Wind power generation with a parawing on ships, a proposal

Abstract

It is proposed that electric power can be generated from wind by pulling a ship. A parafoil pulls and tows a ship. Electrical power is generated by hydraulic turbines installed on the ship below the water line. The electric power generated is expended onboard to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen or methanol or to convert carbon dioxide into storable forms of liquid. This paper describes the principle of designing such a system, shows the general features of such a system, and describes in detail two example designs which produce 6 MW and 0.8 GW. It is shown that a fleet of such ships operating in two different regions of the sea can produce much more energy than the world needs. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.