Potential Energy Savings of Air Lubrication Technology on Merchant Ships

As the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has become an important issue, measures and devices to reduce energy consumption are in increasing demand. In this study, the potential energy saving due to the application of air lubrication technology in merchant ships is analyzed. We propose a simplified empirical model, covering three different air lubrication technologies, based on the experimental results and assumptions taken in the existing studies. The bottom surface area covered with air is important for the efficiency of the air lubrication system, according to the sensitivity analysis. From the global fleet analysis, net-percentage power saving varies according to the operational profile as well as the technology. Net-percentage power savings of 2–5% from air bubble, 8–14% from air layer, and 16–22% from air cavity technology were obtained assuming calm-water conditions. The methodology can be adopted in early design stage and fleet-wide analyses of various energy-saving measures.