60 research outputs found
Is reducing speed the right mitigating action to limit harmful emissions of seagoing RoRo cargo carriers?
No full textThe Energy Emission Design Index (EEDI) is an index indicating the CO2 emission per transportation effort, for example the emitted tons CO2 per ton mile, to be calculated for each new design. The required index for new designs will be gradually lowered in the coming years resulting in either improved energy efficiencies or speed reductions.RoRo carriers are key stones in shore based logistical systems and as a result diverse in design speeds and main dimension ratio’s. This diversity could be threatened by the relative simplicity of the EEDI regulations. This article aims to estimate the influence of the EEDI approach on 30 existing RoRo cargo carriers. The attained EEDI’s per design are determined. Also the costs per transport effort are calculated based on the private costs and based on the social costs, both at the economically optimum speeds based on a uniformly applied sailing profile. The social costs are based on all emissions because the number of Environmental Special Area’s is limited and the impact of speed reductions will not be limited to climate change. The expected speed reductions for these designs based on the EEDI, but also the required speed reductions when taking into account the total social costs are used to estimate the effectivity from the EEDI regulations. Amongst others it was concluded that the existing diversity in service speeds and main dimension ratio’s will be jeopardized by the EEDI regulations.Ship Design, Production and Operation
Wing in ground vehicles operating as high-speed passenger ferries: A feasibility and profitability study
No full textWing-in-ground (hereafter referred to as WIG) vehicles operate a few meters above water. The vehicles make use of the ground-effect (an effect where the drag is reduced, and the wings of the vehicles generate an increased lift). The unique speed and distance range of a WIG vehicle — a vehicle that, in functionality and appearance, sits somewhere between a ship and an aircraft — could be an ideal option for high-speed passenger transport on routes with ‘medium’ distances. That said, WIG vehicles have hardly ever been seen in civilian applications, such as high-speed passenger transport. This report answers the question: can WIG vehicles operating as high-speed passenger ferries, be feasible and profitable? This feasibility is assessed on the basis of literature research and real examples of WIG performance, functionality and profitability. Suitable routes and vehicles are selected based on criteria analyses. Using financial estimations, the profitability of two suitable WIG vehicles on two separate routes is investigated.The specifications of recently built WIG vehicles and their design drivers are analyzed by performing a literature research. This information reveals that WIG vehicles have one main limitation: a low seaworthiness. It is then likely that this limits the seakeeping operability for a number of vehicles. To deal with this limitation, suitable vehicles are selected using a criteria analysis. The literature research shows that the WSH-500 and the Aron M80 both have a relatively good seaworthiness. The vehicles differentiate in size (48p & 6p). The costs of the vehicles are estimated by using general aviation cost estimation theory. A criteria analysis based on seakeeping operability and number of passengers and distance, shows two suitable routes: ‘Buenos Aires – Montevideo’ and ‘Helsinki – Tallinn’. The potential demand for WIG transport on these routes is estimated by creating demand curves of transport. The strategy to market WIG transport on these routes is estimated by using a market research to gage the potential demand. A suitable strategy is to target the top niche of customers on these routes. The profitability is estimated by combining the suitable vehicles, cost of vehicles, routes and strategy. The net present value and internal rate of return is calculated for a number of cases that are explained in this paper. The cases vary mainly on the following aspects: vehicle, total investment and route. In conclusion, WIG vehicles operating as high-speed passenger ferries can be feasible and profitable. The technology behind WIG vehicles has a technological readiness level of 8 out of 9. There are multiple, full-scale prototypes made and tested. Suitable vessels and routes have been selected to deal with the primary limitation that comes with WIG vehicles; they have low seaworthiness capabilities. The seakeeping operability rates of the selected vehicles and routes range between 91% and 100%. The net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) of investments made in a WIG transport company can be positive in a number of cases
An Applicability Study of Data Mining to Improve the Secondhand Market Model of the Maritime Business Game
No full textThis study aims to improve of secondhand market model used in the Maritime Business Game (MBG) & to judge the relevance of three data mining algorithms. Pruyn developed MBG to simulate the long term consequences of various shipping scenarios. MBG consists of three multilevel models to represent the maritime economy. Starting from the Multi Country model, it goes down to the shipping markets model & ends at the fleet scheduling model. Secondhand market is a sub-part of shipping market module, where the shipowners trade their old ships. In real life, the valuation is done by shipbrokers under the assumption that vessels are in good working condition. Thus’s, physical characteristics have a little influence on the sales price. A structural model based on the physical characteristics can be a good complement to the broker’s judgment.Marine Technolog
The development and evaluation of a modular well intervention business concept
No full textThe subject of this thesis is the development and evaluation of a modular well intervention business concept. The concept aims to bridge the gap between surface and subsea well intervention markets, currently served by different vessel types, using a platform vessel and equipment modules. The regional scope is South-East Asia, due to its low subsea intervention demand making it difficult for dedicated subsea intervention vessels to operate all-year round. The concept is evaluated from the point of view of the vessel owner and is limited to light and mediumwell interventions. The thesis consists of concept developmentMarine Technolog
Selection of cost-effective emission abatement options for early-stage ship design: A selection tool implemented for a road ferry and workboat
