Numerical Study on the Aerodynamic Performance of Asymmetric Vertical Folding Rotor Sail

The rotor sail is one of the representative devices in eco-friendly wind-assisted propulsion systems that have been practically applied to commercial ships. The present study proposes an asymmetric vertical folding rotor sail (AFRS) designed for small ships, featuring asymmetric geometry along the vertical direction and the function of vertical folding. To evaluate the aerodynamic performance of rotor sail, the drag, lift and lift-to-drag ratio were derived using computational fluid dynamics. The aerodynamic performance of AFRS was compared with that of normal rotor sail with different aspect ratios and spin ratios. The effect of geometric parameters on the aerodynamic performance of AFRS was assessed by varying the asymmetric diameter ratio. The maximum improvement in lift-to-drag ratio for AFRS was approximately 12% in the considered case. Additionally, the resistance is decreased when AFRS is vertically folded without rotating. Throughout the present study, improved aerodynamic and resistance performances for AFRS were confirmed, which will successfully provide additional propulsion to small ships.