Posted on January 25, 2012  Comments (0)

Ship a riding sled of bubbles. Image from: CFD Predictions of Bubbly Flow around an Energy-saving Ship with Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System

Mitsubishi completed the conceptual design of a new container ship; this eco-ship achieves a 25% decrease in CO2 emissions over existing ships. Three, of these ships, with the Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS), are being built now (they should be completed in 2014).

In addition to blowers to create air bubbles under the vessel bottom, the three grain carriers will also feature a newly designed bow shape that will reduce wave-making resistances. For propulsion, the ship adopts a system to effectively convert the main engine power into propulsion power by positioning fins forward of the propellers and placing particular grooves in the propeller boss cap.

Using “eco-ships” to substantially reduce CO2 emissions from maritime transport

Related: Sails for Modern Cargo Ships – Eco-Vehicle Student Competition