LNG-fueled VLCC to Feature Rotor Sail and VOC Recovery System
Hyundai Heavy Industries has received approval in principle for a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) eco-tanker design capable of using a combination of volatile organic compounds (VOC) mixed with LNG as fuel and Norsepower’s rotor sail solution for wind-assisted propulsion.
The VOC recovery system was developed by HHI and will allow the VLCC to use fuel produced from naturally-occurring vapor from the cargo tank during operation.
The design resulted from a joint development project between HHI, Lloyd's Register and Norsepower.
Lloyd's Register granted the approval in principle after verifying the design for interface and control logic stability with other systems. The impact of the installation of Norsepower’s rotor sail solution, such as structural reinforcement and visibility calculation, was reviewed using computational-fluid dynamics, and it was confirmed that it has the potential of providing five to seven percent fuel savings, dependent on operating routes.