In this thesis a grey-box model is developed to predict the power increase over time due to marine biofouling. Biofouling is known as the undesired adverse effect of living organisms growing on submerged surfaces. Fouling creates roughness on the hull and propeller and thus additional frictional resistance and loss of propeller efficiency, also referred to as an additional sea margin for ships due to biofouling. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) identified marine biofouling as one of the primary problems from both economic and ecologic points of view. Biofouling threatens the ecological balance of world seas by transferring invasive aquatic species and it causes a reduction in hydrodynamic performance of ships, which in turn increases fuel costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A white-box model is first developed to predict biofouling growth together with resulting roughness, and compute increase in frictional resistance, loss of propeller open water efficiency, and change in wave resistance. With this a physical modelled prediction can be made for increase in power. This increase is then used in a data-driven model together with all other used parameters, to improve the prediction and output of the model. With the developed model, relevant questions have been answered from both a research and industry perspective. For Feadship, the developed model was applied for their yachts to give insight in power increase, fuel increase, maintenance increase, speed loss, range loss and added cost due to biofouling. With implementation of the proposed grey box and white box models, predictions can be made for ships varying in all ranges of available data. With an indication of ship profile and parameters, biofouling and its resulting sea margin can be estimated with high accuracy in early stage ship design.

In this thesis, a simulation cost model is presented that can be used to assess the cost-effectiveness of a selection of PdM programs. The proposed model combines a discrete event simulation (DES) model with a cost model. It is specifically designed to analyse the PdM programs for the vacuum compressor pumps at Duyvis. All the PdM programs proposed will work with vibration analysis to detect bearing failure. The simulation model will focus on the sample frequency and detect-ability of a PdM program. The sample frequency is related to maturity levels, and the detect-ability is related to detecting the different stages of bearing damage. The goal is to use the proposed simulation cost model to assess a selection of PdM programs on their overall cost and reliability.

Wave run-up is the vertical water uprush that occurs when an incident wave impacts on a surface-piercing body. This phenomenon is particularly relevant when waves of high steepness interact with large structures as a result of significant nonlinear interactions between incident and diffracted wave fields. The extent can be further amplificated in the presence of appreciable motions of the structure as radiated waves take part in the network of wave-wave interactions. Underprediction of the run-up height exposes ships and offshore platforms to severe localised structural damages. A sufficient deck elevation proves to be mostly effective in overcoming these issues. Over the last decades, sustained research has been produced on wave run-up by fixed structures. However, a complete understanding of the effects of wave radiation by moving structures on the run-up flow is still far from being achieved. In the wake of a recent publication dealing with the presence of the surge motion, this graduation project aims to take a further step forward in the research by evaluating the wave run-up amplification due to heave. With this purpose, a validated numerical wave tank is established in ComFLOW and the case study of a two-dimensional rectangular structure is addressed. As a side objective, a piston-type wavemaker based on second-order wave generation theory is first implemented in ComFLOW. The performance of the wave board wave generation method is thoroughly discussed with regard to accuracy, propagation stability, numerical dissipation and dispersion in the context of nonlinear regular waves.

The urgent need for marine transportation to reduce CO2 emissions has led to considering alternative energy and storage sources. The resulting increase in the complexity of powerplant architectures led to the development of advanced control strategies to achieve energy savings. At the same time, the health status of components has been often overlooked, leading to shortened powerplant lifecycles. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel health-aware control strategy for hybrid and full electric powerplants featuring fuel cells and batteries that simultaneously extend service life and reduce energy consumption. Specifically, the thesis identifies the most detrimental behaviour for powerplant components and propose a bespoke cost function to mitigate those. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy, a comparative analysis will be conducted against a non-health-aware control strategie and a health aware control strategy from literature, to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach in terms of energy performance and service life extension, contributing to the development of sustainable marine transportation.

Transshipment is a key component of modern-day shipping logistics. Container supply chains rely on transhipment hubs to access remote locations. With globalisation driving growth in container trade, maritime congestion is rising at container terminals in ports worldwide. This is expected to worsen as demand continues to grow. The ill effects of this congestion are particularly being felt along transportation networks between deep-sea container terminals and Hinterland terminals. Therefore, this research aims to suggest solutions that address current problems and meet current targets, while also delivering future-proof and scalable transshipment options across a range of ports and hinterlands worldwide. This work in particular will evaluate the impact of novel maritime concepts such as amphibious AGVs, floating terminals, and super barges and how they can contribute to developing efficient container transportation networks that could address the congestion problem of incoming container barges at deep-sea container terminals. The key performance indicators (KPIs) emphasize reduced maritime congestion, while also aiming to achieve similar daily throughput, transport time, and reduced transporter fleet sizes. To implement this, an agent-based simulation methodology quantifies the existing problems along the deep-sea-hinterland network and validates the feasibility of the proposed transportation networks. The proposed innovative concepts and the current container transshipment scenario are implemented in the simulation environment of the Port of Rotterdam. The global applicability and scalability potential of the proposed transshipment solutions is further demonstrated on a much larger scale by testing them in the Hong Kong-Pearl River Delta, which covers an area similar to the size of the Netherlands. From an innovation point of view, concepts like Amphibious AGVs and floating terminals depict versatility in mobility and flexibility in execution respectively. This work, therefore, opens up an intriguing future scope for maritime transshipment that is both sustainable and adaptable, while also discussing limitations and concerns that need to be carefully considered.

The Global Shipping industry is responsible for transporting 90% of global commerce and is responsible for 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Addressing this, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping by 40% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. This study explores Low Temperature-Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (LT-PEMFC) hybrid energy systems as a potential solution to reduce shipping emissions. Emphasizing the operational zero-emission capability of PEMFC fueled by hydrogen, the research scrutinizes the emission intensity from hydrogen production and the impact of component degradation on hybrid system efficiency and hydrogen consumption. The research pivots around optimizing the design and operation of ship hybrid energy systems to minimize costs while considering well-to-wake (WTW) emissions and component lifetime. It investigates two hybrid configurations: PEMFC/Li-ion battery (LIB) and Diesel Generator (DG)/PEMFC/LIB. Employing a Mixed Integer Linear Programming approach for component modeling, the study conducts a two-stage analysis: design optimization considering various hydrogen sources and plant lifetime estimation focusing on PEMFC and battery degradation. Initial findings reveal that system design costs do not significantly differ across hydrogen grades. The DG/PEMFC/LIB configuration emerges as cost-effective, reducing CAPEX by 62.8% compared to the PEMFC/LIB setup. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) hydrogen grades strike a balance between cost and emission reduction, notably cutting emissions by up to 85% in the PEMFC/LIB configuration at a 27% OPEX increase. Lifetime estimation highlights the effectiveness of a hierarchical optimization method in mitigating PEMFC voltage loss and extending component lifespan, albeit with increased battery cycling aging. The study underscores the importance of selecting the appropriate hydrogen grade and operational strategies to enhance the sustainability and economic viability of maritime hybrid energy systems, aligning with IMO’s emission reduction goals.