Overview
Increasing environmental concerns and soaring oil prices are creating a new focus on fuel efficiency for the marine industry. Combining low emissions with demands for more advanced vessels than ever before drives the need for radically new propulsion concepts delivering a step-change in efficiency. The STREAMLINE project is the response of the marine community to this demand that will be addressed through four key objectives.
STREAMLINE is to demonstrate radically new propulsion concepts delivering an increase in efficiency of at least 15% over current state-of-the-art. The concepts will be designed for maximisation of energy conversion combined with low levels of cavitation, noise and vibration. The research will look at novel applications of large area propulsion, a biomechanical system and distributed thrust (via multiple propulsors).
STREAMLINE will also investigate methods to fully optimise current state-of-the-art systems including conventional screw propeller systems, pods and waterjets. The key here is exploitation of new Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods to pursue improvements without dramatic vessel configuration changes.
Furthermore, STREAMLINE is to develop advanced CFD tools and methods to optimise the hydrodynamic performance of the new propulsion concepts, particularly by analysis of integrated hull and propulsor. STREAMLINE will characterise the operational, economic and classification aspects of each of the new propulsion concepts.
STREAMLINE will demonstrate solutions for a wide range of applications. Short sea shipping and inland waterway operation will be focussed on specifically, as they are identified as key components of transport that can provide a means of coping with the growing congestion of road and rail infrastructure and tackling air pollution.
The STREAMLINE consortium, led by Rolls-Royce, is made up of 30 partners from 8 Countries, providing world leading expertise and capability from the EU marine Industry.
Funding
Results
Waterborne transport revolution
Important software and hardware advances are revolutionising propulsion systems and designs for waterborne vessels, making them much more cost effective, comfortable and environmentally friendly.
As global warming threatens the environment and prices of fuel skyrocket, the maritime industry is looking for ways to become more energy efficient by developing new propulsion concepts. Waterborne trade such as that via inland waterways is also increasing rapidly and phenomenally, prompting a need for more environmentally friendly models for this type of transport.
An EU-funded project 'Strategic research for innovative marine propulsion concepts' (Streamline) is developing improved propulsion configurations and integrating propeller systems with vessel hull hydrodynamics to achieve major fuel savings.
One of the proposed technologies increases the efficiency of inland vessels by 15% based on distributed thrust through multiple propulsors and novel computational fluid dynamics (CFD), also decreasing noise and vibration compared to older systems. Another concept will deliver similar fuel savings for ocean-going vessels by dramatically increasing propeller diameter. The third radical concept is based on the motion of a whale’s tail, offering a new way of propelling inland waterway ships that is dramatically more efficient than conventional screw propeller systems.
Streamline is also automating optimisation of hull forms and designing free-form deformation techniques to further improve hulls and propellers as well as developing a ship form that is free from intellectual property rights. Other advances envisioned include a new waterjet concept to give high-speed vessels a more efficient low-speed operating mode. All these hardware designs and upgrades are also being coupled with software and computational advances that would streamline operation of the components even more.
Once the improvements and enhancements move from the laboratory to the commercial phase, the project could have a significant effect on reducing fuel consumption and polluting emissions. It would render waterborne transport much more attractive and cost effective while reducing noise and discomfort for crew and passengers. Overall efficiency gains from these new designs could even reach 30%, an admirable figure that could help reform waterborne transport and usher in a new phase in the sector.