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China developed propellers to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
A 300,000-ton VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) equipped with a propeller coated with the new material completed three oil transfer trips during the trial run.
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The results are said to be remarkable. China claims that the propeller’s bionic skin has reduced the crude oil tanker’s fuel consumption by two percent.
China estimates that the propeller saves an average of 1.5% in energy and only requires maintenance every 2.5 years.
For the VLCC tanker mentioned above, this means saving around 300 tonnes of fuel per year. This translates into direct savings of around USD 140,000 (EUR 130,000) and a reduction of over 900 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Coated propeller
Large crude oil tankers mainly rely on the thrust generated by propellers, which overcomes the resistance between the hull and the water and propels the ship forward.
After studying how marine animals swim, the researchers decided to create a coating that mimics dolphin skin.
Zeng Zhixiang The bionic skin is described as consisting of a liquid dynamic interface material and a flexible material with a microstructure of 0.1-0.2 mm.
Zhixiang, a researcher at Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology. The institute jointly develops coatings COSCO SHIPPING Energy Transportationwithin
“Unlike bionic shark skin, bionic dolphin skin has a simpler structure and is more cost-effective,” Zeng told Interesting Engineering.
He estimated that putting “dolphin skin” on the propellers would cost about $20,000 (18,000 euros).
The researchers confirmed that the drag-reducing material complies with the International Convention on Hazardous Anti-fouling Agents on Ships.
During the test period, the VLCC sailed for more than 200 days between Chinese coastal ports and major ports in the Middle East, covering approximately 35,000 nautical miles.
COSCO Shipping and Ningbo plan to expand the use of bionic coatings to more than one hundred tankers.
This topic was reported by a Chinese Xinhua News Agency.
The following is a report from Xinhua News Agency X Publications And pictures of propellers:
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