Environmental and economic analyses of fuel cell and battery-based hybrid systems utilized as auxiliary power units on a chemical tanker vessel

Accepted/In Press date: 26 January 2023

e-pub ahead of print date: 17 February 2023

Published date: 15 July 2023

Additional Information: Funding Information: Among alternative fuels, LNG stands out for several reasons, including the absence of sulfur [15], the presence of an existing logistical network [16] with strong growth bunkering infrastructures at major ports [17], and the low cost. LNG-powered ships have been serving in the Baltic Sea since 1990 thanks to these advantages. Not many marine applications use LNG as fuel with the fuel cell, and the majority of the projects were examined in this study. The “Fuel Cell Technology for SHIPs” (FCSHIP) project, which ran from 2002 to 2004, had the main goals of evaluating safety concerns, assessing not only the economic but also the environmental aspects of FC usage, and assessing the potential of FC use for both main propulsion and auxiliary power units. During the project, various types of fuels and FCs (PEMFC, MCFC, and SOFC) were studied. As a consequence of the project, PEMs are chosen for small-medium power systems, while MCFC and SOFC systems are appropriate for high-power applications requiring high volumetric power density hydrocarbon-based fuels. The only method to minimize GHG emissions among these fuels is to utilize natural gas or green hydrogen [13]. In the FellowSHIP project carried out between 2003 and 2011, a 320 kW MCFC, fed with LNG, was installed as an auxiliary power unit on an offshore-supply vessel named “Viking Lady” [18]. The main findings from the FellowSHIP project are slow response time of fuel cells could be compensated with batteries to provide improved safety, fuel savings, and a significant amount of emissions reduction. Other benefits are related to reductions in machinery maintenance costs, and noise and vibration reduction. The project also helped remove impediments to the commercialization of fuel cell and battery hybrid technology and alleviate safety concerns [19]. Another project that utilizes LNG as fuel is the FELICITAS subproject II, which was completed between 2005 and 2008. 250 kW SOFC developed by Rolls-Royce for stationary systems evaluated on sea conditions. Furthermore, the utilization of alternative hydrocarbon-based fuels that could be used instead of hydrogen and the waste heat recovery potential of SOFC were also investigated and proven tests held on board a mega yacht [20]. MultiSchiBZ project is the successor of the SchiBZ projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure on the large cargo vessel MS Forester that has two phases development phase between 2018 and 2020, and a demonstration phase between 2020 and 2022. The main goal of the project is to develop a SOFC system that has more than 50% efficiency and is operated with low-sulfur diesel fuel or LNG as an energy source. Other goals of the project are to design a more realistic heat exchanger that includes the effects of temperature variance and heat transfer to optimize the reforming process of LNG [21]. The EU-funded project “NAUTILUS” began on July 1, 2020, intending to develop LNG-fueled SOFC-battery hybrid gensets that would gradually replace internal combustion engine-based generators for long-haul passenger ships. The generated energy is used to meet the ship's entire heating and power requirements [22]. Worthy to note that “RiverCell2” [23] and “Pa-X-ell 2” [24] projects carried out between 2017 and 2021 facilitate HT-PEMFC with methanol as a primary energy source and LNG as optional. Another EU-funded project MC-WAP [25] conducted between 2005 and 2010 to design and develop onboard MCFCs which produce power between 100 kW and 500 kW as auxiliary power units (APUs) for RoPax, RoRo, and cruise vessels. The project included other main tasks: developing an integrated MCFC system to meet auxiliary loads up to 500 kWe fueled by diesel oil, increasing the safety, performance, and reliability of the balance of plant components, and reformer technology in the maritime environment. In the project, the conventional diesel generators were partially or entirely substituted for selected typologies of vessels. The project's main findings were identified new rules for reforming procedures and marine applications of FCs, and operating conditions of the MCFC-APUs under vibrations, motions, and marine environment. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC

Keywords: Auxiliary power unit, Chemical tanker vessel, Environmental and economic analyses, Hybrid power plant, Molten carbonate fuel cell, Phosphoric acid fuel cell

Local EPrints ID: 486619

URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/486619

DOI: doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.01.320

ISSN: 0360-3199

PURE UUID: b7118334-58b4-47e6-a6bd-40cd078d83e4

ORCID for S. Aykut Korkmaz: orcid.org/0000-0001-5972-6971

Date deposited: 26 Jan 2024 18:03

Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 04:15