Kaizen returns to EcoNavis for second Eco Boss Cap retrofit after fuel savings verified
Home › News › Kaizen returns to EcoNavis for second Eco Boss Cap retrofit …
EcoNavis Solutions has completed retrofit installation of its Eco Boss Cap to a second vessel operated by Thailand-based Kaizen Ship Management. The successful installation marks the first repeat order for the energy-saving propeller technology since market introduction last year.
The latest retrofit, carried out on the 32,491 dwt bulk carrier YC Fortitude, follows the July 2025 installation on the 31,807 dwt general cargo ship SYFC Araya. After six months of operation the ship manager reported fuel savings in the 2.2% to 2.5% range.
The decision to install the novel propeller hub to a second vessel was based on measured performance improvements observed in service, alongside internal verification across different loading and operational profiles.
Operator endorsement
Kaizen Ship Management Managing Director Mr Kishen Dev Singh, who oversaw both installations, said the results provided sufficient evidence to proceed with further retrofits.
“SYFC Araya demonstrated consistent fuel savings. Based on what we have observed from the first installation, we were confident in proceeding with a second vessel and are evaluating further applications across the fleet.”
Both installations were completed during drydock at a Chinese yard, following successful factory acceptance testing. Eco Boss Cap casting and machining was carried out by EcoNavis’ partner Zhenjiang Supersoar Marine Propulsion, with the project taking three months to complete from order confirmation to installation.
Vessel-specific design
The Eco Boss Cap is designed to mitigate propeller hub vortex cavitation, a known source of propulsion and energy efficiency loss, through a patented configuration of internal chambers and flow passages that modify pressure distribution at the propeller hub.
Unlike conventional fin-based devices, each Eco Boss Cap is bespoke, designed for the individual vessel to which it will be installed using parametric modelling and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) optimisation. While the overall external geometry remains broadly consistent, flow characteristics are refined to maximise efficiency gains for each vessel’s specific profile.
For YC Fortitude’s 5,260 mm diameter four-blade fixed-pitch propeller, EcoNavis undertook a vessel-specific optimisation process to account for differences in propeller loading patterns and operating conditions compared with the first installation.
Technology validation
Dr Batuhan Aktas, Founder and CEO of EcoNavis Solutions, said the repeat order demonstrates both the reliability of the underlying hydrodynamic principles and the importance of vessel-specific optimisation.
“What is particularly significant is that the customer has observed measurable improvements within a relatively short operational period,” he said. “Detecting efficiency gains at this level typically requires extensive long-term data, so the fact that Kaizen has been able to verify performance and proceed with a second installation within months is a strong indicator of the technology’s effectiveness.”
Dr Aktas said that Kaizen Ship Management’s focus on acquiring and upgrading older vessels through targeted efficiency improvements provides a suitable platform for retrofit technologies such as the Eco Boss Cap. The company has indicated that it is considering further installations, with up to three additional vessels under evaluation as part of its ongoing fleet enhancement programme.
EcoNavis estimates that the Eco Boss Cap can deliver up to a 5% improvement in propeller efficiency depending on vessel type and operating conditions, with typical fuel savings in the 2% to 4% range and a return on investment achievable within a relatively short period.
Explore vessel-specific performance improvement
Related News
EcoNavis secures first commercial contract for Eco Boss Cap
Home › News › EcoNavis secures first commercial contract for Eco Boss Cap
EcoNavis Solutions has secured its first commercial contract for the novel Eco Boss Cap, a proprietary energy-saving propeller hub cap introduced to the market last year.
The fuel-saving, emissions-reducing hub will be retrofitted to a general cargo carrier operated by a Thailand-based ship manager. EcoNavis has received two purchase orders from the company, which is evaluating further installations across five more vessels.
Retrofit work to the 177 m long vessel’s 5 m diameter propeller is scheduled for mid-August at a Chinese shipyard, close to Shanghai. EcoNavis engineers will supervise the installation and early operation of the device, with sea trials expected shortly after the retrofit.
First full-scale deployment
When commissioned, the installation will mark the first full-scale deployment of the Eco Boss Cap, a conically shaped propeller hub featuring a patented arrangement of internal chambers and holes designed to reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and propeller-induced hub vortex cavitation.
Developed following extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and validation in one of Europe’s leading cavitation tunnel test facilities and towing tank tests, the Eco Boss Cap has demonstrated efficiency gains of up to 5% across all speed ranges.
