PRODUCT SOLUTION
ZERO – Air Lubrication System
A penguin glides through the water as if flying through the sky.
Penguins reduce drag in water by releasing microbubbles formed from air trapped in their feathers. These bubbles act as a natural lubricant, reducing resistance as they move through the ocean.
Developed jointly with the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI) of the National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology, ZERO (Zone 0 ESD for hull Resistance Optimized by AdAM) is an innovative air lubrication system that intermittently releases air from blowers through outlets on the bottom of the hull.
This creates a layer of bubbles along the hull surface, reducing the frictional resistance between the hull and seawater.
Toward Greater Energy Efficiency
Air lubrication systems are gaining increasing attention as a technology for improving propulsion efficiency and reducing hull resistance.
With the development and commercialization of our proprietary system ZERO, Nakashima Propeller has adopted a new air release method and outlet design, targeting even greater energy savings than conventional systems. Tests suggest potential resistance reduction effects of approximately 3–10%, depending on draft conditions.
Implementation of Intermittent Air Release
This system adopts an intermittent air release method that introduces air at regular intervals rather than continuously.
The aim is to achieve greater frictional resistance reduction than conventional continuous air release systems.
Recent studies have shown that groups of bubbles released periodically are more effective at reducing resistance than a continuous bubble stream.
By installing a cyclical discharge control unit inside the vessel, the air outlets are sequentially activated, enabling periodic air release along the hull bottom.
Low-Pressure-Loss Air Outlets
To discharge a specified volume of air from the bottom of the hull, the blower must generate a discharge pressure greater than the surrounding seawater pressure at each draft level.
By minimizing pressure loss in the piping system from the blower to the hull outlet, the required blower power can be reduced leading to improved system performance.
The newly developed air outlet design has successfully reduced pressure loss during the formation of a stable air film thickness, achieving better efficiency than conventional outlet models.
