IDEA:
L1-63 - Concept design of eco-friendly wind powered bulk carrier – Gary Muwalt

PILLAR:
C - Waterborne

RESEARCH AREA:
RA2 - Vehicles & Vessels Technologies, Design and Production

TEAM NAME:
Piksel Navigator

TEAM MEMBERS:
Andrzej Rachwalik (Team leader)
Jakub Klajna
Piotr Dąbrowski
Joanna Kapczyńska
Natalia Krzyżanowska


UNIVERSITY:
Technical University of Gdansk

COUNTRY:
POLAND

ABSTRACT:
Throughout the centuries people have been transported cargo by ships. Great sailing ships, at which white sails beauty everyone looks. There were ages of an amazing civilization's progress. Few centuries ago, the sails application was an efficient propulsion method. Howeverm nowadays with improvement of technology we ought to come back to the idea of the sails. Moreover, increasing oil prices should direct shipping industry into that path. Therefore, our team would like to present an eco-friendly bulk carrier powered by sails.The purpose of the research is to create an eco-friendly bulk carrier powered by sails. Unit will be also powered by the LNG engine. This would give us a "double efficient system". Our goal is to create an sustainable mean of transportation. But how to achieve it? How to reduce the usage of fossil fuels. and minimaze gas emission? The answer is: by using a free energy power, which will be produced by sails and the wind. Due to this, we will be able to move iron king of the seas. Although, the cost of the sail installation will increase a total cost of the vessel, the fuel reduction will be an advantage for the owner. We suppose that total cost of several sails will pay off within 5 years. There are two factors which indicate on it. First one is the wind- and renewable source of energy. The second aspect is that LNG is cheaper than oil. Our aim is to design bulk carrier with efficient system of sails; compare the forces, which act on the ship and move the unit forward. We also want to check its efficiency.
One of the major reasons why we are interested in this waterborne topic, is that our team consists of people who love nature and sailing. As young engineers we know that it is crucial to take care about the environment issues and we will try to change people's attitude towards it. We would like to create a better world, more healthy and less unspoiled. We believe that to make this goal happen we need a team of talented and creative people with passion.
Another aspect, which we took into consideration were European Union regulation. Last year the EU changed a law for carbon dioxide emission in the area of Baltic Sea. It had a strong impact on owners. They had to redesign their vessels and install expensive scrubbers. In the future the environmental regulations for commercial ships will be stricter. The idea of our group is to design a modern bulk carrier, which will be eco-friendly for everyone: owners, people, nature and sailors. Sustainability is the key to success.
Resuming this abstact we would like to quote William Arthur Ward:
"The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails."
We are optimist and we are the new wind of change!!
