Eco Marine Power and Nakashima Propeller Cooperate on Composites

As part of its ongoing Aquarius Eco Ship Project, Eco Marine Power and Nakashima Propeller will explore the further use of carbo-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass-fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) for ship structures and other maritime applications.

Eco Marine Power will also investigate the use of CFRP propellers to improve energy efficiency and reduce underwater noise created by ship propulsion systems.

CFRP & GFRP are composite materials that can offer a versatile and efficient solution for a range of ship structures by providing a balance of strength, lightness, and tailored properties to meet specific application requirements, says Eco Marine Power. The first application that the partners are jointly are working on is the design, manufacture and installation of composite material solar panel mounting frames for use onboard a bulk cargo ship. The project has already commenced, and these frames are scheduled to be installed on a ship within the next six months and thereafter made available for future ship solar power projects.

The two companies also aim to use composite material technology from Nakashima propeller for the sail structure for Eco Marine Power’s patented wind-assisted propulsion device - the EnergySail®.

In 2015, Nakashima Propeller won the Prime Minister’s Prize at the sixth Monozukuri Nippon Grand Awards for developing the world’s first CFRP propeller for merchant ships to realize energy savings. Because CFRP is both lighter and stronger than conventional nickel aluminum bronze material, both propeller weight and moment of inertia are lower, reducing torsional vibration stress.