MotorshipTHE

DECEMBER 2011 Informing Shipping Professionals since 1920

Vol. 92 Issue 1088

SET OUT TO SEA WITH

ENERGY-EFFICIENT PUMPS

FROM GRUNDFOS

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The right hull coating can, claim several paintsuppliers, make a real difference to a ship’s fuelconsumption and environmental performance,

through lowering hull resistance, and maintainingsmoothness throughout the life of the coating.

The problem with such claims is how to provetheir validity. It is not difficult to prove that, afterdrydocking and recoating with a new product, fuelconsumption is lowered; that is almost inevitable. Butship operators need to know that the superiorperformance is being maintained.

Norwegian manufacturer Jotun announced earlierthis year (see The Motorship, May 2011) that it wasprepared to guarantee its HPS system by offering to refund the extra cost if the savings were notmaintained within agreed limits throughout a 60-month period. This, according to Jotun, can be provedby analysis of vessel speed, wind, draught and shaft power.

DEMONSTRABLE IMPROVEMENTSJotun has been joined on providing a method ofquantifying claimed improvements by InternationalPaints. International has joined forces with BMT Argossto, as the company puts it, “deliver demonstrable andtransparent improvements in performance, efficiencyand environmental emissions for the globalshipping fleet.”

The partnership is based in International’s foulingcontrol coatings in conjunction with the BMTSmartServices system, to provide a measurablereduction in energy use and CO2 emissions. The BMTsystem is intended to independently monitor andreport the performance of vessels. It is based onBMT’s SmartPower onboard, real-time performancemonitoring and reporting system which acquires andrecords data automatically from ship sensors andprovides ship performance information to the crewand shore based management.

The package combines the BMT system witheither International Intersmooth SPC, which is aself-polishing copolymer biocidal antifouling, claimedto be unique in its formulation and benefits, orIntersleek, International’s latest fluoropolymer foulrelease coating. These benefits include, forIntersmooth SPC, a 4% saving based on observationson some 5,000 drydockings of 50 ships, and forIntersleek, fuel and emission savings of up to 9%,

based on an analysis by Energy & EnvironmentalResearch Associates.

Han Wensink, managing director of BMT Argosssays: “BMT SmartServices will clearly and trans-parently demonstrate any in-service performancechanges when International Paint’s hull coatings havebeen used. Equipped with a user friendly Web basedinterface and drawing on BMT’s 24/7 access to highquality metocean data, the new system can play amajor role in improving operational efficiency of theglobal shipping fleet.”

Paul Robbins, worldwide marine marketing directorat International Paint adds: “We are confident that ourhigh performance biocidal antifoulings and foulrelease coatings when used in conjunction with BMTSmartservices will deliver quantifiable added value forship owner and operators. One of the reasons wepartnered with BMT is that the new system canaccurately determine total performance levels byrecording over 30,000 readings per day, providingcomplete transparency and evidence to owners andoperators of the performance improvements ouradvanced hull coatings technology can deliver. TheBMT system can be installed at newbuilding or as aretro-fit and by utilising International Paint’s and BMT’s

global networks, in-service support will be providedat every stage throughout the life of the coatingand the monitoring system.”

LOW FRICTION FOR FUTURE SHIPSSimilar, or even greater, benefits are claimed byJapanese company Chugoku Marine Paint for its low-friction Seaflo Neo hull paint. The claims havebeen confirmed by ship operator Mitsui OSK Lineswhich has analysed the results of an onboard test ofthe paint applied to a newbuilding vessel, andconfirmed that the new paint offers improvements infuel efficiency compared to other paints. MOL isadopting Seaflo Neo for its environmentally-friendlyshipbuilding programme, known as the Sempaku Ishinnext-generation vessel concept. It is initially beingused on two car carrier newbuildings.

MOL says that the paint will contribute to thereduction of CO2 emissions from its vessels. As frictionbetween the hull and the water accounts for themajority of resistance, reducing friction drag canbe shown to be effective in reducing CO2 emissionsduring vessel operation. The two newbuildingsadopting the new paint are a pair of car carriers, bothof 6,400 standard passenger car unit capacity, built by

Quantifiable resultsfrom hull coatingsSmooth, low-resistance hull coatings are being offered to the market as ways of saving fuel costs and cutting harmfulemissions in addition to their traditional anti-fouling role; but, we ask, is it possible to prove the benefits of using a premium coating?

