J. Marine Sci. Appl.

(2012) 11: 301-304

DOI: 10.1007/s11804-012-1136-z

Micro-bubble Drag Reduction on

a High Speed Vessel Model
Yanuar1*, Gunawan1, Sunaryo1 and A. Jamaluddin2
1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Indonesia, Jakarta 16424, Indonesia
2. Indonesian Hydrodynamic Laboratory, Surabaya 60111, Indonesia

Abstract: Ship hull form of the underwater area strongly influences the resistance of the ship. The major factor
in ship resistance is skin friction resistance. Bulbous bows, polymer paint, water repellent paint (highly
water-repellent wall), air injection, and specific roughness have been used by researchers as an attempt to
obtain the resistance reduction and operation efficiency of ships. Micro-bubble injection is a promising
technique for lowering frictional resistance. The injected air bubbles are supposed to somehow modify the
energy inside the turbulent boundary layer and thereby lower the skin friction. The purpose of this study was to
identify the effect of injected micro bubbles on a navy fast patrol boat (FPB) 57 m type model with the
following main dimensions: L=2 450 mm, B=400 mm, and T=190 mm. The influence of the location of micro
bubble injection and bubble velocity was also investigated. The ship model was pulled by an electric motor
whose speed could be varied and adjusted. The ship model resistance was precisely measured by a load cell
transducer. Comparison of ship resistance with and without micro-bubble injection was shown on a graph as a
function of the drag coefficient and Froude number. It was shown that micro bubble injection behind the
mid-ship is the best location to achieve the most effective drag reduction, and the drag reduction caused by the
micro-bubbles can reach 6%–9%.
Keywords: ship model test; micro-bubble injection; drag reduction; high speed vessel model
Article ID: 1671-9433(2012)03-0301-04

1 Introduction1 that the decrease in the bubble size according to the

Ship resistance reduction has been one of the major targets
of research and development by naval architects for a long
time. Resistance characteristics are principal aspects of the
ship design spiral as they are strongly coupled with speed
and fuel economy and, consequently, the operating and
cost efficiencies of the vessel. Micro bubbles present one
of the most promising methods for the reduction of skin
friction resistance. Documented drag reduction techniques
include electrolysis induced micro-bubbles, reported by
McCormick and Bhattacharyya (1973). The survey of
Latorre and Bablenko (1998) showed that the reduction in
the local skin friction is sensitive to the bubble orientation
on the surface. Madavan et al. (1985) carried out an
experiment using the boundary layer of the test section
wall of a water tunnel with injection of air from a porous
plate. The result showed that the injection of
micro-bubbles in the turbulent boundary layer of a flat
plate can reduce the drag by 15%–80%. The bubble size
and location of the injection points are important
parameters in the persistence of drag reduction. The
relationship between the bubble size and the drag reduction
was examined by Kato et al. (1994). The results showed
Received date: 2011-07-12.
Foundation item: Supported by the Directorate for Research and
Community Service, University of Indonesia (RUUI Research Laboratory
2010), Jakarta, Indonesia.
*Corresponding author Email: yanuar@eng.ui.ac.id
© Harbin Engineering University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
increase in the main flow velocity wascaused a larger
reduction rate of skin friction. Experiments by Watanabe
and Shirose (1998) and Takahashi et al. (2001) indicated
that air lubrication did not persist over length/time scales.
Micro-bubble drag reduction for a flat plate and low speed
vessel has been investigated by many researchers. Kato et al.
(1998) used a tanker model for experimentation and showed
that the bottom air film escapes around the hull sides
without the use of longitudinal air guards set at the bilge.
For tankers and barges with moderate length to beam L/B
hulls, the bottom air covers a large percentage of the wetted
surface. Latorre et al. (2003) investigated a micro-bubbles
influence on a fast catamaran type boat and concluded that a
drag reduction of about 6% occurred. The possibilities of
micro-bubble drag reduction in high speed vessels require a
development procedure for drag reduction performance. As
a contribution to developing a high-speed micro-bubble drag
reduction system for high speed vessels, this study aims to
present the comparative results from an Indonesian Navy
patrol boat (FPB 57) model with and without micro-bubbles
on the bottom hull sides. The purpose of this study is to
identify the effect of the injected micro bubbles on reducing
total resistance. A boat model with dimensions of L = 2 450
mm, B = 400 mm, and T = 190 mm is used. The influence of
the location micro-bubble injection and bubble velocity are
also investigated.
302 Yanuar, et al. Micro-bubble Drag Reduction on a High Speed Vessel Model

