Wärtsilä expands vessel fuel-saving products portfolio
- Finland’s Wärtsilä has agreed licensing and co-operation agreement with compatriot engineering company Elomatic
- Agreement covers Elomatic’s unique ‘Elogrid’™ system that reduces hull friction for vessels fitted with bow thrusters
Elogrid is in operation on three large Scandinavian ro-pax ferries and will be rolled out to other vessel types, including large containerships
FINLAND’S Wärtsilä and compatriot consulting and engineering company Elomatic have signed a licensing and co-operation agreement for a device that reduces hull friction for ships fitted with bow tunnel thrusters.
Elomatic’s “Elogrid” system aims to improve water flow along the hull lines once a vessel is sailing, in addition to improving water flow into the tunnel when thrusters are in use.
The technology claims to reduce main engine fuel consumption by 1% per number of thrusters fitted. Bow thruster efficiency is also said to be improved, while the Elogrid system professes to reduce bow thruster noise and vibration.
Elomatic vice-president of shipowner services Jari Yli-Tolppa said development of Elogrid started five years ago.
“There is a lot of water flow going through thruster tunnels that creates resistance. Previous solutions to this problem used mechanical systems which was not the best solution,” Yli-Tolppa told Lloyd’s List.
“By making a static grid with no moving parts Elogrid provides no disturbance to water flow. As well as providing efficiencies there is potential to reduce the amount of power needed for the thruster.”
Bow thruster grids have previously only been used to stop objects entering the thruster tunnel.
“A thruster grid is not new but previous designs have never focused on hull performance,” said Yli-Tolppa.
He said three large ro-pax ferries owned by Scandinavian shipowners have already been successfully retrofitted with Elogrid.
Wärtsilä will offer the system for both retrofits and newbuildings via its global sales and supply chain.
Under the terms of the agreement Wärtsilä will have the rights to sell, manufacture, install and maintain the licensed technology.
The solution will be offered to Wärtsilä’s customers and can be provided with Wärtsilä thrusters as a single product offering for newbuildings.
Wärtsilä Marine director of thruster and propulsion control systems Lauri Tiainensaid: “Together with Wärtsilä’s expertise in transverse thruster technology, we hope this collaboration will open market opportunities for Elogrid.”
The Elogrid technology is suitable for most vessel types fitted with transverse thrusters. However, most benefits are gained by vessels with relatively large thrusters, and which sail at moderate or higher speeds, including large containerships and vehicle carriers.