No full textThe maritime emission regulations and incentives require and motivate the selection of different types of energy systems, fuels, and abatement options. In early-stage ship design, the design space of possible combinations can be significant. Therefore, a selection tool has been developed to find the most satisfactory combination of abatement options at minimum costs that at least meet the emission requirements. This decision problem is studied from a general perspective to develop a universal selection tool to enable a widespread application in the maritime industry. The selection tool contains datasets with decision parameters of different energy systems, fuels, and abatement options. The energy systems, including reference fuels, can be selected and assessed on their annual economic and environmental performance. Both upstream and operational emissions are considered and, in addition, the external costs of the emissions are quantified. The abatement options, including fuels, have different effects on fuel consumption and emissions. Moreover, interaction effects occur when combining alternatives. The identified problem is a combinatorial optimisation problem and the objective space is constrained by the emission and compatibility constraints. It is formulated as a multi-objective optimisation problem, whereby the annual internal (investment plus operational) costs and external costs are simultaneously minimised. The external costs can serve as a balancing approach for emission reduction. Furthermore, it can encourage the reduction of the overall environmental impact beyond the regulatory emission constraints. A genetic optimisation algorithm is integrated into the selection tool, which optimises the combinations of abatement options that are subject to the applicable constraints. The functioning of the methodology is evaluated by case studies for the NAVAIS subjects: a battery-electric road ferry and a diesel-electric workboat, both for European waters. The results can provide useful insights into the concept design space of feasible combinations that comply with emission regulations.Marine Technolog
Minimising transportation and installation operation cost and time for offshore wind turbine farms with the use of the wind turbine shuttle
No full textIn recent years, a rapid development of the offshore wind power market has taken place. The growing demand for more offshore wind farms and the desire to make this technology more cost-effective has created many challenges for offshore contractors and their technology, particularly for turbine installation vessels. Currently, the most widely used equipment is the jack-up type crane vessels. These vessels have been optimised for turbine installation operations but are now starting to reach their limits in performance, based on the further improvement of the wind turbines, the fact that the wind farms located further and deeper at the sea. As a result, new designs may be better suited to the challenging requirements of the wind farm developers. In practical terms, it is difficult to predict whether a new concept will perform better another. Operational data from past turbine installation vessel operations can be used to identify important parameters that influence performance but is not practical when applied to unconventional designs such as the concept ship, “Wind Turbine Shuttle” designed by Huisman Equipment in the Netherlands. An extensive study is necessary requiring perhaps the development of new analysis tools. This study attempts to identify the major parameters that influence the operations of turbine installation vessels. It investigates with the use of different operational scenarios, how the procedure of installation and transportation of these vessels are influenced by their parameters such as the pre-assembly method of the wind turbine or the wind turbine sizes and their operating environment, using a market and technology review of the wind farm market, a sensitivity analysis of various design parameters and different case strategies investigating the performance of different turbine installation vessels operating in a predefined wind farm location. Because several strategies have shown that weather delays have a major effect on the workability of the vessel, the simulation model uses wave height time series data from measurements made in the North Sea. For the sensitivity studies of design parameters, results show that for any scenario, an optimal value for both significant wave height tolerance and transit speed can be found. The optimal parameters for the scenario designed in this study are similar to the specifications of the Wind Turbine Shuttle. Overall, results show a definite advantage of using a turbine installation vessel such as the Wind Turbine Shuttle over traditional jack-up vessels. However, as the model is based on many assumptions, the accuracy of the results would be significantly improved with additional real life data. Regardless of this, the study has demonstrated the advantage of opting for a systems approach containing various models that are connected to each other. This methodology has many possible future applications, not only for the evaluation of wind turbine installation vessels but for any vessel type employed in the offshore construction segment.Mechanical Engineering
Synergies in Liner Shipping: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis in the Partnership Decision
No full textLiner shipping companies engage in strategic cooperation to deal with the market’s overcapacity, capital intensiveness and volatile freight rates. However, these partnerships do not reach their full potential and have lowered the level of service in the industry. To identify how carriers would be able to realise further synergies, this study has investigated the current performance of liner shipping companies and developed a model to identify and assess potential partnership opportunities. This model supports liner shipping companies in their decision of who to partner with and what kind of partnership to pursue. The study has been confined to a single transpacific route. On the basis is an overview of vessels that sail this route over a period of several years. This overview includes information on arrival dates, number of containers on board, capacity and operator for each vessel. This is used to examine local demand and deployed capacity, vessel utilisation and competition. The analysis confirms trends found in literature, such as the growing size of vessels that are enabled by strategic cooperation. Most importantly, it indicates flexibility on the side of vessel operators in their decision of which vessels they deploy per route during the year. A synergy model has been developed based on the findings in literature and the results of this analysis. This model uses the identified flexibility in vessel deployment and builds on the notion that liner shipping companies should pursue more integrated