MERLAN

The MERLAN project has introduced a new type of electric motor in the maritime sector: the new motor, with its unconventional design, is suitable for installation in confined spaces on board ships and offers an eco-friendly, efficient, and compact alternative to traditional drives. This new technology will bring numerous benefits, including increased energy efficiency, space savings, simplicity in construction, robustness and reliability, quiet operation, and versatility of use. Through MERLAN, a naval application of the new motor has been developed, with a demonstration of the technology in an operational environment, producing a prototype to be tested for propulsion/steering and lifting/handling on board.

RESULTS

A new technology is expected to revolutionize, in the near future, electric drives on board ships, contributing decisively to the electrification of new vessels, through:

• An Industrial Research phase where the technology to be adopted for the new electric motor applied to naval uses will be defined in detail, and the advantages and disadvantages compared to the currently employed systems will be evaluated;
• An Experimental Development phase where the technology will be validated through the design, construction, and testing of a prototype in two use scenarios chosen to represent its various applications on board ships.