Nature-inspired propulsion system
The nature-inspired ship propulsion system makes travel cheaper & reduces environmental impact.
Present-day ship may consume as much energy as 20000 average Finnish households do on a given day! The propulsion system of a ship accounts for an immense chunk of that fuel consumption, and loses around 40% energy. Our team's challenge was to make huge energy savings in ships a reality. To achieve this, we designed and developed a novel ship propulsion system, which emulates the wave-like natural movement of a dolphin's tail. Scientific studies have predicted that this next generation nature-inspired propulsion mechanism will save up to 30% more energy than existing systems, resulting in tremendous environmental benefit. In addition, ship travel costs are expected to be reduced by a significant amount for the global community. The preliminary test results of our patent-pending design were promising, which makes it potentially the next giant leap in propulsion technology. This student project has been operated in partnership with ABB marine.