing a fixed direction with an airfoil-shaped cross-section. A pillar or support is installed on the upper deck of a ship, and an airfoil that receives the wind can be installed on this pillar or support. The airfoil can be rotated to the angle that maximizes the wind reception by means of a hydraulic actuator or the like.

[0007] These airfoils can be arranged with their leading and trailing edges aligned with the column or support. When the airfoil is rotated by an actuator and positioned at a location where it receives maximum wind force, it generates lift by absorbing the wind, and this lift can generate maximum thrust.

[0008] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0045860 discloses a variable wing sail for a ship that adjusts the angle of a flap formed on the side by arranging an actuator inside the wing sail, and controls lift by changing the direction of the flap according to the wind direction.

[0009] However, the above-mentioned variable wing sail has a limitation in increasing lift because it increases lift according to the angle adjustment of the flap, and there is a problem in that it is difficult to actively control the angle of the flap according to changes in wind direction.

[0010] The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, which can adjust the angle of attack by adjusting the air intake and discharge directions on the left and right sides while the flap moves laterally with respect to the column-shaped body according to the direction of the wind blowing from the front during the ship's voyage, and can increase lift by reducing the vortex generated at the rear by injecting air through the discharge port of the flap.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, a wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship according to one form of the present invention may include: a wing body which is installed on the upper surface of the deck of a ship and has intake ports formed on both sides thereof to be open to the outside through which air is introduced; a flap portion which is installed to be slidable laterally at the rear of the wing body portion and which slides with respect to the wing body portion according to the direction of the wind blowing during the sailing of the ship, thereby opening one intake port on both sides of the wing body portion and simultaneously closing the other intake port, and having an exhaust port formed to be open to the outside through which air introduced through the intake port of the wing body portion is discharged; and a blowing module which is installed inside the wing body portion and forcibly sucks air through one intake port opened by the flap portion and then discharges the air to the outside through the exhaust port of the flap portion.

[0012] The discharge port of the above flap part may include a first discharge port and a second discharge port that are independently connected to the air discharge path of the blowing module depending on the direction of movement.

[0013] The blowing module may include a blower housing having a first suction passage and a second suction passage that are independently installed to communicate with both suction ports of the wing body inside the wing body, and a first air exhaust passage and a second air exhaust passage that are individually installed to communicate with the first discharge port and the second discharge port according to the movement direction of the flap portion; an impeller that is installed in the blower housing and sucks in air through one of the first suction passage and the second suction passage and then discharges the air through one of the first air exhaust passage and the second air exhaust passage; and a fan motor that rotates the impeller.

[0014] The above wing body portion may have a cross-sectional shape of any one of a circular, elliptical, streamlined, and airfoil shape.

[0015] The upper and lower parts of the above flap part are connected to a slide rail installed in a curved shape at the upper and lower parts of the wing body part, and can move along the slide rail by wind power.

[0016] A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include a mesh-shaped boundary layer screen installed in the intake of the wing body so as to be connected to the side of the wing body.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship comprises: a wing body which is installed on the upper surface of a deck of a ship and has intake ports formed on both sides thereof to be open to the outside; a flap portion which is installed laterally at the rear of the wing body so as to slide relative to the wing body according to the direction of the wind blowing during sailing of the ship, thereby opening one intake port of the wing body while simultaneously closing the other intake port, and having a first discharge port and a second discharge port formed on both sides thereof to be open to the outside through which air introduced through the intake ports of the wing body is discharged; a first suction passage and a second suction passage which are independently connected to the intake ports of the wing body respectively within the wing body; a first air discharge passage having one end connected to the first suction passage and the other end connected to the first discharge port; And, it may include a second air discharge path having one end communicated with the second suction path and the other end communicated with the second discharge port.

[0018] The first suction path, the second suction path, the first air discharge path, and the second air discharge path are connected to a blower housing, and an impeller that sucks in air through one of the first suction path and the second suction path and then discharges it through one of the first air discharge path and the second air discharge path, and a fan motor that rotates the impeller may be installed in the blower housing.

