At a time when ‘greenships’ are going to become a must according to IMO requirements and looming restrictions against pollution at sea are entering into force, energy saving solutions are recommended. Minimization of environmental impact from ships is expected as a result of applied research in different fields: hull form design and propulsion, hybrid engine technology and fuel cells. The present paper is totally devoted to the reduction of resistance and powering obtained via hydrodynamic solution. Based on the results of thelatest investigations carried out at KSRC, pros and cons of the present level of Air Cavity System (ACS) technology are discussed. Economic advantage yielded by higher propulsion
efficiency on an ACS-fitted ship is demonstrated through application on a standard container ship developed at conceptual design level.Two design solutions, that is, the ‘standard ship’ and the ‘ACS-fitted ship’, are then compared according to criteria such as powering performance, fuel consumption and shipping economics by simulating a round-voyage route.