MOL’s ‘Brilliant Ace’, which has demonstrated the benefits of Seaflo Neo

Deliver demonstrableand transparent improvements in performance, efficiencyand environmentalemissions for theglobal shipping fleet

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shipowners have set their own environmental targetsin an effort to reduce CO2 emissions. But, findingeffective ways to meet these targets can be achallenge, and that’s where Hempel’s completefouling control concept can help.”

At a previous drydocking, the five VLCCs were coatedwith a standard fouling release silicone product.During the current conversion, Hempasil Nexus X-Tend,a tiecoat for repair and touch-up, will be an integratedpart of the new paint system. “Nexus X-Tend makesusing Hempasil X3 as simple as using a conventionalanti-fouling coating,” says Rasmussen. “In the past,spot repair was time consuming and complex andoften led to substandard results, such as poor adhesionbetween coats.”

TEN YEAR COATING WARRANTYAnother hull coating with a warranty comes from theBelgian brand Ecospeed. In this case, it is durabilitythat is guaranteed, with a 10-year period covered,

though Ecospeed believes the paint should last thelifetime of the ship.

The paint is often applied to rudders as well as hullsurfaces, and Ecospeed claims a reference list of over70 full underwater hulls and 135 rudders. The paint isdescribed as an environmentally safe underwater hullcoating system which improves a ship’s performanceand provides it with long-term protection. Thecompany says it is easy to apply, provides superiorprotection, offers a smooth surface for hydrodynamicoptimisation and minimizes long term maintenanceof the underwater surfaces. Ecospeed’s improvedhydrodynamic characteristics result in increasedfuel efficiency. This has been shown in several cruisevessel applications, where the Ecospeed-coated shipsare able to run at normal speeds with reducedpropulsion power.

Among the successful case studies reported by thecompany is the Antarctic research ship RRS ErnestShackleton, to which Ecospeed hull coating wasapplied in October 2009. A 2011 drydocking showedthat, despite having operated in 2.5m ice on severaloccasions, the coating was mostly intact with onlysmall areas of touch-up required. Some parts of theunderwater surfaces, including the rudder, had beenpainted with traditional coatings rather than Ecospeed,and the drydocking showed these areas to havesuffered severe corrosion and mechanical damage.

Hamburg-based operator Ernst Russ has a fleet offive 1999-built ro-ro ships, on which the rudders hada history of cavitation damage, said to result fromhigher than average propeller speeds. Standard epoxycoatings proved inadequate, and exhibited damagein the first intermediate docking, two or three yearsafter launch.

One of the ships, the Elisabeth Russ, receivedEcospeed coating on her rudder as an experimentduring a 2004 docking. Despite receiving only twocoats, and less preparation than recommended, thetrial is reported to have been entirely successful, withthe coating holding firm in 2007, and still intact whenthe ship was docked again in 2011. All five ships nowhave Ecospeed applied to the rudder blades, withhighly satisfactory results.

Grzegorz Girjat, superintendent at Ernst Russ,reports: “I would say for me it is quite clear. Had we

German filter supplier Armaturen-Wolff says thatit has developed, with a partner company, asuperior method of protecting seawater filtersagainst corrosion.

Galvanic corrosion protection is commonlyapplied to low-budget filter systems, where thezinc coating from hot-dip galvanising serves as asacrificial anode. This has the disadvantage of alimited life; the zinc will locally dissolve within afew years. The use of corrosion-resistant alloys isa highly satisfactory, though expensive, solution,which because of the cost is normally used for thefilter element only.

Armaturen-Wolff says that it can offer anothersolution, namely an FBE (fusion-bonded epoxy)powder coating. The filter is sand-blasted andwashed before being sprayed with epoxy powderat a controlled temperature, to a film thickness of

250-500m. The smooth sealed surface preventsencrustation by salts and organic substance, andremains effective as long as the layer remainsintact.

For an even longer lifetime, Armaturen-Wolffoffers a 4.0mm thick hard rubber lining, which isdirectly vulcanised onto the filter. The companyclaims that the lifetime can equal the economicallife of the vessel itself, and because of the long lifeand low maintenance requirement the cost canprove highly competitive.

The rubber lining is bonded to the filter after alledges and weld seams have been rounded off,with no cavities or large pores. After sandblastingand application of a bonding agent, the liningmaterial is cut to size and fitted into the filter,before the entire filter is put into an autoclave for curing.