[0019] According to the present invention, when a ship is sailing, the flap part rotates clockwise or counterclockwise at the rear of the wing body part due to the wind blowing from the front side of the ship, thereby opening one of the intake ports on both sides of the wing body part and closing the other, thereby sucking air through the opened intake port, and then the blowing module injects air through the discharge port of the flap part to adjust the angle of attack and reduce the vortex generated in the wake around the flap part, thereby increasing the lift.

[0020] Figure 1 is a side view of a ship to which a wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are cross-sectional views showing the configuration and operation of a wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is therefore not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, irrelevant parts have been omitted for clarity of description, and similar parts have been assigned similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0024] Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected (connected, contacted, or coupled)" to another part, this includes not only cases where it is "directly connected," but also cases where it is "indirectly connected" with another part in between. Furthermore, when a part is said to "include" a component, this does not exclude other components, but rather implies that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0025] The terminology used herein is merely used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0026] Additionally, while terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component could be referred to as a "second component," and similarly, a second component could also be referred to as a "first component."

[0027] Meanwhile, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning within the context of the relevant technology, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0028]

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a wind-assisted propulsion system (100) for a ship according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a wing body (110) installed on the upper surface of a deck of a ship, a flap part (120) installed to be able to slide laterally at the rear of the wing body (110), and a blowing module (130) installed inside the wing body (110).

[0030] The above wing body (110) may be formed in the shape of a vertically elongated, hollow column, and may be installed on the upper surface of the deck of a ship. In this embodiment, the wing body (110) is exemplified as having a column shape with a streamlined cross-section, but the wing body (110) may have any one of a streamlined, circular, elliptical, and airfoil cross-section.

[0031] On both sides of the wing body (110), intake ports (111, 112) for air intake are formed to be open to the outside. For convenience, the intake port formed on one side of the wing body (110) will be referred to as the first intake port (111), and the intake port formed on the opposite side will be referred to as the second intake port (112).

[0032] The first suction port (111) and the second suction port (112) may be formed to be open at a certain section along the circumferential direction on both sides of the wing body (110). The first suction port (111) and the second suction port (112) may be formed in a single curved shape along the circumferential direction, but may also be formed in the form of multiple divided holes along the circumferential direction.

[0033] The first suction port (111) and the second suction port (112) can be closed by both sides of the flap portion (120). A mesh-shaped boundary layer screen (115) is installed in the first suction port (111) and the second suction port (112) so as to be connected to the side surface of the wing body portion (110). The boundary layer screen (115) is connected to the side surface of the wing body portion (110) so as to allow external air to smoothly flow in, thereby minimizing the occurrence of vortices in the first suction port (111) or the second suction port (112).

[0034] The flap part (120) is formed with curved surfaces corresponding to the rear surface of the wing body part (110) on both sides and has a pointed rear end, and is installed to be able to slide laterally at the rear of the wing body part (110), so that it slides with respect to the wing body part (110) according to the direction of the wind blowing while the ship is sailing, thereby opening one side suction port (111 or 112) of the both side suction ports (111, 112) of the wing body part (110) and closing the other side suction port (112 or 111). In order to enable the flap part (120) to smoothly slide laterally with respect to the wing body part (110) due to the wind, the upper and lower ends of the flap part (120) are connected to a slide rail (140) that is installed in a curved shape at the upper and lower ends of the wing body part (110), so that the flap part can smoothly move along the slide rail (140) due to the wind.

[0035] The flap portion (120) may be formed with a first discharge port (121) and a second discharge port (122) that discharge air that is drawn in through the first suction port (111) or the second suction port (112) of the wing body portion (110) and then discharged by the blowing module (130) and open to the outside. The first discharge port (121) and the second discharge port (122) may extend in an alternating manner from the inside of the flap portion (120) and then communicate with the outside through the rear portions of both sides of the flap portion (120).

