Saving Fuel Made Easy
An important economic truth for slow-moving ships, like bulk carriers, is that small improvements to the hull can significantly decrease fuel consumption. A specialized monitoring system, designed by SkySails from Hamburg, has created the necessary informational foundation to implement this. It measures fuel consumption, then links this with all other factors that could be relevant for the most fuel-efficient ship operation.
Merely cleaning those ships that require it most would save a lot of fuel and money. But how can you tell which ships in the fleet are suffering from fouling, which often cannot be seen with the naked eye? “Fouling initially begins with a thin, bacterial film, which accumulates on the hull,” explains Falko Fritz, the manager for reporting at SkySails in Hamburg. The company made waves at the beginning of the 2000s with its towing kite for propulsion. The so-called Vessel Performance Manager (V-PER) is currently among the most successful products launched by the Hanseatic company. With its assistance, predictions can be made about when to send for the divers and their scrub brushes.
“Hull friction accounts for approximately 80% of drag in the case of slowly moving ships, like bulk freighters. Therefore, we can achieve large results through small improvements in the hull,” says Fritz. The flow measurement of the fuel forms the core of the V-PER monitoring system. SkySails then links this to all other factors that can influence fuel consumption.
