Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) has the world’s largest ocean shipping fleet. MOL, in collaboration with MOL-Techno-Trade, Ouchi Ocean Consultant, Akishima Laboratory and University of Tokyo has developed and designed windshields for containerships, that potentially help reduce wind resistance and thereby reduces fuel consumption as well as reducing CO2 emissions.
A test study of the effectiveness of the windshield is being done on the 6700 TEU MOL Marvel. It is expected that an annual reduction of 2% of CO2 emissions can be achieved, presuming that the ship plys the North Pacific route at 17 knots speed.
MOL claims that the new aerodynamic design of the windshield evolved after several wind tunnel tests. The horseshoe shaped design is expected to protect the ship from green water on the bow deck during bad weather. The problem noted in the present day ships, is that the containers stacked on the deck tend to increase wind resistance.
This special design which encloses the frontline of stacked containers will result in reducing wind resistance to a large extent, thereby minimizing the weight of the main unit. MOL is confident that the new windshield design would meet the classNK rules concerning wave impact pressure.
MOL quoted: “With today’s larger containerships, the height of the containers loaded on their decks has increased, subjecting the vessels to greater wind resistance. MOL recognized the need to address this issue in a cost-effective way.”
Source: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.
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