Work on the first full-scale application of the Hull Vane - on a Wagenborg Shipping vessel - is steadily progressing. The tank testing phase has been completed. The tests at the Aker Arctic ice tank in Helsinki, to determine the loading on the Hull Vane in ice-covered waters, have also been completed. The loads on the Hull Vane are basically determined by those in waves - not by those in ice. Extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses are now being carried out to determine the geometry of the final configuration to be adopted and built. This phase is to be followed by extensive Finite Element Analyses of the strength and stiffness of the detailed structure, which is yet to be designed. This work needs to be completed during 2009. Backing tests with model fitted with Hull Vane in the Aker Arctic ice tank.
After the basic work carried out for the Wagenborg Shipping container vessel "Rijnborg" was completed work commenced to develop a prototype Hull Vane for the A-Class Wagenborg vessels. A series of model tests were carried out at Marin for this purpose, in conjunction with a series of CFD analyses carried out by ourselves. Tests have also been scheduled at Aker Arctic to test the model in ice to determine the loads on the Hull Vane structure in ice-covered waters. If the results of this research is sufficiently promising (and the loads in ice-covered waters on the Hull Vane acceptable) the final structure will be designed and the Hull Vane built and fitted.
The Hull Vane project is advancing according to plan. After the feasibility of the concept was proven in 2004-2005, Wagenborg Shipping and ourselves formed a partnership and we approached the Dutch Governement Agency SenterNovem about a subsidy to assist in paying for a prototype application. We were awarded this subsidy in June 2006. The first phase of the detailed research required to determine the performance of the Hull Vane for retrofit applications has started. This comprises a number of resistance and propulsion tests in calm water and a major test programme in waves, all being carried out by Marin. The tests in waves were completed in February 2007. These tests reveal that the thrust produced by the Hull vane in realistic wave conditions is up to 20% higher than in calm water. These tests also allowed for the determination of the maximum loading on the Hull Vane. This loading value will now be used to optimize the construction of the device.
Application of the Hull Vane to ships other than with a pram-type stern is to be researched later, while in 2008 research will be carried out aimed at developing a new type of stern (for new builds) in which the Hull Vane is integrated in an optimum way to yield even a better performance. Application of the Hull Vane to ships other than with a pram-type stern is to be researched later as well.
Although the first stage of our Hull Vane project has not yet been completed, an encouraging result was recently obtained while testing a first concept in the tank on a model of a container vessel. The decrease in model resistance was found to be 7.5%, with a predicted decrease of the full-scale resistance, after correction for scale effects, amounting to well over 10%.
This first concept was developed on the basis of extensive CFD studies. These studies, and associated preliminary model testing, have pin-pointed the possibility of much greater performance improvements, with the finding that the Hull Vane is capable of developing a thrust of up to 15% of that developed by the propeller. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was instrumental in pin-pointing the underlying working principles associated with the Hull Vane and work will continue to develop this concept to a meaningful device for application on merchant ships.