A New Oscillating-Foil Power Generator for Sailingship-Based Renewable Energy Generation

The wind energy available over the globe’s vast ocean areas offers the opportunity to make a decisive contribution to the solution of the energy and climate crisis. In this paper we propose the use of sailing ships equipped with hydropower generators to convert the ocean wind energy into electricity. We describe a new oscillating-foil hydropower generator to achieve this objective. Our preliminary performance estimates indicate the feasibility of generating at least one megawatt of electrical power output per ship for electrolytic conversion of sea water into hydrogen and oxygen. Tests of a small-scale prototype confirmed the expected operational characteristics of the new generator.