Maersk’s bubble bursts
Having recently ordered the world’s largest container ships, the 18,000TEU Triple-E class vessels, Maersk has turned its attention to the world’s smallest bubble…its WAIP (Winged Air Induction Pipe) microbubble air lubrication system may cut emissions by 10%, says Maersk… when experts can get it to work.
being designed regularly, but few have been successful and fewer still have made it as far as an operational ship. One
D system that has become
operational was fitted to NYK-Hinode Line’s Yamatai, a 162m long advanced module carrier. The ship was built at Mitsubishi Heavy Industry’s Nagasaki Shipyard and the operator claims that the net fuel savings from the air lubrication system (ALS) amount to around 10%, aſter taking into account the extra fuel used for operating the blower system that creates the air cushion underneath the ship. However, the company does admit
that the ALS does lose some efficiency in some sea states. Even so Yamatai’s success
should offer encouragement
to Maersk which installed the WAIP microbubble ALS on its 3000TEU and 240m long vessel Olivia Maersk in 2009. In fact, like the Yamatai system, WAIP was conceived in Japan by Mr Takahashi, a designer for the IHI yard and is operational on a smaller vessel, an 80m ferry that operates between two Japanese islands, “it [the ferry] has shown 10% fuel savings on this route,” said senior director, head of innovation at Maersk Maritime Technology Dr Jan de Kat. Scaling up the tests by installing
the system onto Olivia Maersk has not realised the same savings, however, and Maersk technicians are struggling to understand what the problems are with the system and how to remedy them. “We have tried many different
combinations of tests while the vessel was on its service schedule between Europe
Freshly installed WAIP unit before painting. The Naval Architect April 2011 33 WAIP units staggered over the forward hull. esigns for air lubrication
systems date back at least as far as the 1950s with new versions
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