Ship operators can reduce their fuel use and emissions output by combining air lubrication technology and fouling control.
That’s the finding of a white paper, Exploring Synergy between Energy Saving Solutions for the Maritime Industry, from Silverstream Technologies and AkzoNobel, with the companies saying a combination of air lubrication and the right fouling control coatings can reduce hull resistance and increase efficiency.
Silverstream’s air lubrication system (ALS), the Silverstream System, has been developed to generate a microbubble carpet beneath a ship’s hull, while AkzoNobel’s coatings and fouling control help to minimise a ship’s frictional resistance through maintenance of a smooth and clean hull surface.
Careful selection
“By adopting a holistic approach in maintaining a smooth and clean hull to reduce vessel resistance, we are convinced that the careful selection of fouling control coatings, in combination with a proven air lubrication system, will benefit ship operators significantly enabling them to lower their fuel bills and reduce their carbon emissions in the near term,” said Barry Kidd, AkzoNobel vessel performance manager and white paper co-author.
Arno Dubois, Silverstream Technologies’ lead hydrodynamicist and co white paper author, added: “Collaborative projects such as this one with AkzoNobel offer a fantastic chance to explore the symbiotic relationship between our ALS and other highly effective energy efficiency technologies.”
Greater savings
Arno added: “By taking a holistic approach to fuel saving, deploying a variety of proven solutions together, operators can achieve even greater savings for their vessels.”
The white paper came to three conclusions:
1. The system does not have a detrimental effect on the performance of fouling control coatings.
2. The system can act in synergy with ultra-performance biocidal or foul release coatings to aid the removal of fouling.
3. Ultra-performance biocidal or foul release coatings can work in synergy with the system to help maintain, and even improve, the ALS’s resistance reduction capabilities.
