R&D Themes of FY 2011
Ship-Operating Technology: Environmental Conservation & Energy-Saving
| Participation in the Wind Challenger Project | [Second year of a three-year project] We have been participating the Wind Challenger Project, a JIP (joint industry project) led by Tokyo University. In the second year of this project, we aim to (1) design large hard sails of requisite strength, (2) review their energy-efficiency effect, and (3) study how to control them. |
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| Development of supportive software for container vanning systems | To improve the work efficiency of container vanning plans, which have usually depended on the expert planners’ technical know-how, we are developing supportive software for container vanning systems. In 2011, we will update the prototype that we built last year and implement it in user tryouts. The software is also expected to be educational for inexperienced planners. |
| Participation in the REFIT2Save JIP (joint industry project) by MARIN (Phase 2) | [Second year of a three-year project] Participation continues in the REFIT2Save JIP organized by MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands). To deepen our understanding of planning and performance-evaluation techniques for energy-saving devices, all involving CFD (computational fluid dynamics), we will compare CFD-predicted values against model test results and readouts from onboard testing. |
The following 10 projects has selected fiscal 2011 for subsidy by the Ministry
of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) through its "Support
for Technology Development from Marine Vessels for Curtailing CO2" project. Among 9 from 10 projects are implemented as part of the “R&D
for Reducing Greenhouse Gas in International Maritime Affairs" program,
which is being carried out jointly with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK).
And 1 project**is being carried out jointly with Shipbuilding Reaearch Center of Japan.
| Air-lubrication system to reduce CO2 emissions: Review on a module carrier (2011) | [Third year of a three-year project] After installing our air-lubrication system on two module carriers, one on March 31, 2010, and the other on November 29, 2010, we have since been collecting and analyzing the data from onboard testing for further evaluation of energy-efficiency effects under many different weather and sea conditions. |
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| Participation in R&D into energy saving from air-lubrication systems in oceangoing vessels (2011) | [Third year of a three-year project] We continue to participate in the primary experimental project for air-lubrication systems at the National Maritime Research Institute and are challenging the technical development of the energy-reducing effects by using the scavenging air by-pass, which is a promising part of the newest air-lubrication technologies. At present, shop-tests with simulations are helping to plan the data gathering and analyzing for installation on board. |
| Application of an air-lubrication system on a coal carrier (2011)** | [Third year of a four-year project] In July 2012, an air-lubrication system that utilizes both the scavenging air by-pass and air blowers will be installed on an actual coal carrier and onboard testing will be executed. In the future, we are going to apply these same technologies to VLCCs, containerships, and PCCs, all of which have deeper drafts. |
| Development of a system for monitoring ship’s performance (2011) | [Third year of a three-year project] Upgrading SIMS （Ship Information Management System） for use at real sea will boost reliability on the ship-side system and improve both operability and functionality on the shore-side system. Enhancements will also be made to monitoring-analysis reports and efficiency-evaluations of energy-efficient operations. And as a further step, we are going to establish a maintenance and management system and apply it to vessels other than containerships. |
| Development of a load-fluctuation stabilizer for the periodic influence of weather and sea conditions (2011) | [Third year of a four-year project] A vessel’s fuel consumption increases according to the way the main engine is affected by weather and sea conditions. To minimize such increases, we aim to equalize load fluctuations and develop a new control system in combination with CPP (controllable-pitch propellers), SGM (shaft-generator motors), and a large-capacity backup battery system. |
| Development of application technology for large-capacity nickel-hydrogen batteries as backup on oceangoing vessels (2011) | [Third year of a four-year project] In June 2011, Auriga Leader, the PCC equipped with a photovoltaic power system that produces 40 kW, was also installed with large-capacity nickel-hydrogen batteries known as Gigacell?. Looking to significantly upgrade photovoltaic power systems in the near future, we are developing a hybrid power supply system for vessels through efficient combinations of a photovoltaic power generation system, diesel power generators, and large-capacity rechargeable batteries ? all of which will be tested to secure the most stable electrical supply aboard vessels. |
| Development of an international navigation control system (2011) | [Third year of a four-year project] To reduce global greenhouse gases (GHG), we have been designing a worldwide time-reservation scheme for berth windows and canal passages, for the scheme promises to minimize chronic ship congestion and raise the efficiency of ship operations. In 2011, we are developing a shore-side simulator with SPICA* and using it to evaluate the functionality of the worldwide time-reservation system. Preparations are under way for a pilot test of the system.
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| Development of operational performance in ever-larger vessels for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gases (2011) | [Third year of a four-year project] As a safety-evaluation purpose, we will develop the “US* real-time monitor,” which can visualize danger during operations and run simulations of the four most dangerous ocean areas. Last year, we used these simulations to evaluate the safety performance on PCCs over 230 meters long. This year, we will run simulations on vessels over 260 meters and 280 meters long.
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| Development of hybrid-turbocharger technology on marine vessels (2011) | [Third year of a four-year project] We installed our newly developed hybrid-turbocharger system on a 180,000-ton bulk coal carrier, and conducted sea trials of the system and confirmed the performance results before the ship’s delivery on May 31, 2011. We are now continuing to monitor the system’s performance on board to confirm the energy savings. |
| Development of an NHV (non-hub-vortex) propeller that has a minimum surface area： Phase 3 | [Second year of a four-year project] Using our FUELNAVI monitoring system on an actual ship, we have been collecting and evaluating the performance of existing propeller, which has been installed from the beginning. We are also conducting model-based water-tank tests of a new NHV (non-hub-vortex) propeller. Comparisons will be made between the performances of those two propellers in preparation for replacing the vessel’s existing propeller with the new one in 2012. |
Logistics Solution
| Performance upgrade and functionality improvement in a location-management system for finished vehicles | The performance of MTI’s originally developed MISE tag* will feature enhanced
radio wave communication capabilities, greater visibility of display functions,
and the accuracy of more precise GPS measurements outdoors. We will also
confirm the tag’s longer operation times and improved GPS measurements
indoors. And we are working to raise the tag’s overall quality level for
use in a variety of business operations.
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| Participation in ITS Japan’s Finished-Vehicle RFID Team project | [Second year of a four-year project] We will continue to participate in the meetings of the Finished-Vehicle RFID Team project in ITSJ* that started in 2010 and work to compile the shippers’ technical requirements (e.g., product specifications). We plan to conduct a pilot test with a prototype to make certain of the technical requirements within 2011, and then start designing realistic business models.
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| Development and buildup of a platform for tracking and tracing individual items | To provide the promptest response to customers’ requests for individual-item logistics solutions, we will develop a method that best enables good and easy combination with existing user applications. To this end, we have kept improving pre-designed commodity-type middleware for the software. In addition, we are preparing for a trouble-free and inexpensive transfer to the new RFID UHF band frequency that will be allocated in 2012. |
