Wavefoil - Retractable bow foils

Retractable bow foils

STATE OF THE ART BOW FOIL TECHNOLOGY

Wavefoil has developed retractable bow foils that provide significant fuel savings, reduced motions and a more comfortable experience at sea.

Combining a smart retraction mechanism with the use of light but strong composite materials, Wavefoil has brought wave propulsion to the market.

"There is no doubt that this is of interest for smaller passenger vessels where comfort is important, including yachts!"

Exploiting the potential of wave energy

It has been known for over 150 years that vessels with wings – or foils – in the bow can be partly or solely propelled by wave energy. The foils generate lift when the vessel is moving up and down in waves, and the lift typically has a forward thrust component larger than the drag.

Put simply, wave power is directly converted into propulsive power.

A vessel in waves experiences additional resistance compared to calm-water operation. For wave lengths similar to the hull length, this additional resistance will be amplified due to resonance, implying large heave and pitch motions. Wavefoil’s retractable bow foils dampen these motions so that the additional resistance decreases.

So how much fuel can you save? That depends on the ship, its speed, the foil size and location, and the wave conditions.

Fuel saving for suitable ships is in the range of 5-15%.

Saving fuel is not the only benefit of bow foils. Increased comfort, reduced vibrations, less spray, increased operability and the ability to maintain higher speeds in waves for a given power are some other perspectives.