Analysis of lift, drag and C_x polar graph for a 3D segment rigid sail using CFD analysis

摘要

A rigid sail is an alternative source of propulsive power for marine vessels and they have been installed on ocean-going powered ships in the past. To determine the potential power that could be harnessed by a rigid sail its specific lift and drag characteristics must be known. For this purpose, a segment rigid sail was studied utilising computation fluid dynamics analysis and a virtual wind tunnel. This analysis enabled lift and drag force tables to be produced and based on these data a C-x (thrust coefficient) polar graph for the sail was derived. Analysis of velocity magnitude and static pressure contours was also undertaken and the aerodynamic characteristics of the sail including airflow separation and wake size studied.