Shipping is, and will continue to be, the most important transportation method around the globe. A vital part of the logistic chain, it is also one of the main contributors to the worldwide CO2 emissions. Current propulsion technologies all rely on the same classic diesel driven technology, as diesel is widely available and has a high energy density.

The goal of this research is to identify greener solutions to propel a vessel sailing for short distances. During a definition study, several fuels and energy converters were studied and benchmarked based on a use case. The results showed that (a combination of) the dual fuel internal combustion, using bio diesel and hydrogen, and the low temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell, fuelled with hydrogen, is the most feasible setup for the use case. Such a combination in itself is not a new one, but in the literature only an all-electric setup is described. In the proposed solution an internal combustion engine is driving the propellor shaft directly, assisted by an electric motor powered by the fuel cell.

Based on this outcome, the following research question was defined:

How can an internal combustion dual fuel engine and/or LTPEM fuel cell be integrated to form a cost effective solution to propel a short sea ship running on hydrogen?

First, nine designs were created, ranging from a conventional diesel engine setup as a reference case, to a fully electric design powered by fuel cells. All main components in these designs are analyzed regarding part load efficiencies. With these efficiencies, the fuel consumption at different loads are calculated. Based on a use case scenario the total fuel costs are calculated. The CAPEX and the OPEX of the designs are determined to calculate the total costs. As currently no other fuel can compete with diesel, the designs are compared based on the price per tons of CO2 emissions, as the shipping industry is expected to see a CO2 emission penalty in the near future. For each design, what the height of this penalty has to be to reach the breakeven point at the end of the use case was calculated. Based on the lowest CO2 price, an all-electric, fuel cell powered design was identified as the most promising option. Applying additional operational arguments such as redundancy and end user acceptance, it was decided together with Conoship to choose a combination of an internal combustion engine and a fuel cell.
This configuration is worked out in detail to answer the sub questions, covering efficiency improvement and system integration, during which it became apparent that not all information is available to answer all these sub questions. The design needs further research in a multidisciplinary team. A simulation model would be helpful in this further research. A framework and a start to such a model was written together with a list of recommendations.

Traditionally, ships are powered by fossil fuels in combustion engines, causing 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative installations have yet to prove their reliability and are currently not as cheap or technological ready.
To enable ship-owners to prepare their ship for the future, but postpone their decision on which alternative installation to choose, it is the objective of this research to develop and validate a method for modular design of the power supply system of a ship, that allows a low-impact refit to lower the ship’s greenhouse gas emissions when the alternative power supply technology is ready.
This method is developed within the scope of short-sea dry cargo vessels with little auxiliary power(<20%) that is to be refitted before 2050, but the method is kept as general as possible. The studied background information includes greenhouse gases, possible alternative installations, low-impact refits, and modularity. Furthermore, the method is verified and validated using two different case ships.
In this report information about the method for modular design can be found, but also information on alternative power supply systems. The method is presented in chapter 5 and 6. It is concluded in chapter 7 that the developed method is effective and enables a low-impact refit, without significant negative impact on the initial design.It is concluded from this research that the method is effective and enables a low impact refit, without significant negative impact on the original design.For readers who want to know more about the alternative installations instead of the method, some basic information about available energy carriers and power supply units can be found in 2.3, the components of alternative installations of the case ship can be found in chapter 4 and the effect of those installations on the design to be found in section 5.3.

The subject of this research is the concept design of a compact and economically feasible platform for studying the behaviour of bowhead whales in the ice-infested water around the coast of North-East Greenland and particularly in the Fram Strait.

The study is focused on the capabilities of the vessel to operate in a dynamic ice-infested environment and on the strategies to be used for surviving in such a harsh area. An extensive part of the research consists in an environmental study of the ice and climatic conditions of the Fram Strait which are barely available in literature.

The design is carried out using a System Engineering approach in order to evaluate the mission and its requirements and to transform them into high-level concepts which are compared through the usage of an Analytic Hierarchy Process.
The ice-breaking capabilities are evaluated using the Net Thrust Concept and the ice loads in compressive ice are calculated through a quasi-static approach with ISO19906 standard for Arctic offshore structures.

The final concept design proposes a vessel that can accommodate a crew of six people and that can perform the research activity also underwater through a moon pool. The vessel is able to reach the operational location autonomously and to drift following the ice movements towards South. Moreover, it is able to cope with compressive ice events thanks to a rounded hull that lifts the vessel up when compressed by ice.

Overall, the construction and operation of the Drifting Ice Vessel are judged to be feasible. However, the task is not without risks and further experiments, tests and trials are recommended, to verify more deeply and validate the ice-loads estimation and the lifting behaviour of the hull.