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The recent adoption in 2013 of the IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Ship Energy Efficiency
Management Plan (SEEMP) has resulted in a renewed interest to reduce overall ship fuel consumption and
emissions. The IMO EEDI requirements can be achieved through adoption of innovative energy efficiency
technologies. These technologies include hull coatings, surface drag reduction from air cavity and air lubrication
(Figure 1), higher efficiency propeller design and wind assist-sails and Flettner rotors. The authors have been
involved with the development and testing of air lubrication drag reduction systems. In performing the EEDI
evaluation, it is necessary to estimate the net power savings by taking in account the power savings and the
corresponding blower system power. As a contribution to this problem, the authors present the result of their study.
The authors present the result of their study. They introduce the Air Lubrication System feasibility expression as the
blower power PBlower should be less than the < PR as the drag reduction threshold power PR. (PBlower < PR ).
The results are presented in a series of tables and graphs that present the net power savings as a function of the
bottom area covered by air lubrication bubble injection. The results identify optimal design points that achieve the
larger reduction in the EEDI. This approach has been enables a preliminary design of the ship with the air
lubrication drag reduction system. Using this methodology, it is also possible to examine the cost benefits of air
lubrication drag reduction.
MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of
KEY WORDS: Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), Air lubrication Pollution from Ships, 73/78
Drag reduction. Pblower Blower power
PDR Power benefit due to drag reduction systems
NOTATION PEEDI EEDI Drag Reduction ower
Pengine Propulsion break power or rated power
A EEDI reference line coefficient PNET Net ship power reduction
B Vessel Maximum Beam PR Drag reduction power threshold to meet
c EEDI reference line coefficient design requirements
DWT Deadweight Q Volumetric Air Flow
ECA Emission Control Area QR Required volumetric air flow to meet design
EEDI Energy Efficiency Design Index thresholds
g Mass in grams RL Reynolds number based on L
GHG Green House Gas SAL Wetted surface covered by air lubrication Ship
h Static seawater pressure head SEEMP Energy Efficiency Management Plan
IMO International Maritime Organization t Thickness of air lubrication layer
kW Power in kilowatts T Vessel draft
L Vessel Length (Overall) VS Vessel Speed
ηB Blower system efficiency
Figure 2 Illustration of Required EEDI with ship DWT showing
the cut off limits and EEDI phases (IMO 2016)
It is useful to understand the amount and growth of greenhouse 2. IMO ENERGY EFFICIENCY DESIGN INDEX (EEDI)
gas emissions from ships. To support the development of the
EEDI and SMEEP, IMO has completed several studies of The reduction of CO2 and other greenhouse emissions is now
ship emissions. In the Third IMO GHG Study 2014 published part of the ship design. This follows the worldwide adoption in
in 2015 (IMO GHG 2014), three important points are made. 2013 of the IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for all
new ships being built and the Ship Energy Efficiency
1. The estimate of ship greenhouse gas emissions has become Management (SEEMP) for all existing ships- MARPOL Annex
more precise. VI. (IMO 2011). The EEDI Reference Line is given by:
2. International shipping has realized a reduction in ship
greenhouse gasses. In 2012, International shipping emitted 𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐸𝐸𝐷𝐼 = (𝐴)𝐷𝑊𝑇 −𝑐 gramCO2 /tonne-naut. Mi (1)
IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index: Role of Air Lubrication for Hull Drag Reduction Page Number 2
The values of a and c are summarized by ship type in Table 1. guidance was adopted by the IMO Marine Environment
Figure 2 shows the DWT limit and the three-phase reduction Protection Committee (MEPC) (MEPC 2013).
that requires a 30% reduction of the reference index by 2025. Figure 3 shows the technologies: hull coatings, surface drag
reduction from air cavity, air lubrication injection, higher
To date (2016) nearly 1,700 ships have been certified as efficiency propeller design, wind assist-sails and Flettner rotors.
complying with EEDI standards.(IMO 2016-a). The air lubrication system is shown schematically in Figure 1.
Table 1 EEDI Reference Line Parameters in Equation 1 Micro bubbles are hull air lubrication that fall into Category (B
1): Technologies that reduce the propulsion power, PP, at Vref,
Type Limit DWT A c but not generate electricity. The saved energy is counted as Peff
Bulk Carriers 10,000 961.79 0.477 The air lubrication drag reduction can be used at full output ,
so the setting of availability factor (feff) is 1.00. The air cavity
Tankers 4,000 1218.80 0.488 as its name implies requires modifying the hull bottom to form a
Gas Carriers 2,000 1120.00 0.456 chamber filled with air. The air lubrication bubbles are injected
into the bottom flow from pipes fitted to the hull bottom.
Container Ship 10,000 174.22 0.201 Table 2 Bulk Carriers fitted with bottom Air lubrication
General Cargo 3,000 107.48 0.216 Key B-Bulk, Coal, C-Car G-Grain, M- Module T-Tanker
IMO introduced a scheme to organize the emission reduction 𝑃𝐷𝑅 = 𝑓(𝑆𝐴𝐿, 𝑄𝑅, 𝑉𝑆) kW (3)
technologies for the EEDI calculation in the 2013 Guidance on
treatment of innovative energy efficiency technologies for Air lubrication and MBDR systems have been fitted on ocean
calculation and verification of the attained EEDI. This going ships. Examples are the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Ship Year Length (m) Beam (m) Draft (m) B/T L/T DWT
MV YAMATAI-M * 2010 152.60 38.00 6.34 5.99 24.07 19,000
MV YAMATO-M * 2010 152.60 38.00 6.34 5.99 24.07 19,000
MV SOYO-Coal 2012 235.00 43.00 13.06 3.29 18.00 91,443
MV ARIES
2014 200.00 35.00 10.10 3.47 19.80 18,808
LEADER -C
Archer Daniels
2015 237.00 40.00 12.50 3.20 18.96 95,000
Midland Three-G
MT Amalienborg-T 2016 175.90 32.00 11.09 2.89 15.87 40,000
*Fitted wit Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS)
IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index: Role of Air Lubrication for Hull Drag Reduction Page Number 3
Table 3 Ferry-Cruise Ships with bottom Air Lubrication
𝑃𝐵𝐿𝑂𝑊𝐸𝑅 = 𝑓(𝑇, 𝑄𝑅, ℎ, η𝐵) kW (5) Table 4 summaries the reported airflow for several air
lubrication systems.
For cargo ships like tankers and bulk carriers, the draft depends
on the operating condition full load or ballast. The full load
IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index: Role of Air Lubrication for Hull Drag Reduction Page Number 4
Table 4 Ship bottom air flow and blower power estimates for air lubrication
Table 5 Ship Power Reduction- Results of MALS Trials and Air Cavity Model Tests
t = Q/BV (7)
IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index: Role of Air Lubrication for Hull Drag Reduction Page Number 5
working air lubrication system requires designing an air delivery
system with a low power blower(s). This means that ships with
deep draft T will require a larger blower and greater power.
One interesting point is that the air lubrication system fits well
with shallow draft in river-coastal trade routes.
7. REFERENCES
Mizokami, S., Kawakita, C., Kodan, Y., Takano, S., Higasa, S.,
Ryosuke, S., (2010). “Experimental Study of Air Lubrication
Method and Verification of Effects on Actual Hull by Means of
Sea Trial”, Mitshubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review,
Vol. 47, No. 3.
IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index: Role of Air Lubrication for Hull Drag Reduction Page Number 6