Completed Projects (FY 2012)

List of projects completed by MTI in FY 2012

Ship-Operating Technology: Environmental Conservation & Energy Saving

Participation in the Wind Challenger Project

[Third year of a five-year project]
We participated in the Wind Challenger Project, a joint-industry project led by Tokyo University. We designed the actual size of hard sails and considered a trial plan and a method of measurement.

Participation in the REFIT2Save joint-industry project by MARIN (Phase 3)

[Third year of a three-year project]
Participation continued in the REFIT2Save joint-industry project organized by the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN). We obtained knowledge of the evaluation method of ship additives adopted by other companies and the effectiveness of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). We will continue to evaluate the validity of the method.

Development of a maneuvering-support system for use when reaching/leaving a pier. (Phase 2)

We developed a system enabling crew members to see the ECDIS screen on a tablet over Wi-Fi on a bridge wing for safety improvements when reaching/leaving a pier. There is no need of major construction for introducing this system. The master of the ship evaluated the system and found it effective for safety improvements during actual ship trials.

Research on optimum trim on containerships

By means of model tank tests, we investigated the relation of trim and propulution performance and validated data measured on actual ships for various types of containerships.

Deepening and expansion of voyage performance analysis for optimum operations (Phase 2)

We established a website for sharing information to support vessel operations, and tried it on actual ships.

Research on optimum trim on a low-speed enlarged ship

From the results of model tank tests, we grasped the conditions for minimum fuel consumption under ballast conditions. In future, we will investigate the differences between various vessel types and apply the outcome to even more vessels, as well as conduct trials on actual ships.

The following seven projects were selected in fiscal 2012 for subsidy by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) through its “Support for Technology Development for Curtailing CO2 from Marine Vessels” project. Six of the seven projects were 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 one project* is being carried out jointly with the Shipbuilding Research Center of Japan.

Application of an air-lubrication system on a coal carrier (2012)*

[Fourth year of a four-year project]
In July 2012, a 90 KDWT coal carrier equipped with an air-lubrication system that utilizes both the scavenging air by-pass and air blowers was delivered. We confirmed the CO2 reduction effect in sea trials and during actual operation of the ship after delivery. During the trials in fiscal 2012, we obtained data suggesting that a greater CO2 reduction effect might be realized by adjusting the operation and controlling the air-lubrication. In fiscal 2013, we will test those ideas on an actual ship and establish a control method to maximize the effect.

Development of a load-fluctuation stabilizer for the periodic influence of weather and sea conditions (2012)

[Fourth year of a four-year project]
We developed a stabilizer to address the periodic influence of weather and sea conditions and improve the main engine’s fuel efficiency, after confirming that a controllable-pitch propeller (CPP) and shaft-generator motors (SGM) are installable on actual ships. We achieved 2.2 percent of energy-saving efficiency and exceeded the initial target of 2.0 percent.

Development of application technology for large-capacity nickel-hydrogen batteries as a backup on oceangoing vessels (2012)

[Fourth year of a four-year project]
We collected and analyzed actual data on board, and through a simulation reviewed whether a large-scale feeding system using a photovoltaic power system is feasible.
1.We monitored the operation while smoothing and stabilizing the power system, and confirmed the continual operation without any issue.
2.The stable supply of photovoltaic power can be realized by introducing a secondary cell.

Development of an international navigation control system (2012)

[Fourth year of a four-year project]
We developed a system to be the base of a berth-booking system. Research findings, such as a calculation method for estimated time of arrival (ETA) to allocate berths equally, are incorporated in the system. As a result of a simulation test, we can expect to exceed the initial CO2 reduction target.

Development of operational performance in ever-larger vessels for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gases (2012)

[Fourth year of a four-year project]
We conducted a trial of our newly developed “US* real-time monitor” on an actual ship and confirmed the device to be effective for judging optimal maneuvering and avoiding ships in a narrow channel or congested water area. After four years of research, we confirmed that ever-larger pure car carriers, up to 260 meters long, can be maneuvered the same as those shorter than 200 meters, so that the Maritime Traffic Safety Act could be reviewed to accept ever-larger ships for reducing CO2 emissions.
* US value: "Unsafe ship-handling value," a standard used in Japanese safety-management approaches for the prevention of industrial accidents

Development of hybrid-turbocharger technology on marine vessels (2012)

[Fourth year of a four-year project]
The hybrid-turbocharger system was successfully operated on board, and by monitoring it we confirmed that this system can reduce CO2 emissions.

Development of a non-hub-vortex (NHV) propeller that has a minimum surface area (Phase 4)

[Fourth year of a four-year project]
We conducted onboard testing of new NHV propellers, confirmed that vibrations caused no issues, and confirmed energy-saving operations under ballast conditions. In addition, we confirmed energy-saving operations by monitoring a ship under laden condition. We will continue to analyze voyage data and conduct more accurate evaluation and evaluate the effects under several ship-displacement conditions

Logistics Technology

Shock-absorbing solutions using shock-absorbing pallets (Phase 2)

As a result of development and trials of several types of lower-cost shock-absorbing pallets, we got prospects for a cheaper edition that can resist under 2G on a spring and under 3G at a drop test.

Real-time cargo-care system (Phase 2)

We developed a real-time cargo-care system for customers who need to transport environmentally sensitive cargo that can be affected by temperature, humidity, and vibrations (shock) while being transported on land and sea. We will cooperate with NYK Group companies for the trials and hope to be able to sell the system in future.

Measurement and data analysis of temperature and vibrations experienced during transport in dry containers

We obtained valuable data on the temperature and vibrations experienced in dry containers during transport in areas for future customers. We also grasped the characteristics that must be considered in developing transport quality solutions.

Research of element technologies for the logistic control of finished vehicles

We compared several positioning schemes for research on technologies for a real-time location system (RTLS) for finished-vehicles inside warehouses, and found out that ultra-wide band (UWB), image recognition, and gyro-positioning systems are the best possible candidates for establishing an effective RTLS.