Ocean

NYK is jointly developing the Air-Lubrication System in cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, LTD. The system effectively reduces the frictional resistance between a vessel's bottom and the seawater by supplying air to the vessel's bottom. We have started the experiment by using YAMATAI which was completed on March 2010.This is the first challenge for a vessel engaged in overseas transport to make use of a permanently installed air-lubrication system using an air-blower.
YAMATAI, which the system is experimentally equipped, is a heavy load module carrier^* operated by an NYK Group company, NYK-Hinode Line, Ltd. We judged it was the best type of vessel for the experiment as a module carrier has a wide, shallow-draft hull that generates relatively little water pressure and accordingly minimizes the electric energy required by an air-blower to supply air to the vessel's bottom. With this system, it is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 10 percent.

* Module carrier
Special heavy load carrier with roll-on, roll-off ramp way to transport thousand-ton prefabricated structures of plant facilities to be installed on oil/gas development sites, or industrial locations.

Image from the bottom of a module carrier equipped with an air lubrication system

Inovative air lubricant system equipped vessel “SOYO”

This newly installed air-lubrication system reduces CO2 emissions by taking some of the main engine scavenging air (combustion air) from the main engine's turbocharger and leading it to the vessel's bottom to reduce the frictional resistance between the vessel's bottom and the seawater. A system featuring this scavenging air bypass is expected to effectively reduce CO2 even on large vessels having deep drafts.

NYK and Oshima Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. have jointly developed and succeeded in a delivery. During the sea trials, the safety and performance of the system was verified, confirming about a 4 percent reduction in CO2 during heavy ballast condition and about an 8 percent reduction in ballast condition. Tests will be conducted during actual marine transport to confirm the reduction and assess the performance of the system.

World's first solar-power-assisted vessel — Further Developed

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NYK, in cooperation with Nippon Oil Corporation, has been advancing the development of a system that uses sunlight to generate part of the power that propels a ship and thereby reduce the CO2 produced in international transportation. Since the completion of the NYK Line's solar-power-assisted car carrier on December 19, 2008, a shipboard test has been continually conducted. The tests has shown that providing a stable power supply from the photovoltaic panels is difficult because even a slight change in the weather has a significant influence on the amount of power generated. It was also found that attempting to make the solar power system bigger to gain more output and to increase its dependency could result in problems with regard to stable operations due to fluctuations in the power supply. To face this problem, NYK, with Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., Monohakobi Technology Institute, and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai has started some shipboard tests to verify the effects of a jointly developed hybrid power supply system for vessels from June, 2011. Charging and discharging a fluctuating amount of solar power generated by this hybrid power supply system will stabilize the supply to the vessel's electrical power system. This will also minimize output fluctuations from the diesel power generator and secure a stable power supply. Based on the experiment results, NYK will aim to develop an even larger solar power generation system for vessels.

Next-generation Energy-Saving Fluorescent

Cars are driven on and off car carriers by drivers, bright lighting is desired for the entire cargo hold area comprising up to 12 decks — to prevent accidents. E·COOL has superior features both in terms of energy-saving capabilities and economic efficiency, such as smaller power consumption, longer operating life, greater brightness, and gentler lighting on the eyes that is free of flickering, which is achieved by using a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), the same that has been used for years in LCD monitors.It is estimated that E·COOL can result in a power savings of around 40 percent over conventional fluorescent lighting systems. When all lighting systems are replaced with E·COOL, CO2 emissions on voyages will be reduced by up to 1 percent. Moreover, the rated life of the E·COOL system is about 40,000 hours, a significant increase over the 6,000 or so hours for the existing fluorescent lighting system, which will reduce the workload on the crew in replacing units, maintenance for fluorescent lighting, and trouble during cargo operation due to any abrupt outage by a conventional fluorescent lighting system. NYK will promote the installation of E·COOL on other car carriers when they are in dock.

Mechanisms to Increase combustion efficiency : Water-emulsion mechanism

This is a minute explosion image chart of the drop of water type water emulsion fuel in oil.

Water-emulsion fuel is seen as a potentially high-efficiency fuel. Savings on fuel consumption result in reduced CO2 emissions. At the same time, the water mixed in with the fuel boils during combustion, trapping heat and reducing combustion temperature, which in turn reduces the NOx that tends to be produced in high-temperature combustion. The Monohakobi Technology Institute is now developing a water emulsion unit for ship boilers.

