ONE, ClassNK Test Roll Damping Tanks on Large Container Ships

Ocean Network Express (ONE) and classification society ClassNK have launched a joint research project to measure the effectiveness of roll damping tanks (RDTs) on large container ships under actual operating and sea conditions.

ONE will provide onboard measurement data from vessels in its fleet, while ClassNK will combine the data with numerical simulations to quantify the tanks' roll reduction performance.

Roll damping tanks reduce a vessel's rolling motion through the controlled movement of liquid within a tank. While the technology has long been used on passenger ships, research vessels and other specialised vessels, its application on container ships has increased in recent years.

The companies said performance on large container ships has so far primarily been assessed through model testing and numerical simulations, with limited full-scale verification using onboard measurements under real operating conditions.

Excessive rolling can increase forces on containers and their securing systems. The research will examine whether optimising roll damping tank performance could improve cargo safety, vessel operations, container stowage efficiency and loading capability.

“We are pleased to work with ONE to verify the effectiveness of RDTs based on data obtained from actual vessel operations. Through the combination of full-scale measurement data and numerical analysis, we aim to contribute to safer and more efficient vessel operations by establishing a reliable basis for evaluating RDT performance under actual operating and sea conditions,” said Kumi Miyashita, ClassNK Corporate Officer.

ONE operates more than 280 vessels with combined capacity exceeding 2.2 million TEUs.