Fuel reduction by trim variation - CFD, EFD and onboard logging

Research Project, 2020 – 2023

Changing a ship's trim during operation is an operational measure that can provide energy savings of around 5-10%. A barrier to increased use consists of the costly production of the decision support material for the crew. The industry requests knowledge of what new possibilities for this are offered by modern simulation methods and measurements on board. There is also a lack of knowledge about how the optimal trim is affected by limited water depth, which is relevant for a large part of Swedish maritime transport. The project investigates several new methods for developing the decision support, also for limited water depth. A Swedish shipowner makes measurements from ships in operation available at different trims for comparison with simulations. The study will result in guidelines for ship operators for which methods are both correct and cost-effective. The aim is to get more operators to take advantage of this opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport.