FUEL CELLS The consortium’s research will address the


potential of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) unit of 250kW, and whilst the primary focus is on marine application issues, the unit’s safety and reliability will obviously also be important. For marine validation purposes, a smaller 20kW


unit will be installed onboard a Wallenius Marine car carrier, having first been factory-tested, laboratory- tested, and approved, prior to installation. Wallenius first outlined its plans to test a fuel cell at sea in 2004, and subsequently made a decision as to which type of fuel cell it wanted to test, and the installation of the SOFC onboard its vessel will, likewise, be approved before the unit and the Wallenius vessel begin to sail on world trade routes. A lifecycle assessment and an operational safety assessment will also be made, and the results of the validation run and the tests will contribute to the second and final part of the research – the marine-compatibility of the 250kW unit, its safety and reliability. In a statement issued on behalf of the project


partners, Wärtsilä said the project will take two and a half years, one year of which is dedicated to the application’s validation. The regulations and technical requirements for using methanol as a marine fuel will pave the way for the commercial use of methanol-consuming fuel cells onboard commercial vessels. ‘We are very happy to have been selected for the


EU grant. The construction and operation of this research unit, running on renewable methanol, will open up attractive opportunities for using sustainable fuels for fuel-cell-based distributed generation and auxiliary power units in large ships. In particular, this is an interesting option for reducing ship emissions when harbouring,’ said Erkko Fontell, general manager, Fuel Cells, at Wärtsilä. ‘Operation of the unit will also provide us with


very important experience related to both the system’s design and its performance parameters, such as electrical efficiency and stack durability,’ he explained. As a spokesperson for the METHAPU consortium


explained, the duration of the project is some 30 months, with the field study due to begin in May 2008 and continue for 12 months, comprising performance and emission tests onboard a commercial vessel. The strategic objectives of the METHAPU project are described as follows:


• Assess the maturity of methanol-using technology onboard a commercial vessel.


• Validate marine compatible methanol running solid oxide fuel cell technology.


•


Innovate necessary technical justifications for the use of methanol onboard cargo vessels involved in international trade, in order to support the introduction of necessary regulations to allowing the use of methanol as a marine fuel.


• Assess short-term and long-term environmental impacts of the application.


• Enable future research activities on larger marine compatible solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) units and methanol based economy.


The specific components of the technology to be


validated are methanol fuel bunkering, distribution, storage system, and methanol consuming SOFC unit. SOFC technology is not a new technology, but its use to generate auxiliary power for seaborne


WARSHIP TECHNOLOGY MAY 2007 www.mindef.gov.sg/navy/npts. METHAPU – who’s doing what? •


Wärtsilä – consortium leader – is responsible for R&D of a marine compatible 250kW Auxiliary Power Unit (the fuel cell) and validation study based on a 20kW Auxiliary Power Unit.


• Wallenius Marine - fuel cell - ship integration. Fuel cell to be installed onboard a Wallenius Marine Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC).


•


Lloyd's Register - design safety assessment, assessment of quality and reliability issues, classification.


• •


University of Genoa, faculty of engineering - life cycle assessment.


DNV Veritas - operational safety assessment, field study, and emission evaluation.


vessel, is a new concept that needs to be validated. To use renewable methanol onboard a ship is ‘groundbreaking’ but this fits well with the research


domain of the objectives because methanol is a renewable and alternative fuel; it is a clean fuel and available around the world and in large quantities; using methanol onboard requires new bunkering, storage, and distribution systems; and SOFCs are a clean and efficient technology for propulsion and power generation onboard. Furthermore, by enabling the future development


of larger SOFC units for marine applications, the project will contribute to the European Union’s objective of sustainable use of marine resources, while also improving the competitiveness of the European marine industry. As Chris Brown, project leader in Lloyd’s


Register’s R&D department explained, Lloyd’s Register’s role is to actively participate with stakeholders to manage the risks relating to the installation of a Wärtsilä manufactured, methanol- fuelled, solid-oxide fuel cell. ‘By adopting a pragmatic, process-based


systems engineering approach in accordance with internationally-recognised best practice, we will evaluate the risks to the ship's personnel, the ship itself, the ship's machinery, and the environment,’ Mr Brown explained. ‘Verification of the fuel cell system through design


acceptance, inspection during manufacture, factory testing, and harbour and sea trials will aim to ensure that the identified risks to maritime safety and the environment, stemming from the operation of the fuel cell and the use of methanol onboard, are addressed insofar as they affect the scope of ship classification.’


NAVAL PLATFORM TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR 2007


www.mindef.gov.sg/navy/npts


New Environment New Technology New Capability


16th and 17th May 2007, Singapore


Naval Platform Technology Seminar (NPTS) 2007 will be held in the Singapore Exposition Centre on 16th and 17th May 2007 in conjunction with the International Maritime Defence Exhibition Asia (IMDEX Asia) 2007. The opening session for NPTS 2007 will be held on 16th May 2007 (morning) while the 3 parallel sessions of technical presentation and discussion will commence on 17th May 2007 (afternoon). 26 technical papers revolving on the theme ‘New Environment, New Technology, New Capability’ will be presented by various major defence organisations, academic institutions, class societies, OEMs and shipbuilders over the two days.


The design of future surface and underwater combatants will be a key feature in the seminar. New developments in the areas of stealth technology, weapon systems, combat management system and platform design will be discussed.


The seminar is open to all engineers, technologists, academics and naval combatants. No registration fee is required. For registration details, please view the NPTS website at


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