Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is testing a container ship windshield that the Japanese carrier hopes will reduce wind resistance, save fuel, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 2 percent.
The horseshoe-shaped windshield was installed on the bow of the MOL Marvel, a five-year-old ship that has capacity of 6,700 twenty-foot-equivalent units.
The new windshield on the MOL Marvel
The windshield encloses the front line of stacked containers on the ship’s bow. In addition to reducing wind resistance, the device is expected to protect ships from water coming over the bow during bad weather.
MOL said it expects an annual 2 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions when operated on a 6,700-TEU ship plying a North Pacific route at 17 knots.
Naval architects have worked for years to design hulls that minimize water drag and reduce fuel consumption. As container ships have gotten larger and more rectangular containers are stacked above deck, vessels’ wind resistance has increased.
Wind-tunnel tests were used to design to maximize the MOL windshield’s wind-resistance reduction while minimizing its weight and providing enough strength to meet ClassNK rules for absorbing wave impact.
The windshield was developed with MOL Techno-Trade Ltd., Ouchi Ocean Consultant INc., Akishima Laboratory and the University of Tokyo with support from Class NK’s research and development program.
Nguồn: : www.joc.com
