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CleanTechnica1 day ago

Air Lubrication For Ships Is Real. The Air Still Isn’t Free.

Key Takeaway

The development of engine-supported air lubrication for ships highlights that while drag reduction offers fuel savings, the energy cost of generating the air remains a critical factor for overall efficiency and emissions reduction.

AI Summary

  • Air lubrication for ships, a known drag-reduction method, is being advanced by Everllence and Silverstream with a new 'Engine Supported Air Lubrication' concept.
  • The core innovation focuses on the *source* of the compressed air, implying a critical energy efficiency consideration for ship operators and large power consumers in the maritime sector.
  • The article emphasizes that despite drag reduction, the energy required to generate the air is not negligible, requiring careful cost-benefit analysis for fuel savings and emissions reductions.

Topics

emissionsoem

Article Content

The interesting part of Everllence and Silverstream’s Engine Supported Air Lubrication concept is not that ships can reduce drag by pushing air under the hull. That has been known for decades, and commercial systems are already in service. The interesting part is where the air comes from, because air lubrication’s ... [continued] The post Air Lubrication For Ships Is Real. The Air Still Isn’t Free. appeared first on CleanTechnica .