IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v207y2025ics1364032124006440.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Development of autonomous sailboat sails and future perspectives: A review

Author

Listed:
  • Sun, Zhaoyang
  • Feng, Ao
  • Yu, Jiancheng
  • Zhao, Wentao
  • Huang, Yan

Abstract

Autonomous sailboats are a new type of long-endurance marine robots driven by marine renewable energy. They convert wind energy into driving force through sails. The aerodynamic performance and automatic control convenience of the sails significantly affect the sailing performance of autonomous sailboats. The sails of autonomous sailboats have evolved through three stages: traditional flexible sails, balanced rig with flexible sails, and rigid wingsails. Flap wingsails, self-trimming wingsails, and wingsails designed for specific conditions have been developed based on rigid wingsails. While autonomous sailboats typically use one sail, two or more sails can also be used. This review discusses the different configurations of autonomous sailboat sails, along with their advantages and disadvantages, key technologies, and research methods. It summarizes the features and technologies of autonomous sailboat sails that need further investigation, such as high strength, lightweight construction, multifunctional integration, interchangeable modularity, self-diagnostic intelligence, and deformable adaptability. Computational fluid dynamics simulations and wind tunnel tests will continue to be the primary methods for studying sail aerodynamic performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Sun, Zhaoyang & Feng, Ao & Yu, Jiancheng & Zhao, Wentao & Huang, Yan, 2025. "Development of autonomous sailboat sails and future perspectives: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 207(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:207:y:2025:i:c:s1364032124006440
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114918
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032124006440
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2024.114918?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xing, Hui & Spence, Stephen & Chen, Hua, 2020. "A comprehensive review on countermeasures for CO2 emissions from ships," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    2. Meng, Xianghui & Yang, Yanan & Yin, Songwei & Wang, Xiaohao, 2024. "Unmanned sailboat with self-balancing rotating sail based on elastic rope: Modeling, optimization, and sea trials," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 363(C).
    3. Pan, Pengcheng & Sun, Yuwei & Yuan, Chengqing & Yan, Xinping & Tang, Xujing, 2021. "Research progress on ship power systems integrated with new energy sources: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xu, Lijie & Hu, Hui & Ji, Jie & Cai, Jingyong & Dai, Leyang, 2024. "Hybrid energy saving performance of translucent CdTe photovoltaic window on small ship under sailing condition," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    2. Henry Schwartz & Tomi Solakivi & Magnus Gustafsson, 2022. "Is There Business Potential for Sustainable Shipping? Price Premiums Needed to Cover Decarbonized Transportation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, May.
    3. Xiangang Lan & Xiaode Zuo & Qin Tao, 2023. "Container Shipping Optimization under Different Carbon Emission Policies: A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-20, May.
    4. Calise, Francesco & Cappiello, Francesco Liberato & Cimmino, Luca & Dentice d’Accadia, Massimo & Vicidomini, Maria, 2024. "A solar-assisted liquefied biomethane production by anaerobic digestion: Dynamic simulations for harbors," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    5. Li, Yuwan & Yuen, Kum Fai & Zhou, Yusheng, 2024. "Risk assessment of achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction target in the maritime industry," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 29-46.
    6. Long Lyu & Wu Chen & Ankang Kan & Yuan Zhang & Song Xue & Jingbin Zeng, 2022. "Investigation of a Dual-Loop ORC for the Waste Heat Recovery of a Marine Main Engine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-22, November.
    7. Michail Cheliotis & Evangelos Boulougouris & Nikoletta L Trivyza & Gerasimos Theotokatos & George Livanos & George Mantalos & Athanasios Stubos & Emmanuel Stamatakis & Alexandros Venetsanos, 2021. "Review on the Safe Use of Ammonia Fuel Cells in the Maritime Industry," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-20, May.
    8. Vinicius Andrade dos Santos & Patrícia Pereira da Silva & Luís Manuel Ventura Serrano, 2022. "The Maritime Sector and Its Problematic Decarbonization: A Systematic Review of the Contribution of Alternative Fuels," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-30, May.
    9. Ahmed, Shoaib & Li, Tie & Yi, Ping & Chen, Run, 2023. "Environmental impact assessment of green ammonia-powered very large tanker ship for decarbonized future shipping operations," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    10. Si, Yupeng & Wang, Rongjie & Zhang, Shiqi & Zhou, Wenting & Lin, Anhui & Zeng, Guangmiao, 2022. "Configuration optimization and energy management of hybrid energy system for marine using quantum computing," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 253(C).
    11. Jan Hollmann & Marco Fuchs & Carsten Spieker & Ulrich Gardemann & Michael Steffen & Xing Luo & Stephan Kabelac, 2022. "System Simulation and Analysis of an LNG-Fueled SOFC System Using Additively Manufactured High Temperature Heat Exchangers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-29, January.
    12. Tian, Zhen & Zhou, Yihang & Zhang, Yuan & Gao, Wenzhong, 2024. "Design principle, 4E analyses and optimization for onboard CCS system under EEDI framework: A case study of an LNG-fueled bulk carrier," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    13. Xu, Lijie & Ji, Jie & Yuan, Chengqing & Cai, Jingyong & Dai, Leyang, 2023. "Electrical and thermal performance of multidimensional semi-transparent CdTe PV window on offshore passenger ships in moored and sailing condition," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 349(C).
    14. Perčić, Maja & Vladimir, Nikola & Fan, Ailong, 2021. "Techno-economic assessment of alternative marine fuels for inland shipping in Croatia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    15. Wang, Zhuang & Chen, Li & Wang, Bin & Huang, Lianzhong & Wang, Kai & Ma, Ranqi, 2023. "Integrated optimization of speed schedule and energy management for a hybrid electric cruise ship considering environmental factors," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    16. Tomas Gil-Lopez & Amparo Verdu-Vazquez, 2021. "Environmental Analysis of the Use of Liquefied Natural Gas in Maritime Transport within the Port Environment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-14, October.
    17. Ma, Kai & Zhao, Lei, 2024. "The impact of new energy transportation means on China's food import," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    18. Monica Grosso & Fabio Luis Marques dos Santos & Konstantinos Gkoumas & Marcin Stępniak & Ferenc Pekár, 2021. "The Role of Research and Innovation in Europe for the Decarbonisation of Waterborne Transport," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-21, September.
    19. Wang, Kai & Xue, Yu & Xu, Hao & Huang, Lianzhong & Ma, Ranqi & Zhang, Peng & Jiang, Xiaoli & Yuan, Yupeng & Negenborn, Rudy R. & Sun, Peiting, 2022. "Joint energy consumption optimization method for wing-diesel engine-powered hybrid ships towards a more energy-efficient shipping," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    20. Andrea Frazzica & Marco Manzan & Valeria Palomba & Vincenza Brancato & Angelo Freni & Amedeo Pezzi & Bianca M. Vaglieco, 2022. "Experimental Validation and Numerical Simulation of a Hybrid Sensible-Latent Thermal Energy Storage for Hot Water Provision on Ships," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-23, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:207:y:2025:i:c:s1364032124006440. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.