REVIEW OF FUEL SAVING OPTIONS

This article is based on a paper by A. Ovrebo, of Det norske Veritas. Complete optimisation of fuel economy can only be obtained by starting at the ship design stage. There is nevertheless an enormous potential for fuel saving in ships that were built without much attention paid to fuel economy. Apart from a reduction of engine power, there are a number of options, not always independent of one another, for fuel saving. After a general discussion on this problem, and a brief consideration of alternative fuels <oil, coal and coal- derived fuels, and nuclear power>, a number of fuel-savings possibilities relevant to new ship-designs and existing ships are reviewed. They include choice of machinery, the utilisation of waste heat in Diesel installations, derating of Diesels, tuning of steam plants to suit new conditions, steam-to-steam and steam-to-Diesel conversions, shipboard blending of fuels, economical electricity generation, and planned use of auxiliary machinery. Other aspects discussed include propeller parameters, ship speed, effects of ship's trim and steering, ship's speed characteristic, engine performance monitoring, hull and propeller condition-monitoring, maintenance, and optimum docking intervals. It is mentioned that alterations such as conversions to another machinery type, & permanent derating, require careful consideration first, and that the potential for fuel saving can be estimated in a feasibility study for the individual ship.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Marine Propulsion, <1983/1984>, p. 18 <Dec./Jan.> (3 pp., 1 graph, 1 diag.)
• Publication Date: 1984

Language

• English

Subject/Index Terms

• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00687145
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Maritime Technology
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 14 1995 12:00AM