Why are we so focused on limiting engine power instead of building more efficient ships?
Tsuneishi’s AEROLINE and FAIS designs got me thinking about this. The fuel savings may be modest, but at least they’re trying to reduce consumption without taking power away from the bridge.
I’ve spent enough years at sea to know that extra power isn’t a luxury when the weather turns ugly.
Anyone here sailed with these systems? Do the savings hold up in real operations, or are we looking at another set of numbers that only works on paper?
Thought provoking. I can think of the grounding of a bulker off Newcastle, Australia where once the weather turned the vessel became embayed . The situation not helped by the lack of situation awareness of the master.
This was a very interesting take on efficiency and it proves that there are still relatively simple steps to increase economy and make more power. I have enjoyed sailing for the ideas of making water while cooling the engine, and making steam from exhaust gas, throwaways in other transport systems become assets in our trade.
Time to put on our “Thinking Caps” and put to use other means to improve efficiency, maybe take a cue from drag racing and design an educating header system to extract exhaust gas before the turbo? There are many little things to make more power.