2 Experimental set-ups
A series of model tests were conducted in a basin. The basin
had a length of 50 m and width of 40 m, and the water depth
was maintained at a constant depth of 2 m. The experiments
were conducted for a Froude number of up to 0.65. The
model was connected to the load cell transducer at a point
located amidships and vertically above the base line,
allowing the model to move freely in the vertical plane.
Total resistance was measured for each run over the test
range of Froude numbers. In the resistance tests, the ship
model was pulled by a wire rope and the total longitudinal
force acting on the model was measured for various speeds.
During the measuring run the ship model was free to heave
and pitch. Fig. 1 shows the experimental setup in the basin.

Fig. 1 Experimental set-up

This set-up consisted of the ship models, electric motor, data

interface, camera, load cell anemometer, and compressor.
The comparison of the total drag between ship models with
micro-bubbles and without micro-bubbles injection was
analyzed. The model test was conducted in order to have the
total resistance values of the ship model (RT) at various
velocity conditions (V). During the model test experiments,
the model ship was pulled by an electric motor that was
designed so that motor rotation could be used to pull the ship
model with a constant speed. Pull force was measured by
using a load cell transducer. The load cell was affixed to the
ship model and connected to the rope pullers. The load cell
was mounted on the amidships of the model. Towing rope
was connected to an electric motor whose speed could be set
and adjusted. The load cell gauge was connected to a data
Fig. 2 Lines plan and positioning bubble injector
interface to obtain the pull force when the ship was pulled.
Bubble injection was positioned at around the mid ship
bottom. Distance between the bubble injectors was varied by 3 Test analyses
5 cm. Froude’s hypothesis and similarity law is followed in the
extrapolation of the resistance test results. According to
Fig. 2 shows the lines plan for test model. The bubble Froude’s hypothesis the resistance of a ship (or of its model)
injectors are placed behind the mid-ship. Positions varied can be split up into two independent components; one (the
from position 1, position 2, and position 3. These positions viscous component) is proportional to the (frictional)
were investigated and compared regarding the influence of resistance of a flat plate of the same length and wetted
micro-bubble injection. Position 1 was 5 cm in front of the surface when towed at the same speed, and another
midship position 2 was exactly at midship, and position 3 resistance component follows Froude’s similarity law.
was 5 cm behind the midship. The nozzle diameter was the
same as that with the bubble diameter of about 0.5 mm.
The total resistance coefficient can be defined as:

CT  Cr  (1  k )C f (1)
Journal of Marine Science and Application (2012) 11: 301-304 303

where CT is the coefficient of total resistance, Cr the
coefficient of residual resistance, Cf the coefficient of
friction resistance, and (1+k) the form factor.
The form factor “1+k” is determined experimentally at very
low speed or low Froude numbers (Fr<0.2), where Cr must
become negligible. The ITTC (2002) and Bertram (2000)
recommended applying Prohaska's method, described as:
CT  1  k  CF  a Fr n (2)
At low speed, Fr<0.2, is assumed to be a function of Fr4, the
straight line plot of CT/CF versus Fr4/CF will intersect the
ordinate (Fr=0) at (1+k), enabling the form factor to be
determined. Flat plate friction resistance (CF) is estimated
with a reasonable precision using ITTC-57.
From the experimental towing test results, for the models,
the total resistance coefficient CT has been calculated as:
RT
CT  (3)
0.5 SV 2
where ρ is water density and S the wetted area of the ship
hull.
The Froudes number and Reynolds number are defined as
V performance. The resistance coefficient ratio for position 3
Fr  (4)
gL
VL
Re  (5)
v
where V is the speed of the ship, L the length of the ship, g
acceleration of gravity, and ν the kinematic viscosity of
water.
micro-bubble, injection has a value of CT, which is relatively
higher at low speeds. When the Froude number increases
further, Fr>0.46, in a certain range of values of CT smaller
than the ship model without micro bubbles. The effects can
be seen in the micro-bubble injection at high Froude
numbers where the turbulent flow drag coefficient of
resistance is smaller. On the other hand, it was found that the
value of CT depends on the position of the bubble injector. It
appears that the ship model with bubble injection at position
3, has a smallest value of CT. This result agrees well with the
experimental work of Kodama et al. (2000) at a circulating
water tunnel. In that study it was found that the skin friction
reduction was much greater when the position of bubbles
was located at the rear. It can be concluded that the injector
position has an effect on the value of the resistance
coefficient. The dashed line indicates the resistance
coefficient of a flat plate.
Fig. 4 shows the total resistance coefficient ratio as a
function of air thickness. The horizontal axis is the rate of
air ejection in terms of the air layer thickness. As the flux of
injected air increases, the total resistance coefficient
decreases. The effective air layer thickness is 4 mm because
in this area the ship model speed is 4 m/s and has the best
is slightly higher than for position 2 and position 1. This
indicates that position 3 is the best position to reduce the
total resistance that occurred.

