Conceptual design of offshore platform supply vessel based on hybrid diesel generator-fuel cell power plant

• Published in: Applied energy Vol. 116; pp. 91 - 100
• Main Authors: Díaz-de-Baldasano, Maria C., Mateos, Francisco J., Núñez-Rivas, Luis R., Leo, Teresa J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cell marine application; Fuel cell-diesel hybrid ship power plan; Fuel cells; Fuels; Methanol-fed SOF; New vessel design; Petroleum products, gas and fuels. Motor fuels, lubricants and asphalts; Pollutant emissions reduction; Methanol-fed SOF; Fuel cell-diesel hybrid ship power plan; Fuel cell marine application; New vessel design; Pollutant emissions reduction; Electric power plant; Diesel fuel; Pollution control; Supply; Pollutant emission; Offshore; Ship; Fuel cell; Methanol
• ISSN: 0306-2619; 1872-9118
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.11.049

•Conceptual design of PSV ship with hybrid diesel electric-FC power plant is presented.•Two methanol-fed 250kW SOFC systems are installed on board with 21days autonomy.•Cogeneration heat from SOFC allows answering hot water needs on board.•Optimized hull design allows sailing with SOFCs and only one diesel generator.•At ECO-Speed operation mode pollutant emissions are notably reduced. Nowadays increasing fuel prices and upcoming pollutant emission regulations are becoming a growing concern for the shipping industry worldwide. While fuel prices will keep rising in future years, the new International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and Sulphur Emissions Control Areas (SECA) regulations will forbid ships to use heavy fuel oils at certain situations. To fulfil with these regulations, the next step in the marine shipping business will comprise the use of cleaner fuels on board as well as developing new propulsion concept. In this work a new conceptual marine propulsion system is developed, based on the integration of diesel generators with fuel cells in a 2850 metric tonne of deadweight platform supply vessel. The efficiency of the two 250kW methanol-fed Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system installed on board combined with the hydro dynamically optimized design of the hull of the ship will allow the ship to successfully operate at certain modes of operation while notably reduce the pollutant emissions to the atmosphere. Besides the cogeneration heat obtained from the fuel cell system will be used to answer different heating needs on board the vessel.