South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has unveiled an energy-saving device that it says will help lower vessels' operational costs with improved speed and reduced fuel consumption. The 'Pre-swirl Stator' was first installed on H.5297, a Kristen-owned VLCC with a capacity of 320,000 deadweight tonnes. A sea trial showed the stator helped increase the VLCC's speed by 0.2 knot and reduced fuel consumption by 4%, DSME said. The stator is placed in front of the propeller and works by improving the inflow angles to the propeller, thus maximising propeller efficiency.
The device will be installed on approximately 20 vessels including VLCCs and container ships.
The device will be installed on approximately 20 vessels including VLCCs and container ships.