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Engineered Solutions New "Ax-Bow" To Increase Ships' Efficiency Considerable effort, particularly fol- lowing the oil embargo of the 1970s, has been placed on reducing the fuel oil con- sumption of ships, a task readily han- dled by a series of improvements in hull shapes, the fitting of energy savings devices, and improvements to the per- formance of main engines. A group of engineers from the Tsu Research Labo- ratories — Koichiro Matsumoto, Ka/uyoshi Hirota and Kenji Takagishi - however, noted that while performance in still water was gaining, other factors, namely wave resistance was taking its toll. Thus a study was launched to develop new ship shapes in order to reduce the resistance increase due to waves, in order to lower sea margin. NKK Corp. has developed the ax- shaped bow that allows a reported 20 to 30 percent reduction in ships' sea margin compared with conventional bows. The company will fit the new bow to a 172,000-dwt Capesize bulk carrier that is currently under construction at the yard's Tsu Works, being built for Mitsui OSK Lines. As ship operators increas- ingly demand more efficient operation, particularly under rough conditions, NKK decided to focus on how to reduce a ship's resistance on the bow above the still water surface. In 1996, teaming with Osaka University marine engineer- ing researchers, the company developed a sharp-edged bow, which proved effec- tive cutting through waves and reducing sea margin. NKK has continued model tests of the Ax-Bow with partial funding from the Ship & Ocean Foundation, and con- 30 Circle 264 on Reader Service Card www.maritimetoday.com Maritime Reporter & Engineering News The Towers Are Going Up The Fiber Is Lit Capabilities Send and receive private voice, fax and e-mail with your VHF radiotelephone over the MariTEL Network. 0 Range MariTEL provides 50 to 100 mile coverage versus as little as 5 miles with a cellphone. Convenience The MariTEL Network works with DSC VHF marine radiotelephooes. No additional hardware is necessary to purchase or install. Reliability MariTEL has partnered with giants American Tower. Williams Communications and Ericsson to deliver a superior level of service. Vessel Tracking Remotely mooitor the location and movement of vessels from virtually aoywhere in the world. Safety The U.S Coast Guard monitors and communicates on VHF channels, not cellphones. Economy Never a long distance fee. roaming charge or connection cost in the US. Far less expeosive to use than satellite communication systems. Call MariTEL today al 1-888-627-4835 to learn more about this broad range ol telecommunication services. The Network Is Running Mar TEL he Marine Telephone Company 16 East 41st Street. New York. NY 10017 www.maritelusa.com