[0036] The first discharge port (121) and the second discharge port (122) are independently connected to the first air discharge passage (133) and the second air discharge passage (134) of the blowing module (130) according to the movement direction of the flap portion (120) due to the wind. For example, when the flap portion (120) slides clockwise as shown in FIG. 3, the first discharge port (121) is connected to the first air discharge passage (133) of the blowing module (130), so that air blown from the blowing module (130) is supplied through the first air discharge passage (133) and discharged to the outside through the first discharge port (121). At this time, the second discharge port (122) is closed. Conversely, when the flap part (120) slides counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 4, the second discharge port (122) is connected to the second air discharge path (134) of the blowing module (130), and the first discharge port (121) is closed, so that air blown from the blowing module (130) is supplied through the second air discharge path (134) and discharged to the outside through the second discharge port (122).

[0037] The blowing module (130) may include a blower housing (135) having a first suction passage (131), a second suction passage (132), a first air discharge passage (133), and a second air discharge passage (134), an impeller (136) installed in the blower housing (135), and a fan motor (137) that rotates the impeller (136).

[0038] The first suction path (131) and the second suction path (132) are installed to be independently connected to the first suction port (111) and the second suction port (112) of the wing body (110), respectively, and serve to guide the air introduced through the first suction port (111) and the second suction port (112) into the inside of the blower housing (135).

[0039] The first air exhaust path (133) and the second air exhaust path (134) extend to the rear of the blower housing (135) and are individually connected to the first discharge port (121) and the second discharge port (122) according to the movement direction of the flap portion (120).

[0040] The above impeller (136) rotates by a fan motor (137) and sucks in air through the first suction path (131) or the second suction path (132) and then discharges it through the first air discharge path (133) or the second air discharge path (134). The above impeller (136) can be configured by applying a known fan such as an axial fan or a centrifugal fan.

[0041] Alternatively, instead of the impeller (136) and fan motor (137), an air compressor or air pump may be used to suck in outside air, compress it, and then discharge it.

[0042] The wind-assisted propulsion system (100) having such a configuration generates lift in the wing body (110) by the wind blowing from the front side of the ship while the ship is sailing, thereby increasing the propulsive power of the ship. That is, in the wind-assisted propulsion system (100) of the present invention, low pressure is formed on the side of the wing body (110) that sucks air, and high pressure is formed on the opposite side that does not suck air, thereby generating lift from the high pressure side to the low pressure side. That is, since lift is formed toward the side that sucks air, the propulsive power of the ship can be increased.

[0043] At this time, depending on the direction of the wind blowing from the front side of the ship, the flap part (120) rotates while sliding relative to the wing body part (110), thereby opening or closing the first suction port (111) or the second suction port (112). For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the flap part (120) moves while sliding in a clockwise direction, the first suction port (111) is opened and the second suction port (112) on the opposite side is closed by one side of the flap part (120). In this state, when the impeller (136) is operated by the fan motor (137) of the blowing module (130) to generate air suction force, air around the wing body (110) is sucked in through the first suction port (111), then guided by the first suction path (131), flows into the blower housing (135), is discharged through the first air discharge path (133), and then is discharged to the outside through the first discharge port (121) of the flap part (120).

[0044] As illustrated in Fig. 4, when the flap portion (120) slides counterclockwise due to the wind, the second suction port (112) is opened and the first suction port (111) is closed by the other side of the flap portion (120). At this time, air around the wing body portion (110) is sucked in through the second suction port (112) by the impeller (136) of the blowing module (130), and then guided by the second suction path (132), is introduced into the blower housing (135), and then discharged to the outside through the second air discharge path (134) and the second discharge port (122) of the flap portion (120).

[0045] The air discharged from the first discharge port (121) or the second discharge port (122) of the flap section (120) adjusts the angle of attack formed by the wing body section (110) and the flap section (120) and simultaneously reduces the vortex around the flap section (120), thereby increasing the lift.

[0046] In this way, the wind-assisted propulsion system (100) of the present invention increases lift by opening one of the intake ports (111, 112) on either side of the wing body (110) and closing the other while the flap portion (120) rotates clockwise or counterclockwise at the rear of the wing body portion (110) due to the wind blowing from the front side of the ship while the ship is sailing, thereby sucking air through the opened intake port (111 or 112), and then injecting air through the first outlet port (121) or the second outlet port (122) of the flap portion (120) to adjust the angle of attack and reduce the vortex generated in the wake around the flap portion (120).

