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Redefine energy Efficiency solutions for hydrogen powered SHIPs in marine and inland waterway

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RESHIP (Redefine energy Efficiency solutions for hydrogen powered SHIPs in marine and inland waterway)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29

https://www.reship-project.com/

RESHIP is a three year Project that aims at enhancing energy efficiency performance and at addressing the current challenges for hydrogen usage onboard, including high energy demand, abrupt power spikes, demanding energy storage requirements. The specific and measurable objectives are listed as below:

PROPELLER
Redesign open and ducted propellers with novel bioinspired features, Tubercle Assisted Propulsors (TAPs), using multi-objective design and optimisation methods to be hydrogen compatible and widely applicable to different vessel types.

ESD
Review the currently developed energy saving solutions and identify hydrogen preferred standalone and combined solutions for inland, short-sea and ocean-going shipping for both new builds and retrofits to reduce the energy & storage demand and smooth shaft power.

OPERATION
Investigate operational energy efficiency of developed energy saving solutions during manoeuvring and harsh sea conditions with development in the novel and hydrogen compatible automation and control strategy.

CARRIER
Research novel onboard hydrogen solution with energy efficient liquid inorganic hydrogen carrier HydroSil, to reduce the energy consumption in the process of storage, release and utilisation.

RECOVERY
Develop energy recovery solution with combined heat and power to revalorise the energy output (waste heat) in the release process from the onboard carrier HydroSil.

WATER
Validate the use of river/sea water as a reactant for the carrier at large scale; exploit the fresh water circulation onboard using the output from the fuel cell as the reactant for hydrogen release.

BALLAST
Investigate the impact on ship operation in ballasting and operational propulsion efficiency, due to the weight changes of the hydrogen carrier during release, two times heavier after release.

DEMONSTRATION
Perform prototype development and demonstration using the selected target vessel for a fullscale exploitation to investigate performance at sea.

IMPACT
Research the potential impacts in technical, environmental, economic, safety and regulatory for the applications to marine and inland waterway ships and fleets.

UPSCALE
Develop and standardise the developed technological solution; upscale the technology for high power application; communicate with regulatory bodies for wider uptake.
WP1
Data management system and managing system put in place function smoothly. IAB put in place. IPAB put in place. DECB put in place. GA and CA amendments put in place.

WP2
DEC strategic plan put in place. Project website, online access database, social media accounts put up and running. Project visual identity created and deployed (logo, leaflets, roll-ups, posters). Newsletter #1.

WP3
Regarding the part of the project that involves development of hydrogen compatible energy saving devices for maritime and inland ship3D model was generated based on original drawings , here is what has been achieved so far:

- Review of the characteristics of hydrogen power and drive trains​
- Data collection of the project target and representative vessels to be used for below design studies together with WP7.
- Bare hull & appendaged resistance simulations​
- Preliminary self-propulsion analysis with virtual disk method using a 3-bladed Wageningen propeller data (existing propeller is a 3-bladed Wageningen propeller)​:
- Thrust deduction data is obtained .
- NavCAD simulations are performed using the resistance and propulsion data​.
- A new 4-bladed ducted propeller is designed using the NavCAD output​.
- Tubercles are introduced to the newly designed propeller​.
- Open water simulations with the propellers with & without tubercles​.
- Self-propulsion simulations with the propellers (with & without tubercles).

WP4
As for the part of the project related to development of energy efficient liquid inorganic carrier for ship application, here is the progress achieved:

- HydroSil release recator has been designed and adapted for the ship application.
- Due to the delay in the selection of the fuel cell to be coupled with the reactor, the real-life tests timeline has been revised to adapt.
- Instead, test that ensure the compliance, compatibility and correct functionning of the reactor and the fuel cell have been performed, including validation of the quality standard of the hydrogen released from HydroSil.
- Fuel cell selected and purchased.
- Pre-design of the modularised onboard energy-efficient hydrogen system has been copmplete and frozen.The followinf aspect have been taken in account:
- Specification requirements,
- Design of the reactor,
- Fluid management and storage,
- Heat integration and recovery,
- Hydrogen consumption system and the fuel cell.
- The arrangement of the container as well as the interoperability of SS1, SS2 and SS3 have been validated so that each partner responsible for its respective sub-system could start the implementation and construction of the future parts of the H2PG.
Once the reactor is constructed, three-month long adjustment tests are planned, before its shipment to the shipyard for H2PG assembling.

WP5
Gap-analysis studies were performed for (i) rules, regulations and certification to introduce planned RESHIP solutions onboard was performed, (ii) for ESD solutions to be introduced onboard for new builds and retrofits in marine and inland ships and (iii) for hydrogen power system to be introduced onboard for new builds and retrofits in marine and inland ships. They were followed by translation of gap-analysis results into the target vessel to perform initial design and analysis to identify the target vessel requirement for the retrofit of the developed technology and provide the initial design of the target vessel with the developed technologies integrated. System design and optimisation are ongoing.

WP6
Sea trials for vessel performance and energy efficiency with existing propulsion system: initial set of sea trials have been done to confirm approximate loading of engines and propellers, informing design framework and enabling partners to check viability of the current design for the retrofit. Detailed sea trial prepared post dry dock period in February 2024. A list of further trials and data collection to be conducted (Detailed speed and power trials, Monitoring of fuel usage, Noise and Vibration study) was defined and is work in progress. Strategic Planning of Installation done while
utilising of scheduled class dry docking in 2023 to gather further data of underwater hull, propeller and rudder arrangement and preparation of sea trials post docking with a clean hull.

WP7
Definition of fleet families and modelling of operational profiles was performed. The maritime and inland fleet structures were analysed and divided into fleet families based on literature research, existing databases and comparison of approaches from other projects and studies.
Design phase of the project accomplished:
Design oand simulations for TAPs and ESD part finished.
H2PG design done cinnecting the 3 subsystems: hydrogen release, power generation and power management.
H2PG container arrangement 1
Visit of target vessel Fortuna Crane, dock where the H2PG will be installed, 09/02/2024
Visit of target vessel Fortuna Crane, dismantled TAPs in the workshop, 09/02/2024
H2PG container arrangement 2
Visit of target vessel Fortuna Crane and meeting with its capitaion and crew, 09/02/2024