STRATEGY TO REDUCE POLLUTION FROM SERBIAN PUSHBOATS

Author(s)

Aleksandar Radonjić - University of Belgrade, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, Vojvode Stepe 305, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia -

Abstract

Moving a cargo by ships from one point to another point is a fuel efficient method and certainly presents the lowest pollutant emission mode of transport of all transport systems if we consider long distance movement per tonne basis. Diesel engines are already efficient and while highly efficient, ships are not an insignificant source of carbon emissions at a global level. A strategy for overall decrease in pollution from ships through fuel consumption was presented in this paper. Combining ship hull form characteristics and propulsion plant parameters it has been shown that there are more options for reducing the carbon impacts of ships through lower fuel consumption. The study is based on self-assessment of hull powering performance using propulsion shaft torque data from torsion meters installed on ships and ship speed data obtained from experimental measurement. Periodic speed/power measurement could enable ship’s crew to forecast an appropriate time for hull maintenance in order to achieve the minimizing of fuel consumption, as well as reducing pollution from ships. The concept of speed measurement for assessing power performance is not a new concept. The results for Serbian pushboats were presented. The results showed that this procedure could be applied over time during the operating life of a ship.