The micro-bubble characteristics can be determined by the

following formulas. The air layer thickness is:
Q
ta  a (6)
BaV
where Qa is the injected air rate, Ba the width of the slot, and
V the velocity of ship model. Drag reduction is obtained by:
CT  CTO
DR (%)   100% (7) Fig. 3 Total resistance coefficient of ship with and without
CTO
micro bubble
where CTO is the total coefficient resistance without
micro-bubble injection and CT is the total coefficient
resistance with micro bubbles.

4 Results and discussion

A comparison with the micro bubbles and without the micro
-bubbles applied to the ship model was made to evaluate the
resistance characteristics as shown in Figs. 3–5.

Fig. 3 shows the relationship between the total resistance

coefficient and Froude number for vessels with micro
bubbles and without micro bubbles. The ship model with
injected micro bubbles will be varied for 3 variations of Fig. 4 Relationship between total coefficient ratio and air
injector positioning. It appears that the ship model with thickness
304
Fig. 5 Relationship between drag reduction and Froude
number
Fig. 5 shows the drag reduction that occurred. It is clear that
drag reduction for position 3 is greater than position 1 and
position 2. The drag reduction starts at a Froude number of
about 0.34 (V=22 kn). As the Froude number increases, drag
reduction also increases. An effective drag reduction of up to
9% at Fr=0.55 (V=25 kn) can be gained for this study.
5 Conclusions
Considering the experimental model test results to evaluate
the micro-bubble drag reduction on a high speed vessel, the
following conclusions can be stated; micro-bubble
application to ships is found to have a positive influence on
ship resistance. The application of micro-bubbles can reduce
the ship resistance significantly for a high speed vessel. The
test results show that an effective drag reduction of up to 9%
at Fr=0.55 (V = 25 kn) can be achieved. The air flow rate
and location of the injection position are significant for
achieving the maximum drag reduction. Micro-bubble
injection behind the mid-ship is the best location for
effective drag reduction. It is expected that more work will
be carried out in order to gain further understanding on this
topic, in order to apply the method to full-scale ships.
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Yanuar received his B.S. degree in Naval
Architecture from University of Indonesia,
Indonesia, in 1986. He then received his Master of
Eng. and Doctor of Eng. in Mechanical
Engineering from University of Tokyo
Metropolitan, Japan, in 1995 and 1998,
respectively. Professor at Mechanical Engineering
at University of Indonesia in Jakarta, Indonesia.
His research project is about drag reduction in
internal flow or eksternal flow.
Gunawan received his B.S. degree in Naval
Architecture from University of Indonesia,
Indonesia, in 2010. He then received his Master of
Eng. in Naval Architecture from University of
Indonesia, Indonesia, in 2012. Now, He joins as
young lecturer in his University. His research
project is about how to reduce frictional resistance
in under water body.
Sunaryo received his B.S. degree in Naval
Architecture from University of Indonesia,
Indonesia, in 1982. He then received his Master of
Phil. And PhD in Naval Architecture from
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, U.K. in 1989
and 1993. Now, He is a Head of Program in Naval
Architecture and Marine Engineering in University
of Indonesia.. His research project is about Ship
Production Management.
A. Jamaluddin is senior research fellow at the
Indonesian Hydrodynamics Laboratory (IHL) at
Surabaya - Indonesia. He received his M.Sc. in
Marine Technology from the University of
Strathclyde, Glasgow, U.K. in 1991 and PhD in
Naval Architecture from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh
Nopember (ITS) at Surabaya – Indonesia in 2012.
His research is about some technique to reduce
frictional resistance on ship model.