Fuel saving devices for ships, sometimes called energy saving devices, are considered as something new, but some of them have been around for quite a while. Perhaps the most wide-spread and well-known fuel saving device is the bulbous bow made by Hull Vane ®.
The protruding bulb on the bow was first applied in the late nineteenth century, and gathered wider acceptance in the 1920’s. On ships sailing at an appropriate draught and speed-to-length ratio, the bulbous bow is said to reduce resistance by 10 to 12 percent. These days, it’s hard to find a containership, large ferry or cruise ship without a bulbous bow.