Dr Batuhan Aktas, Founder and CEO of EcoNavis Solutions, and lead inventor of the technology, said the contract validates years of research, modelling and hydrodynamic testing.
“This is a significant milestone for EcoNavis as a serious technology partner to the global shipping industry. The ship operators’ interest came directly in response to our earlier work, which speaks volumes about both the industry need and the credibility of the energy efficiency results we’ve achieved,” he said.
Simple, effective design
Unlike traditional boss cap designs, which use fin appendages to redirect flow and can introduce turbulence, the Eco Boss Cap utilises an internal chamber and a series of precisely angled holes to manage water flow through pressure differential. This configuration eliminates the cavitation responsible for rudder erosion, underwater noise, and thrust losses, and avoids the torque penalties associated with fin-type designs.
With no blades, no fins, no rotating appendages, the Eco Boss Cap is easier to manufacture and install than most other energy-saving propeller hub caps currently on the market. Cast as a single piece and free of complex geometries, it can be installed during a standard drydock in under six hours.
“This cost-effective production means a lower upfront investment, with a payback time of less than a year for a 180 m handy-size bulk carrier burning about 25 tonnes of fuel per day,” said Aktas.
“This is not just a product launch. It’s the start of a new phase in ship efficiency,” said naval architect and EcoNavis Chief Operating Officer Amitavo Wye. “Eco Boss Cap is tailor-made for each vessel to deliver greater fuel savings over a wider operating envelope. Shipowners don’t want a generic solution; they want performance that works for their ships’ actual operating conditions.”
Explore vessel-specific performance improvement
Related News
Eco Boss Cap enters production following breakthrough CFD validation
Home › News › Eco Boss Cap enters production following breakthrough CFD va…
EcoNavis Solutions has begun production of its patented Eco Boss Cap propeller hub, marking the transformation of a university-led research project into an industry-ready fuel efficiency retrofit technology.
The first unit, destined for installation on a general cargo vessel, has been cast at a foundry in China using designs optimised entirely through computational fluid dynamics (CFD). It is currently undergoing final machining ahead of factory acceptance tests.
From research to production
The Eco Boss Cap eliminates the hub vortex cavitation that causes rudder erosion, vibration, and thrust loss in conventional propulsion systems. Unlike finned boss caps, which only function optimally at narrow speed ranges, the Eco Boss Cap features a smooth, conical design with internal chambers and strategically bored holes. This configuration uses fluid pressure differences to improve flow uniformity, reducing torque while increasing thrust across a wide range of operating conditions.
The innovation began as a research project at the University of Strathclyde, led by naval architect Dr Batuhan Aktas.
“We started by identifying the failure points of existing designs,” he said. “Fin-type caps tend to generate drag outside their designed speed. We wanted to create something simpler and smarter — a passive system that could dynamically adapt without complexity or cost.”
Initial CFD simulations showed performance gains of over 3% in efficiency and reduction in propeller hub vortex cavitation. But early prototypes revealed a critical problem: some hole placements actually reduced propeller efficiency. The team returned to first principles, iterating the design using advanced parametric optimisation tools.
The breakthrough came when engineers redesigned the internal chamber to align the suction flow with stagnation pressure points, allowing the cap to draw water through its core without impeding thrust. These insights led to successful trials at a European cavitation tunnel facility, where the final design outperformed other energy-saving caps.
Performance and cost advantage
Now under exclusive licence from the University of Strathclyde, the Eco Boss Cap is cast in a single piece, requires no moving parts, and can be installed in five to six hours during a normal drydocking.
“It costs about 50% less to manufacture than typical fin-based units and is expected to achieve a return on investment in under six months for mid-sized vessels,” said Amitavo Wye, EcoNavis’s Chief Operating Officer.
Early trials showed a 3.1% improvement in propeller efficiency, a 1.1% increase in thrust, a 2% reduction in torque, and a 10% decrease in rudder cavitation. Noise was also reduced by up to 3 dB, lowering the vessel’s underwater radiated noise footprint — a key issue for ESG compliance in sensitive marine environments.
“We’ve moved from lab to foundry in less than a year,” said Dr Aktas. “And with every unit, we’re refining not just our technology, but how fast and affordably we can deliver it.”
Explore vessel-specific performance improvement
Related News