September 2013 · Issue 38 Horizons News and information for the marine industry A Lloyd’s Register magazine

In this issue: Boxing clever LR has won significant container orders in 2013 Pages 10-13 Damen delivers The first of six PSVs (see image below) built at Galati , Romania Pages 20-21

Grand designs Lloyd’s Register supports four exciting and diverse projects Pages 24-31 Horizons September 2013 Innovation Saving fuel on a carpet of bubbles

A new air hull lubrication system devised by the London-based DK Group could help reduce seagoing vessels’ fuel consumption and CO² emissions by up to 10%

Computerised image of air bubbles under a vessel’s hull

The continuing quest by owners, performances of their fleets. Now between hull and water, ACS is able to operators, shipbuilders and designers designers are exploring novel energy- reduce a ship’s need for power and thus to find recession-beating, fuel- saving and energy-generating fuel consumption by up to an estimated efficient and more CO2 friendly technologies. One of these is known as 10%, according to the latest tests. sources of power has been one of an air hull lubrication system. the marine industry’s overriding “We have been working very closely campaigns over the past 10 years. Quite simply, the air hull lubrication with Lloyd’s Register and we see their system enables a reduction in a ship’s brand as vital to this process, lending a cavitation tank at the HSVA LR’s Lead Environmental Specialist Paul Sleeker hulls and trials and tests with through-water frictional resistance credibility and independent assurance in . Then McStay: “LR is always seeking better alternative fuels have been two of the by generating a carpet of bubbles to the new technology on its route DK Group approached Lloyd’s Register’s ways to improve vessel performance” options favoured underneath the hull. One particular to market,” said Noah Silberschmidt, Technical Investigation Department by leading version of this technology is called Managing Director of DK Group, the (TID) to conduct a technology review of believe it could be rolled out to owners companies to the Air Cavity System (ACS), which pioneers of the system. the system. Dejan Radosavljevic, TID’s and operators in the global fleet. improve the works using compressors to fill with Fluid Dynamics Section Manager, said: air a series of cavities (chambers) fitted Retrofit solution “It is clear that at full operation, ACS “When we were approached by DK to the leading edge of the flat bottom ACS technology is best suited to large, provides significant reduction in frictional Group, we could see that here was of a vessel. Then, as water from the flat-bottomed vessels, such as tankers, resistance compared to the case without a system that was built on earlier surrounding sea flows past the still air in bulk carriers and broad-beamed container a cavity.” generation ideas to create a much more the cavities, it draws micro-air bubbles , with the number of chambers or viable product. As with many new out of the chamber, which then form on cavities varying from eight on a small The final stage of the process is due in technologies, getting some specific details the boundary layer of the hull. vessel to 30 on a larger one. As well December 2013 or January 2014, when right is the key to success, and we have as newbuilds, ACS can be retrofitted DK Group plans to trial the technology been very pleased to participate, not least Thus the vessel floats on a thin layer of to existing vessels in in an on a 45,000 dwt Handymax tanker. with DK Group themselves, in order to air bubbles on its bottom, which helps estimated timespan of two weeks. really understand the technology, but to eliminate any contact or resistance Silberschmidt commented: “I am very Sustainable future also with our clients to help them explore between the hull and the water and excited about the retrofit variant. DK One organisation taking an interest how to exploit it to meet their needs. enables it to travel more freely Group believes that the retrofit solution in this hydrodynamic technology is engineers and financial institutions. and economically on any will be considered by shipowners as an the Sustainable Shipping Initiative LR’s Lead Environmental Specialist Paul “Lloyd’s Register is always seeking better given route. alternative to investing in new tonnage. (SSI), a 25-year initiative to make the McStay, a member of the SSI’s technology ways to improve vessel performance A potential 10% improvement of the maritime industry more sustainable workstream committee and LR’s Co- and operational efficiency and to Fuel consumption efficiency on existing tonnage will and environmental throughout the ordinator of ACS, said: “The SSI is keen prove that projects do what they say By reducing the friction narrow the gap considerably to new and whole supply chain, from producers and to work with technologies that have ‘on the tin’, as well as satisfying the more efficient vessels.’’ manufacturers to end-users that include the potential to deliver step changes in rules, regulations and, in this case, the the world’s poorest countries. energy efficiency for the industry and SOLAS and MARPOL conventions. ACS Noah Silberschmidt, An earlier version of the system was the ACS is one of these. LR fully supports has the potential to give owners and DK Group Managing tested on a full-scale demonstrator ship Lloyd’s Register is a founder-member this project and after it has been fully operators the environmental benefits Director: “An alternative in the Norwegian fjords. After that, full- of the SSI, together with leading tested and the performance validated on of fewer emissions due to reduced fuel to new tonnage” scale tests were successfully carried out in shipowners, charterers, builders, a full-size vessel, there is every reason to consumption,” concluded McStay.

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