Patent ID: 8875643

Claim:
A cargo ship, comprising: a plurality of Magnus rotors; individually actuable electric motors each associated with one of the plurality of Magnus rotors to rotate the associated Magnus rotor; converters associated with the electric motors, respectively, to control at least one of rotary speed and direction of rotation of the electric motor; a central control unit connected to the converters for controlling the converters to control at least one of the rotary speed and the direction of rotation of each of the Magnus rotors independently of the other Magnus rotors; an operating unit for setting a desired propulsion; a main electric motor as a main drive of the ship, wherein a converter is associated with the main electric motor for controlling the main electric motor, wherein the control unit is configured to operate in first, second, and third operating modes, wherein in the first operating mode, the control unit actuates the Magnus rotors in such a way that a maximum propulsion is obtained, wherein a difference between a desired propulsion and a propulsion obtained by the rotation of the Magnus rotors is obtained by the main electric motor, wherein in the second operating mode, the control unit shuts down the Magnus rotors and the desired propulsion is obtained by the main electric motor, and wherein in the third operating mode, the control unit actuates the Magnus rotors in such a way that a propulsion is obtained by the Magnus rotors, that is less than a maximum propulsion of the Magnus rotors, wherein a difference of the desired propulsion and the propulsion obtained by the rotation of the Magnus rotors is obtained by the main electric motor, and a propeller that has an adjustable pitch angle and is driven by the main electric motor; an internal combustion engine coupled to an electric generator to generate electrical energy, and wherein in the first operating mode the desired propulsion is the absolute or relative speed of the ship, wherein in the second operating mode the desired propulsion is adjustable by way of the pitch inclination of the pitch angle of the propeller, and wherein in the third operating mode the desired propulsion is the absolute or relative power of the electric motor.