[0047] Meanwhile, the wind-assisted propulsion system (100) of the above-described embodiment is configured to reduce the rear vortex by forcibly sucking in external air through the first suction port (111) or the second suction port (112) using the blowing module (130) installed inside the wing body (110) and then spraying it through the first discharge port (121) or the second discharge port (122) of the flap part (120), but it may also be configured to have an impeller (136) and a fan motor (137) or an air compressor or an air pump, etc. installed inside the wing body (110) so that external air is not forcibly sucked in, but rather external air is naturally drawn in through the first suction port (111) or the second suction port (112) and then discharged through the first discharge port (121) or the second discharge port (122) of the flap part (120).

[0048] Although the detailed description of the present invention described above has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art or having ordinary knowledge in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and technical scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims to be described later.

[0049] The present invention can be applied to a wind-assisted propulsion device for a ship that increases the propulsion power of a ship by generating lift by the wind blowing during the ship's voyage.

Claims

1. A wing body installed on the upper surface of the ship's deck and having intake ports on both sides open to the outside to allow air to flow in; A flap part which is installed to be able to slide laterally at the rear of the wing body part, and which slides relative to the wing body part according to the direction of the wind blowing during the sailing of the ship, thereby opening one of the intake ports on both sides of the wing body part and closing the other intake port, and is formed such that the exhaust port through which air drawn in through the intake port of the wing body part is discharged is opened to the outside; and, A blowing module installed inside the wing body part to forcibly suck in air through one side intake port opened by the flap part and then discharge it to the outside through the discharge port of the flap part; A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, including:

2. A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, wherein the discharge port of the flap part in the first paragraph includes a first discharge port and a second discharge port that are independently connected to the air discharge path of the blowing module according to the direction of movement.

3. In the second paragraph, the blowing module, A blower housing having a first suction passage and a second suction passage installed independently to communicate with the suction ports on both sides of the wing body inside the wing body, and a first air discharge passage and a second air discharge passage installed individually to communicate with the first discharge port and the second discharge port according to the movement direction of the flap portion; An impeller installed in the blower housing to suck in air through one of the first suction path and the second suction path and then discharge the air through one of the first air discharge path and the second air discharge path; and A fan motor that rotates the above impeller; A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, including:

4. A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, wherein the wing body has a cross-sectional shape of any one of a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a streamlined shape, and an airfoil shape, according to any one of the preceding claims.

5. A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, wherein the upper and lower parts of the flap part in the first paragraph are connected to a slide rail installed in a curved shape on the upper and lower parts of the wing body part, and moves along the slide rail by wind power.

6. A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, further comprising a mesh-shaped boundary layer screen installed in the intake of the wing body so as to be connected to the side of the wing body in accordance with paragraph 1.

7. A wing body installed on the upper surface of the ship's deck and having intake ports on both sides that open to the outside to allow air to flow in; A flap part which is installed to be able to slide laterally at the rear of the wing body part, and which slides relative to the wing body part according to the direction of the wind blowing while the ship is sailing, thereby opening one of the intake ports on both sides of the wing body part and closing the other intake port at the same time, and having a first discharge port and a second discharge port formed on both sides so that air drawn in through the intake ports of the wing body part is discharged to the outside; A first suction passage and a second suction passage independently connected to the suction ports on both sides of the wing body inside the wing body; A first air discharge path having one end connected to the first suction path and the other end connected to the first discharge port; and A second air exhaust path having one end connected to the second suction path and the other end connected to the second discharge port; A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, including:

8. A wind-assisted propulsion system for a ship, in which, in paragraph 7, the first suction path, the second suction path, the first air discharge path, and the second air discharge path are connected to a blower housing, and the blower housing is provided with an impeller that sucks in air through one of the first suction path and the second suction path and then discharges it through one of the first air discharge path and the second air discharge path, and a fan motor that rotates the impeller.

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