Abstract
This paper presents recent improvements in the cyber-physical test method for wind-assisted ships at SINTEF Ocean. In particular, a dynamic lifting line method, that interacts in real-time with the physical ship model, enables now modelling transient aerodynamic effects, sail-hull interaction, and sail-sail interactions. The behaviour of a free-running wind-assisted ship can therefore accurately be documented also during sudden changes in wind velocity or other transient conditions. Results of a test campaign conducted with SINTEF Ocean’s open bulk carrier design SOBC-1 in September 2025 are then presented. They include the exploration of (1) various sail/propeller thrust distribution to meet a given service speed and of (2) alternative sail configurations and operational profiles. A (3) sail-agnostic parametric study is also conducted where the side force and its application point are systematically varied: this constitutes a promising approach for the hydrodynamic design of wind-assisted ships and the selection of wind propulsion devices at the design stage. (4) The ship’s behaviour during changes in wind direction and speed from realistic coastal effects scenarios were also investigated, and finally, (5) the effect of aerodynamic loads on the superstructure during these events was quantified. The paper includes high-quality data for the nearly hundred tests that were carried out, with the objective to contribute to the validation and benchmark of tools used to analyse and design wind-assisted ships.