Samenvatting

The emission of greenhouse gasses is a trending subject worldwide. Also the maritime industry is looking for alternative options for zero-emission transport. Nedstack provides fuel cells as a solution for this challenge. This research is a first glance at the possibilities to create a feasible retrofit with Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells for a conventional deep-sea cargo vessel to a zero-emission vessel. The research consists of the operational profile of the vessel Falcon Triumph, a feasible PEM fuel cell lay-out and a comparison to other options.
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device which converts the chemical energy of the fuel into electrical energy with help of an anode, cathode and electrolyte. Hydrogen is split into positive and negative charged particles, from which the last creates an electric current.
To create a feasible retrofit, the power demand needs to be determined. In this report the Holtrop-Mennen method was used. As input the Automatic Identification System (AIS) data was used. Due to the fact that this data does not include weather conditions they were not taken into account. Furthermore the different components were composed into a feasible lay-out. Lastly the comparison with other types of zero-emission propulsion solutions was made.
With the AIS data of one year and the specifications on the general plan of the vessel the power demand was determined at 5500 kW, with which 86% of the voyages were covered. Due to electrical losses and weight balance, 12 500 kW units were fitted. This determination was compared with operational data from the vessel. A accuracy of 48% was found, caused by severe averse weather conditions. The weight for the engine room was reduced with 159,4 tons when using PEM fuel cells.
The available space created by the retrofit was used for hydrogen storage. 134 tons of liquid hydrogen can be stored. The total power demand was 5882 kW according to the used method, for a vessel speed of 13 knots. A vessel range of 4343 nM is possible with the planned hydrogen bunker capacity. The emergency generator is also replaced by a 100 kW PEM fuel cell unit. The hydrogen for this fuel cell is stored in high pressure bottles.
The PEM lay-out was then compared to other zero-emission solution: An internal combustion engine (ICE) running on methanol, a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and a PEM consuming ammonia. For the first option more space was needed and weight was added. For the SOFC solution, less space was required however the weight added was significant. Last, for the ammonia PEM more space was required but the weight after the maximum voyage length is the same. Also for all options, it was not possible to reduce emissions completely.
Due to the scope aimed on a feasibility study, the power determination did not include some parameters, for example the weather conditions. This scope also accounted for the fact that the individual components were not research extensively.
This research displayed a feasible retrofit possibility with electric propulsion and PEM fuel cells. This retrofit was compared with other possibilities and was deemed the most attractive retrofit for a zero-emission deep-sea cargo vessel, due to the fact that other options faced challenges to be completely zero-emission. For a realistic retrofit, all the components of the retrofit require additional research. This report is a first glance at the possibilities of zero-emission operations on board deep-sea cargo vessels with the aid of fuel cells or other zero-emission types of energy converters.