eSHaRk (Eco-friendly Ship Hull film system with fouling Release and fuel saving properties) aims to bring to the market a new and innovative fouling protection technology for ships. This technology consists in a product- a self-adhesive and non-toxic fouling release foil- and an application method- a robotized laminator, capable of laminating the fouling release foil in an automated way on ship hulls.
The adoption of a film-based structure opens up new possibilities to optimize the morphology of the products’ surface, leading to enhanced fouling protection and superior drag reduction properties. This can contribute to significantly increase the fuel efficiency of vessels and hence reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). Furthermore, the application of the film-based product on ship hulls can be automated, and thus be made more efficient, easier, safer and cleaner than with current paint-based products.
Fouling has the effect of increasing the resistance to movement, which can seriously hamper a ship’s operational efficiency and contribute to increasing fuel consumption by up to 40% and possibly as much as 50%, resulting in significant additional GHG emissions. As fuel consumption represents around half the operational costs of the marine transport industry, fouling can also have significant economic costs for ship owners, and be detrimental to the industry’s competiveness with other transport modes.
The fouling release foil has already been developed and produced on an industrial scale. It has been applied manually on small vessels, which has made it possible to test and confirm its fouling release properties. A semi-automatic prototype laminator has been designed and built, which has shown that automated application of the foil on vertical substrates is possible under controlled conditions. A key requirement for bringing the technology to the market, however, is to design a robotic solution enabling the laminator to move automatically along ship hulls in shipyard conditions.
The objectives of the eSHaRk innovation action will be to finalize the development and testing of the film-based fouling release system and to make it fit for successful market entry. Specific project objectives will be to:
• Optimize the foil’s surface morphology, with a view to maximize its drag reduction properties and increase its positive impact on the vessel fuel consumption – and GHG emissions – beyond what can be achieved with current state-of-the-art fouling protection
technologies.
• Fully automate the foil application process for large commercial vessels in shipyard conditions, with a view to ensure that this process can be fast, efficient, safe, clean, and competitive with current application methods for paint based fouling protection products.
• Apply the foil on a newly built vessel and test it in real seawater environment to confirm its robustness and durability.
• Prepare the successful introduction of the technology on the market, in particular through developing a compelling value proposition to encourage rapid uptake and maximize the economic benefits from the project.
At the end of the Project period following objectives were achieved:
* The surface morphology of the foil was optimized and produced under industrial conditions. Drag measurements of the foil on torpedo's, executed at high Reynolds numbers (HSVA),showed significant drag reduction. Calculations showed huge fuel savings and GHG emissions reduction
* A prototype robotized laminator device was designed, built and validated, showing full automated self-adhesive foil application on a vertical metal substrate like a ship hull.
* The optimum surface morphology foil was applied on a cruise ship showing excellent fouling release properties and no detachment of the foil by diver inspection after 8 months sailing.
