hullvane | Chuck Hill's CG Blog

Below is a news release from Hull Vane. Not the first time I have passed along the reports of success with this adaptation and the suggestion that the Coast Guard should look at this.

Hull Vane and TotalEnergies conducted a pilot project by installing a Hull Vane^® on one of the company’s chartered Fast Support Vessels (FSVs) in order to reduce the CO₂ emissions. Following successful sea trials, which confirmed the predicted savings in fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions, and having used the Hull Vane^® for several months in operation, TotalEnergies confirms the fuel saving of 11% in general.

The pilot project was done on Ava J McCall, a 59m (194 ft) Fast Support Vessel owned by Seacor Marine, and designed by Incat Crowther. The vessel is in operation in West-Africa, transporting goods and personnel to the oil fields offshore Nigeria. Ava J McCall is powered by five waterjets, with a combined propulsion power of just over 10.000 kW. Hydrodynamic studies at Hull Vane showed that the Hull Vane^® would save around 10% in fuel consumption at the ship’s typical operating speeds of between 15 to 25 knots. The Hull Vane^®, built in the Netherlands, was shipped to Ivory Coast where it was installed during Ava J McCall’s scheduled maintenance period in late 2022.

The Naval Architects of Incat Crowther USA took care of the structural integration of the Hull Vane^®. The Hull Vane^® is placed underneath the waterjets, and does not increase the draft, the beam or the length of the vessel. Upon completion, DP trials showed no effect on the Dynamic Positioning Capabilities of the vessel, which has DP-2 notation.

Once in operation, the fuel consumption data was compared with the measurements after the last dry-docking, a year ago, to eliminate the effect of cleaning and re-painting the hull. Ava J McCall now consumes 14% less at 16 knots and 9% less at 21 knots. This is a bit higher and very close to the CFD predicted results. Over a full year, the CO₂ reduction provided by the Hull Vane^® on Ava J McCall amounts to 650 tons. That’s 250.000 litres of diesel less consumed per year.

“We are constantly looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations, and when we found out about Hull Vane^®, our interest was raised,” said David Flajolet, Marine Specialist at TotalEnergies. The pilot project we did with Hull Vane^® has been a success; contrary to most of the decarbonizing systems on board vessels, Hull Vane^® does not require active management from the crew and this is a key point for us. Its ability to be retrofitted for a limited cost and technical complexity make the solution a quick win for TotalEnergies. Further to the return of experience with the Ava J Mc Call, it has been decided to make it mandatory on the future Call for Tender for FSIVs in Nigeria.

Niels Moerke, CEO of Hull Vane BV: “There are now six FSV’s operating with Hull Vanes worldwide, and on all of them, savings have been proven to exceed 10% over their operational profile. It has been a real pleasure to work with TotalEnergies, and we are delighted with this solid endorsement of our solution. We think that TotalEnergies is right that oil majors should take the initiative to apply Hull Vane^® in the offshore market. Hull Vane^® is probably the easiest way for oil majors to reduce their operational CO₂emissions without impacting their actual operation. With relative short payback periods ranging from one to three years for these kinds of vessels, it’s also a risk-free investment. We look forward to design and build the Hull Vanes for other FSVs in the fleet chartered by TotalEnergies

HNLMS Zeeland (P841) Source: kees torn

Naval News reports that the Dutch Navy is going to install a Hull Vane device on the stern of a Holland Class Offshore Patrol Vessel, HNLMS Zeeland (P841), during its next major maintenance . This is a large offshore patrol vessel, almost as large as the Offshore Patrol Cutter or the Bertholf class NSCs. Perhaps significantly, like the NSCs, it has a stern ramp.

The Hull Vane is an 11-meter-wide hydrofoil installed below the stern of the ship. The biggest advantage is the 10% fuel saving it provides. With a reduced resistance, the ship can also achieve a higher top speed with the same engine power. In addition, the modification ensures a reduced wake and therefore fewer waves. This is tactically important, because the ship is less visible from the air.

In addition to the tactical and cost-saving advantages, there is also an operational gain: the Hull Vane means that the aft deck fluctuates less and the helicopter deck is more stable. This makes it easier for the helicopter to land. RHIB boats can also more easily embark and disembark on the slipway. Finally, the modification reduces slamming and therefore increases the comfort for passengers.

If this does half of what is claimed, it would be worth looking into. I’m sure the Dutch would be happy to share their results. We have talked about this innovation a number of times. Here in 2015 after initial studies and modeling. Here in 2017 after a conference presentation. Finally in 2018 after a French patrol vessel was fitted with the device. Results of that modification included a “comparison with the benchmark sea trials – conducted in January in exactly the same conditions – by CMN’s sea trial team showed a reduction in fuel consumption of 18% at 12 knots, 27% at 15 knots and 22% at 20 knots. The top speed increased from 19.7 knots to 21 knots.”

There is a lot of good information in these earlier post and the associated comments.

French OPV Themis fitted with Hullvane. Source: https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/mv-themis-hull-vane-retrofit-improves-opvs-performance/

Hull Vane hydrofoil solution integrated on a Holland-class OPV model (Credit: Dutch Ministry of Defense)

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“Dutch Navy To Test Hull Vane Hydrofoil On HNLMS Zeeland OPV” –Naval News