As part of its ongoing Aquarius Eco Ship Project, Eco Marine Power is to explore with Nakashima Propeller, the further use of carbo-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) for ship structures & other maritime applications. Eco Marine Power will also investigate the use of CFRP propellers to improve energy efficiency & 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. The first application that Eco Marine Power & Nakashima Propeller 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 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®.
Greg Atkinson, President & Chief Technology Officer at Eco Marine Power commented, “The innovative development work related to composite materials already undertaken by Nakashima Propeller combined with cutting edge development projects being undertaken by Eco Marine Power, will open up a range of new applications for this technology onboard ships and for other maritime applications”.
The project related to solar panel mounting frame kits made from composite materials has already commenced and these frames are scheduled to be installed on a ship within the next 6 months and thereafter made available for future ship solar power projects.
 and glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) for ship structures & other maritime applications. Eco Marine Power will also investigate the use of CFRP propellers to improve energy efficiency & reduce underwater noise created by ship propulsion systems.){kind=link}