Wind, Whales Feature at Dutch Maritime Awards
The five main Dutch awards for shipping companies, shipyards, students, designers and suppliers were presented on Thursday 6 November. The Wim Timmers Designer Award was presented to Emiel Mobron for his evaluation method for wind propulsion on cargo vessels. Research into the electric submarine won Lieutenant Guus van Fulpen the Van Hengel-Spengler Award, presented by the Royal Netherlands Navy. Dynamic Marine Systems Holland received the Maritime Innovation Award for its AntiRoll stabilising system, while Van Oord from Rotterdam was awarded the KVNR Shipping Award for its offshore installation vessel Aeolus. Last but not least, the KNVTS Ship of the Year was presented to KNRM lifeboat Nh1816, built by Damen Shipyards. All winners are inspiring examples of the innovative strength and added value of the Dutch maritime cluster.
The five winners were announced by the jury chairmen and Ineke Dezentjé Hamming, Chairman of FME, during the Maritime Awards Gala in Zaandam in the presence of over 850 maritime professionals. The Gala also marked the official start of the 2014 Maritime Week, which places the spotlight on the maritime sector as a whole.
Sailing cargo vessels
The winner of the Wim Timmers Design Award is Emiel Mobron for his evaluation method of wind propulsion onboard cargo vessels. With ever rising fuel prices and increasingly strict regulations for emissions, the subject of sail propulsion onboard cargo vessels is gaining attention. Although there are plenty of ideas and designs for sailing systems, there is a lack of sufficient knowledge of and insight into the main measurements of the sailing hull shape; shorter vessels have lower construction costs but a higher resistance, while slimmer hull shapes may sail better but at a cost. What is the best option and how can a return be made on the investment in the rigging? The fact is that everyone wants to save on fuel without paying more for the privilege. To answer these questions, Emiel Mobron combined existing design methods and applied them to variations in hull shape, based on a single type of rigging and cargo.
Best operational innovation by a young student
This year’s jury of the Van Hengel-Spengler Award was again pleasantly surprised by the extremely high level of the submissions. It nonetheless unanimously decided that the thesis ‘Towards a more electric submarine’ by Lieutenant Guus van Fulpen (23) was the best overall. It is crucial that submarines cannot be detected by sonar, which means vessels must be as quiet as possible. As part of his thesis, Lieutenant Van Fulpen carried out research into the applicability of electric actuators for operating large rudder blades. He concluded that electric actuators are fully able to replace the functionality of rudder hydraulics systems, making submarines much quieter. Moreover, these significantly smaller systems result in space savings.
Whales as example
The Maritime Innovation Award of Netherlands Maritime Technology is designed to attract more attention to the innovative strength of the maritime and offshore supply sector and stimulate innovative developments within the maritime cluster. In his design for the AntiRoll stabilizing system, roll damping specialist Arnold van Aken used the whale as model. This is less surprising than it may seem as the whale is the most water-adapted sea mammal in the world. The results were astounding. Tests show, for instance, that the curved AntiRoll high aspect fins generate fifty to seventy per cent less resistance during sailing than conventional systems. As well as benefitting the speed, this resistance reduction also reduces fuel consumption.
Aeolus contributes to Energy Agreement with wind turbines
With its Shipping Award, the Royal Association of Netherlands’ Shipowners (KNVR) illustrates the ways in which shipping is a fascinating sector featuring a wealth of innovations while also focusing on the environment and corporate sustainability, including proper care for ship crews. The award enhances awareness of these aspects and stimulates shipping companies to fall in line. Aeolus by Van Oord is a prime example. The vessel is fully focused on the efficient installation of wind turbines at sea. Tineke Netelenbos, Chairman of the jury, said: “Impressive; no doubt about it. This spectacular vessel marks a great step forward in the Dutch offshore industry and may possibly see a spin-off abroad as well.”
Nh1816 KNVTS Ship of the Year
This prestigious award is awarded and presented annually to a technically innovative ship that was designed and built in the Netherlands or at the foreign facilities of a Dutch company. The lifeboat built by Damen Shipyards meets all these criteria, and offers a variety of innovations and clever applications. It is clear that the lifeboat is the result of thorough research and a design process in close cooperation with the people who go to sea when conditions are at their most extreme, namely the men of the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM). Due to this unique partnership, the final design has been optimized for aspects such as usability in heavy weather, maximum comfort for the crew, performance in bow waves, course stability and safety in stern waves, maneuverability in all conditions and noise levels in the wheelhouse.
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Organisers
The Maritime Awards Gala is organized by the Maritime Awards Foundation, which includes representatives from Netherlands Maritime Technology, KVNR, KNVTS, NISS and the Royal Netherlands Navy. The main sponsors of the Maritime Awards Gala 2014 were NNPC, Damen Shipyards, Wärtsilä Netherlands, Europort, Huisman Equipment and Maritime by Holland.