just be careful..
Posted on 03/02/2006 2:05:37 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Ship operators who reduce pollution by observing a speed limit while entering the Port of Long Beach will be rewarded with lower dockage rates.
The reduced dockage rates are part of the port's Green Flag Incentive Program, an annual $2.2 million clean air initiative that provides financial incentives and recognition to those who voluntarily reduce their speeds.
The tariff reduction plan was approved Monday by the Board of Harbor Commissioners.
Under the program, carriers will qualify for a 15 percent discounted Green Flag dockage rate during the following year if 90 percent of their vessels comply with a 12-knot speed limit for a year within 20 miles of the port.
About 65 percent of all vessels now comply with the port's speed reduction program, which has been in place since 2001, according to port officials.
If all vessels comply with the program, the amount of smog-forming nitrogen oxides released by container ships would be reduced by nearly 550 tons a year, according to port officials.
The program only applies to the Port of Long Beach, not the adjacent Port of Los Angeles.
Hot off the presses. It has just been announced those that do not run red lights will be rewarded with a $1000 check by their local governments.
Does that actually work? How does running the engines slower for a longer period use less fuel than running them faster for a shorter period?
just be careful..
Great pic.
Speed 2: Cruise Control :)
I dunno, but it makes more sense to fine them for exceeding speed limits, charging only those who comply the "going rate"
bass ackwards calif!
You mean it wasn't your own boat?
Drag is proportional to speed squared. Water has a LOT of drag. Fuel use is related to drag. Cutting speed in half roughly reduces drag by a factor of 4. Total fuel use should go down, even with the increased time.
combustion chamber heat increases with workload. At higher temps, oxygen and nitrogen combine to form these oxides of nitrogen.
Oooookkaaayyyy, they all enter the port slowly, and they park and wait for the harbor pilot to come out and the tug boats to move them, and the Customs Inspector to approve their entry (I was a Customs Inspector there for years).
We have all heard about how long it takes to turn one of these ships, or to stop one. The harbor isn't that big, so if they were to speed in, they would be IN Long Beach! I'm waiting to be paid for driving my evil SUV safely!
Wait a minute. Are you saying the greens initiated a program that actually works???
I wish.
I've sailed in and out of many a port on cruise ships, never Long Beach tho.
We've always had pilots onboard bring 'em in port,, 12 knots is definitely stepping on it tho when you get close to docktime, altho you're talking a large port area too.
For cruisers , time is money but not like what it is for cargo ships.
It's not a lot of money compared to what the ports rake in.. If it works out , great.
It certainly is possible. The questions would be: How significant is the pollution reduction? (i.e. How much do ships produce versus cars or factories or cows even?)
I'm sure they would if they could. The article says that the limit is for up to 20 miles from the port. I doubt they have jurisdiction.
"How significant is the pollution reduction?"
I'm sure it is miniscule or less in terms of NOX, esp since freighters are diesel.....but it may well be worth it to local air-breathers in terms of HC and CO.
The rudder depends on water running against it from the prop wash as well as forward motion.
When you slow down, it becomes much harder to steer and the ship is much slower to answer the helm. A lot of the ships entering there are hard enought to steer as it is.
Going slow also brings up the need for assistance from tugs, and they put out a lot of exhaust, so not much is gained.
You're forgetting the fact that when you lower the engines' speed, they are dropping in efficiency and that loss buries any savings on drag.
Not necessarily. All engines have an operating range which is reasonably efficient, and big ships like these MAY have multiple engines allowing some to be cut while the others continue at full power. Possibly...
"Hey!...you scratched my anchor!"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.