A probabilistic method to evaluate bow foils for realistic seas and shipping routes

Abstract

To improve ship efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, the use of renewable based energy saving devices is an emerging field. By harnessing the ambient wave energy, ship bow mounted foils can serve as an energy saving device (ESD), reducing the added resistance in waves and generating an additional thrust. This paper presents a methodology to predict the efficiency of bow foils over various regions, seasons and ship routes. The results show that ship length significantly influences the effectiveness of bow foils with respect to differing regions worldwide. The percentage foil retraction is also shown to be a significant factor in operating bow foils with a large variation depending on ship heading and encountered sea state. The presented method, which could be implemented for the assessment of future bow foil designs, provides a holistic approach to evaluate bow foils for route and ship specific energy savings.