Swedish study shows benefits of hydrofoiling boats
A new study from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology shows how hydrofoiling ships could be 80 per cent more efficient than their non-foiling cousins.
Hydrofoils act like an underwater wing for vessels, lifting the hull out of the water and dramatically reducing resistance. The principle has recently been used to gain competitive advantage in sailing’s Americas Cup and adopted by Swedish startup Candela on its electric pleasure craft and passenger ferries.
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According to the new study, hydrofoiling technology could enable the electrification of larger passenger ferries, allowing a significant section of the shipping world to decarbonise quicker. Conducted in collaboration with marine research facility SSPA, the report claims that even for ships that continue to use fossil fuels, hydrofoils could help reduce their fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 80 per cent.
"The electrification of ferries cannot be done without drastically reducing their water resistance,” said research lead Arash Eslamdoost, Associate Professor in Applied Hydrodynamics at Chalmers.
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