Mitsui E&S has developed a high-precision ship thrust measurement system that is intended to accurately measure vessel propulsion performance and can be used for fuel efficiency improvement and voyage optimisation.
The effectiveness of the system has been verified through sea trials conducted on a vessel owned by Eneos Ocean Corporation. According to Mitsui E&S, in the shipping industry, improving fuel efficiency and optimising vessel performance have become important challenges, driven by the need to comply with IMO GHG reduction targets such as CII, as well as rising fuel prices and instability in fuel supply routes.
However, vessel performance in actual sea conditions is greatly affected by weather and ocean conditions such as wind and waves. Therefore, conventional analysis methods based on vessel speed and shaft power data have made it difficult to accurately identify the causes of performance changes and to achieve highly accurate performance predictions.
To address these challenges, Mitsui E&S developed its system to accurately measure thrust (the force that propels a vessel forward), a direct indicator for evaluating vessel propulsion performance. The system integrates the design and analysis technologies cultivated through many years as a marine engine manufacturer with advanced sensing technologies. It measures minute strain generated in engine structural components and calculates thrust with a high degree of accuracy. Furthermore, proprietary technologies compensate for disturbances caused by structural deformation and temperature variations, enabling the acquisition of reliable thrust data.
The system was installed on the crude oil tanker Eneos Dream and underwent sea trials under actual operating conditions. As a result, stable measurement performance and high reproducibility were confirmed under various operating conditions, demonstrating that the system provides performance sufficient for practical application. Using the system, it becomes possible to quantitatively understand the effects of marine meteorological factors such as wind, waves, and currents on vessel propulsion performance and fuel consumption, which have traditionally been difficult to assess.
Thrust is considered an important indicator that directly represents vessel propulsion performance. By measuring thrust in actual sea conditions in real time and with high accuracy, the system visualises vessel performance and enables enhanced understanding of hull condition and more advanced analysis of operational results. This contributes to improved operational prediction accuracy and fuel efficiency.
Following validation by an independent third-party organization, Mitsui E&S plans to commercialise the system. In addition, through collaboration with stakeholders in the shipping industry, including shipowners, ship operators, shipbuilders, and voyage optimisation service providers, Mitsui E&S will promote the adoption and standardisation of new thrust-based vessel performance evaluation indicators.
Image: VLCC ‘Eneos Dream’, used for system verification (source: Mitsui E&S)
