Genoa Propulsion Project deals with a number of technologies and devices, including partially submerged propellers, combined together for improving performances and for obtaining substantial reductions of fuel consumptions, CO2 emissions, noise and vibrations on conventional displacing ships (expected EF = 1.2 ÷ 1.5 depending upon the considered performances).

It has been fully conceived and developed by Interprogetti Genoa office where Genoa stands also for Green, Efficient, Noiseless, Odd and Advanced.

Likewise the work done with the partly submerged propellers, no details of this research work can be disclosed here because of various confidential agreements signed with different partners involved in this matter.

The precise knowledge of the performances of a ship, the fuel consumptions in different environmental and operational conditions as well as the deviation of these performances from suitable ideal reference values is of vital importance for ship owners. 

In this regard, Interprogetti Genoa has developed a product allowing the achievement of these goals (EF > 1) in an extremely simple and cheap way.

The mechanical ventilation system for the cargo area of livestock ships is a very important system that if it does not work correctly, can cause serious inconvenience to the animals, if not their death. For this reason it is always designed to assure high flow rates and this implies significant electrical loads with important repercussions on fuel consumption.

Together with Saecon, a Swiss company specialized in in CFD analysis and with a deep experience in this peculiar matter, on the basis of the results obtained in the last years on livestock ships in service through suitable measurements of air flows carried out within cargo areas, we have conceived design procedures and prepared a set of typical construction details of the ships and of the ventilation ducts (particularly the exhaust ducts), which allows to drastically reduce power requirements and, at the same time, to spread more homogeneously the air flow within the cargo area, keeping the number of air changes at the wanted target (EF > 3). Recent applications on a livestock carrier of about 5500 sqm have shown that the auxiliary power during navigation could be reduced of about 20-25% compared to conventional ventilation systems.

Interprogetti Genova has been always dealing with research works with the aim of conceiving products of interest for the reference markets and taking care to characterize the conceived devices with “effectiveness factor” (“EF”) higher than 1 as much a s possible. Click here and discover more research and development work.

Interprogetti has been dealing with partly submerged propellers on displacing ships since the early nineties and is still dealing with this matter to try to exploit the results of such a successful research work on a large scale and several practical applications.

Details of this research work cannot be shown here because of a various confidential agreements signed with different partners involved in this matter but could be disclosed to possible parties interested into this matter providing certain conditions are complied with.

Having noticed the advantages of the suction effect created in way of the middle/trailing area of bulbous bow, Interprogetti Genova has carried out theoretical and experimental investigations with a model of a tanker aimed to replace the bulbous bow with adjustable fins fitted at bow and capable of creating variable lifting effects..

Although the results a number of tests encouraged to continue (EF = 0.98÷1.04) slightly higher than 1), for practical reasons (risk of damage caused by floating objects and anchor chains, structural issues, mechanical complications etc.) it was decided to abandon the venture.

Other interesting results which, however, did not lead to practical applications on ships as they were not considered sufficiently worth by our customers (EF = 0.99÷1.04) where obtained applying appropriate shaped pads on the sides of the bulb as shown in the photo below.

Interprogetti Genova has been always dealing with research works with the aim of conceiving products of interest for the reference markets and taking care to characterize the conceived devices with “effectiveness factor” (“EF”) higher than 1 as much a s possible. Click here and discover more research and development work.