What is water-emulsion fuel?
This emulsion is a state in which oil and water form a balanced and stable mixture. For example, mayonnaise is an emulsion wherein vinegar and oil are mixed together. When we use the water-emulsion fuel, the suddenly heated water droplets explode and spread oil around in a fine mist that supports highly efficient combustion.

Mechanisms to increase combustion efficiency

MT-FAST

The ideal shape of a ship for fuel-saving operations is one with minimal wave and wind resistance. However, ships must place priority on cargo tonnage and volume, which imposes constraints that make it difficult to achieve this ideal. Therefore, a number of appendages that can be added to ships to help them save fuel have been developed. One example is a propulsion-improvement unit that consists of multiple wings attached near the ship's propellers and rudder. The rotation of the propellers in the water creates a swirling flow that impairs propulsion. Attaching wings to the ship helps to recover this lost propulsion. Our propulsion-improvement unit was developed by the Monohakobi Technology Institute in February 2008 as part of a joint project, and experiments indicate that it has an energy-conservation effect of approximately 4%-6%. We will be working in collaboration with shipyards and other parties to develop and deploy appendages that are optimized to individual ships and enable them to achieve greater fuel savings.

Devices to promote fuel savings

FUELNAVI

One of the new devices we use to encourage fuel saving is the FUELNAVI fuel-consumption monitor. The device provides a real-time indication of fuel-consumption performance measured as distance traveled per ton (or day) of fuel consumed. It functions the same way as a fuel-consumption meter on an automobile, monitoring fuel efficiency during the voyage and helping to improve it. It is also possible to measure speed, route, wind speed and direction, rudder angle, and engine rotation to analyze the impact on fuel consumption of weather and sea conditions.

Fuel injection

New governor controller

The ship's main engine uses a governor to control fuel injection and maintain a constant speed (propeller rotation) in ever-changing sea conditions. An improved governor relaxes the fuel-injection regulation to achieve an estimated 0.5%—2% improvement in fuel consumption over the course of a year. New governors are now being deployed to the NYK fleet.

Jointly developed by the Monohakobi Technology Institute and Nabtesco Corp.

Preventing accidents that pollute the Oceans

A tanker's inner bottom is subject to pitting corrosion from the salt water in the petroleum that precipitates during transport, and these pits have the potential to cause oil leakage and other serious accidents. NYK therefore launched a joint project with Nippon Steel Corporation to develop a corrosion-resistant steel and use it commercially.

Before the use of this corrosion-resistant steel, thousands of pits needing repairs were found during crude-oil tanker inspections. However, after the application of corrosion-resistant steel to inner bottom plate, no pits required any repair at inspections.

The effectiveness of this corrosion-resistant steel has been recognized internationally. Upon the 2010's revision in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) treaty in relation to corrosion-preventive measures to cargo holds of crude-oil tankers, corrosion-resistant steel was recognized as an effective anticorrosion technology. Also, Nippon Steel Corporation and NYK Line have received the Contribution Prize for fiscal 2010 from the New Technology Development Foundation at the 43rd Ichimura Industrial Awards, which is respected for their tradition of recognizing parties who contribute to the growth of Japanese industries through the domestic development of technology.

More Information: NYK and Nippon Steel Receive Ichimura Industrial Award for Development and Use of Highly Corrosion-Resistant Steel on Crude-Oil Tankers

Improvement of loading efficiency and carrying efficiency
(car-loading method and hold-protection sheet system)

Hold-protection sheet

The loading method developed by our company for loading vehicles onto car carriers can handle a large number of vehicles safely and efficiently. This high service know-how has been systematized using IT and has become a world standard for services that value safety and the environment.

In another area, NYK Global Bulk Ltd. and MTI jointly developed a system, the Hold Protection Sheet System, that reduces the stains after cement has been loaded directly into a bulker^*. The system not only reduces stains in the hold but also makes cleaning work easier. And because the mooring time is shortened, utilization rates improve, dust is reduced, and working hours are shortened.

* Bulker
a ship that transports bulk cargo such as coal, ore, cereals, and cement.