As the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has become an important issue, measures and devices to reduce energy consumption are in increasing demand. In this study, the potential energy saving due to the application of air lubrication technology in merchant ships is analyzed. We propose a simplified empirical model, covering three different air lubrication technologies, based on the experimental results and assumptions taken in the existing studies. The bottom surface area covered with air is important for the efficiency of the air lubrication system, according to the sensitivity analysis. From the global fleet analysis, net-percentage power saving varies according to the operational profile as well as the technology. Net-percentage power savings of 2–5% from air bubble, 8–14% from air layer, and 16–22% from air cavity technology were obtained assuming calm-water conditions. The methodology can be adopted in early design stage and fleet-wide analyses of various energy-saving measures.

随着减少温室气体排放成为一个重要问题，减少能源消耗的措施和装置的需求越来越大。本研究分析了商船应用空气润滑技术的潜在节能效果。基于现有研究中的实验结果和假设，我们提出了一个简化的经验模型，涵盖三种不同的空气润滑技术。根据敏感性分析，被空气覆盖的底部表面积对于空气润滑系统的效率非常重要。根据全球机队分析，净节电百分比根据运行状况和技术的不同而变化。气泡净节能百分比为 2-5%，空气层净节能百分比为 8-14%，假设平静的水面条件下，通过气腔技术获得了 16-22% 的效率。该方法可用于早期设计阶段和对各种节能措施的全机队分析。