Lout Verschuur

Growing up around small pleasure craft sparked a lasting interest in maritime technology, leading me to study Maritime Technology at NHL Stenden University. During the programme I became familiar with Van Oossanen’s work, making an internship there a natural next step.

The internship formed part of the MethaNorms project and focused on Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP), with emphasis on Flettner Rotors as a retrofit solution. The aim was to evaluate wind assistance improving hull efficiency and offsetting methanol’s energy density.

A key result was the development of a surrogate model that rapidly estimates Flettner Rotor forces using limited inputs, including geometry, flow conditions, and operational parameters. This enables early-stage feasibility assessments across ship types without costly simulations. The model was validated against in-house full-scale CFD data using a transparent workflow. The resulting tool supports decisions on when WASP delivers performance benefits, aligned with MethaNorms’ and Van Oossanen’s sustainability goals.