THE CRITICAL ROLE OF ACCURATE WIND MEASUREMENT FOR WIND ASSISTED SHIP PROPULSION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With the global imperative to decarbonise the shipping industry being an ever-growing priority for ship owners, operators and customers, the opportunity of utilising ocean winds as a free energy source for assisting ship propulsion cannot be ignored. A variety of Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (“WASP”) technologies are being actively promoted for wider-scale market adoption such as 昀氀ettnor rotors, wing sails and suction sails. This white paper explores how the latest sensing systems, when used in conjunction with these WASP technologies can enhance performance and provide additional assurance around structural health, thereby making the business case for adoption of WASP technologies signi昀椀cantly more persuasive from both decarbonisation and cost reduction perspectives. This paper looks at a number of di昀昀erent types of sensing system including: Anemometers; LIDAR; Electrical resistive strain gauges; and Fibre-optic load sensors. It looks at both the challenges and bene昀椀ts of using the di昀昀erent sensing technologies. Those challenges include the interactions between adjacent and surrounding mechanical sail units, the deck structure and other housings; the impact of the incoming wind gradient speed, 昀氀ow vortices, turbulence due to wind gusts and water spray causing 昀氀ow disruptions and air density variations. These challenges can make some forms of sensing less e昀昀ective and negate some of the potential bene昀椀ts. We have summarised below the comparative performance of each of the sensing technologies when assessed against the following criteria: • Complexity of installation; • Calibration requirements; • Susceptibility to motions; • Total capex and lifecycle cost; and • Accuracy. ANEMOMETERS (page 8) LIDAR (page 9) Complexity of Installation Complexity of Installation Calibration requirements Calibration requirements Susceptibility to motions Susceptibility to motions Total life cycle cost Total life cycle cost Accuracy Accuracy STRAIN GAUGES (page 12) FIBRE-OPTICS (page 16) Complexity of Installation Complexity of Installation Calibration requirements Calibration requirements Susceptibility to motions Susceptibility to motions Total life cycle cost Total life cycle cost Accuracy Accuracy 4