Corrosion protection for seawater filters

One of Vale’s VLOCs being coated with Hempasil X3 over theoriginal coating and the yellow coloured tie-coat Nexus X-Tend

Belgian Navy vessel, after sailing for five years withEcospeed coating on the underwater hull surfaces

Minaminippori Shipbuilding. The Brilliant Ace wascompleted in March 2011, and the Eternal Ace fourmonths later.

The main characteristic of Seaflo Neo is said to bethe high smoothness of their paint film surface, theresult of a newly developed low-viscosity hydrolysedpolymer. The ultra-smooth finish is intended tominimise friction drag, improving fuel efficiency by3% to 5% compared to an identical vessel with aconventional hull coating. Seaflo Neo is claimed to bevery low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), amajor source of air pollution.

ANTIFOULING FOR CONVERSIONSDanish company Hempel is currently supplying150,000 litres of its third generation fouling releasecoating, Hempasil X3, as part of a five-vessel con-version project for Brazilian mining giant Vale.

Five of Vale’s VLCCs are being converted to verylarge ore carriers (VLOCs) at the Yulian and HuraungDan Dong shipyards in China. The first Ore Itaquia, wascompleted in October at Yulian while the second wascompleted at the same yard in November.

“The shipping industry is facing increasing pressurefrom governments and legislative authorities to reducegreenhouse gas emissions,” says Torben Rasmussen,group product manager at Hempel. “In response, many

Many shipownershave set their ownenvironmental targetsin an effort to reduceCO2 emissions

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not applied Ecospeed on the rudders, we wouldcertainly have extensive work to do in drydock.”

Among other users of Ecospeed is the Belgian Navy,which has found the paint to last well with only a fewtouch-ups needed at drydocking. Among the BelgianNavy vessels using Ecospeed are the mine hunterM915 Lobelia, which was coated in 2006, and threetugs, two of which were also coated in 2006 and athird, A950 Valcke, which has now been sailing withEcospeed for over five years. The company points outthat Naval ships can spend long idle periods betweenoperations, allowing fouling to build up. As Ecospeed'sproperties prevent fouling from penetrating thesurface, and allow easy cleaning, the optimumaverage hull roughness will be regained after eachcleaning because surface integrity is maintained.

TRADITIONAL ANTIFOULINGFor owners looking for a traditional antifouling, PPGProtective & Marine Coatings has launched its high-activity Sigma Nexeon 750 antifouling product, whichis claimed to deliver optimum protection againsthard fouling and whitening, with good performancecharacteristics and reduced environmental impact.

Nexeon 750 is said to provide a solution to thechallenge of keeping a ship’s underwater hull cleanfrom discoloration and/or fouling pick-ups while it

is stationary in seawater. With prolonged outfittingperiods for newbuildings such as LNG carriers, FPSOs,offshore support ships and drill ships, there is anincreasing demand for vessels to look clean and notincur extensive costs on cleaning the underwaterhull before delivery. Nexeon 750 is a copper-free,high-activity antifouling based on self-polishing binder

technology. It is said to be particularly suitable forstatic and low-activity vessels, both at new build andproviding consistent polishing even in stationaryservice conditions.

Nexeon 750 is usually recommended in combinationwith the existing Sigma Coatings antifouling productrange, as a final antifouling coat.

Orkot® Marine Bearings is a leading brand of composite bearings forboth Merchant and Naval vessels world-wide. Holding more than 30Classification Society Approvals for use in rudders, stabilisers andwater lubricated propeller shaft bearings; Orkot® is also fitted in awide variety of ships equipment including cranes, hatches, life boatlaunchers, docking and mooring systems.

Our TLMM and TXMM materials are available for dry running or forgrease, water or oil lubrication.

Benefits:• Low Coefficient of Friction • Long Wear Life• High Edge Loading Capability • Tolerant to Misalignment • Dry Running • No Lubrication Required

www.orkotmarine.comenquiries@orkotmarine.com tel: +44 1709 789828

The rudder of the 'Friedrich Russ' before Ecospeed wasapplied, showing cavitation damage

Grzegorz Girjat, superintendent at Ernst Russ, shows thestate of the rudder of the 'Elisabeth Russ' in drydock in

2011; the original cavitation pitting from before the originalEcospeed application is still visible but no further cavitation

damage has occurred in the intervening seven years

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