Anemoi is a leader in rotor sail technology, a type of wind-assisted propulsion system that uses tall, rotating cylinders to generate forward thrust via the Magnus effect. These spinning sails use electric motors to generate thrust through aerodynamic forces, reducing the load on a ship’s main engines and helping lower consumption. Anemoi continues to optimise the performance of its sails through ongoing R&D, with this project supported by a £1.4 million grant from Innovate UK. To validate a new bearing and drive system design, essential components that support and rotate the sails, Anemoi commissioned a bespoke hydraulic test rig from Pressure Design. Instead of constructing full-scale sails, which are typically 35m high, the team built a compact, force-loading platform to simulate the effects of wind at sea. “It was a clever way to test new component designs under realistic forces without the complexity of full-scale installation,” explained Beth Ragdale, software product manager at Beckhoff UK. Consolidating control Beckhoff was brought in to provide a complete automation and monitoring solution for the rig. Central to the setup is a high-performance C6032 industrial PC, which consolidates control, data logging and vision capabilities. The test rig features the same bearings and drive system as the real Rotor Sail, each fitted with a range of sensors to measure vibration, temperature and Gforces. These sensors capture data at 1000 samples per second across 58 channels, which is logged and stored in a Microsoft SQL Server database using Beckhoff’s TF3520 Analytics Storage Provider and TF3500 Analytics Logger. “Those tools gave us the ability to handle large volumes of high-frequency data without needing complex custom code,” said Ragdale. TwinCAT Vision software was used to integrate a thermal imaging camera that monitored tyre tread temperatures. Tyres are used to rotate the part of the rig representing the rotor sail, with hydraulic forces applied to mimic wind loads. The camera was a late addition to the project, added at the request of Anemoi to help assess tyre performance under different pressures. “We were experimenting with different tyre pressures to optimise efficiency. The thermal camera gave us a live view of heat build-up, helping us identify where any energy could be lost,” explained James Penty, director at Pressure Design. Real-time visibility was a crucial part of the system. Beckhoff’s Scope View software provided oscilloscope-style displays embedded in the HMI, allowing engineers to monitor parameters like vibration and thermal build-up. If any measurement exceeded a threshold, the system would trigger an automatic shutdown to prevent mechanical failure. “There was a strong emphasis on safety,” said Ragdale. “If vibration was detected, 34 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS November/December 2025 www.hpmag.co.uk Harnessing the Magnus effect with automation A test rig developed by Beckhoff solution provider Pressure Design is helping Anemoi Marine Technologies advance the performance of its wind-assisted propulsion system for ships. H&P looks at how automation and analytics technologies are enabling marine decarbonisation and high-precision testing. KNOWLEDGE BASE
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