partnerships to realise further synergies. The model was also applied to the case of CMA CGM’s acquisition of APL in 2016. After calculating the costs for sailing each of the available vessels, potential partnerships were identified for the analysed route. This was done by optimising vessel deployment for the cargoes to be transported at minimum cost and with a limited number of partners. A strategic-level assessment was then performed to determine whether a partnership would be feasible among the identified companies and to what extent integration should take place. By including both the companies’ motivations (drivers) and factors that facilitate a positive environment (facilitators) for the partnership, this assessment brings multiple perspectives to the table. The conclusion is that carriers can adjust which vessels they deploy to match transport demand and that they can use this to realise further synergies. By using a model with both a quantitative and a qualitative component, it is possible to identify potential partnerships that result in cost reduction, maintain high vessel utilisation and allow for improvements in the level of service that companies offer to their customers. It is recommended to extend the coverage of the model to include more routes, ports and vessels for a more comprehensive analysis. Furthermore, using variable transit times in the model to determine when vessels are available would make the model more realistic and would also allow changes in vessel speed to be included in the analysis. It is also advised to explore opportunities for regulatory bodies to apply this model for monitoring and assessment of the effects partnerships have on competition per route
Economic feasibility of a hydrogen-fuelled marine transportation system: Case study of a bulk carrier at CMB
No full textThe crises of global warming, air pollution, acid rain and the running out of oil make the investigation into alternative fuel technologies crucial. New technologies are being investigated on a global scale in an attempt to address these problems. This thesis investigates the use of hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel engines and fuel cells. The economic feasibility includes the comparison of these energy converters with more conventional alternatives. The storage of alternative fuels, the reforming of hydrogen carriers or the inclusion of carbon capture systems are some of the aspects considered in the analysis.Marine Technology | Ship Design, Production and Operation
2020 IMO Sulphur Regulation: Impacts and Solutions for Fednav Limited
No full textThis work is focusing on the 2020 IMO sulphur regulation and its impact on the shipping industry and more particularly Fednav’s activity. The thesis report presents a holistic approach starting with IMO emission regulations including current and future. The thesis is then moving on to Fednav business characteristic followed by the possible solutions to successfully implement the 2020 IMO sulphur regulation and stay competitive. These solutions are shortlisted to LNG and scrubber as they are the only mature technologies already implemented in the industry. They are then analyzed using both a private and welfare cost & benefit analysis to evaluate LNF and scrubber systems economic feasibility from a business and society perspective. LNG is discarded based on low bunker availability worldwide in combination with Fednav’s fleet tramping sailing patterns. For the scrubber, the opened loop solution is selected as the one offering the best return on invest- ment. After the welfare cost & benefit analysis, all scrubber solutions are also discarded because of the low pH washwater dump in the ocean. The strategy for Fednav is to make sure Canada is strict on sulphur regulation, mitigate bunker sensibility risk as well as bunker quality risk
On board monitoring of polluting emissions in sea shipping
No full textThe International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been working on the reduction of emissions in sea shipping. This has been done by stricter regulations over the past years in the form of emission limits. An important element which determines the success of this reduction, is the enforcement of the emission limits. A drawback of the current enforcement procedure is that there is insufficient insight in what happens at open sea or, for example, at the borders of an Emission Control Area (ECA). TNO investigates if there are methods to improve the enforcement of emissions in shipping. Therefore, TNO started a research into an on board emission monitoring system. This report is the first step in this research and has the objective to recommend an on board monitoring system that is able to monitor pollutant emissions of seagoing vessels. The polluting emissions of seagoing vessels that are investigated in this report are: sulphur oxides (SOx ), nitrogen oxides (NOx ), particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC). The legislation study showed that there is no legislation for an on board emission monitoring system. This means that there is no obligation for the system in the near future. However, the IMO and the European Union want to investigate enforcement options in the future, which offers possibilities for the emission monitoring system. The available on board monitoring systems were divided into two groups, the low-end systems and the high-end systems. It turned out that the low-end systems are not yet sufficiently developed to withstand the maritime conditions and could therefore not be used as an emission monitoring system in the near future. The high-end systems showed to be suitable in the near future as an on board monitoring system. Therefore, the high-end systems were compared and assessed with each other on characteristics like: robustness, costs, accuracy, number of sample points, dimensions, emission measurement and maintenance. The assessment of the high-end systems was executed in the form of a multiple-criteria decision analysis. The on board emission monitoring system that scored the best was the Opsis M800 from Consilum. The main advantage of this system is that it operates with the UV/IR Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy principle. The big advantage of this principle is that the sensors and the exhaust gas are separated, which causes much less maintenance. The above mentioned on board emission monitoring system is therefore recommended, which means that the objective of this research is met. To improve this recommendation it will be desirable and recommended to test all the high-end systems in practice in order to determine and compare their performance for the above mentioned criteria. The opinion from the stakeholders is that they see potential in the system, especially with the task to create a level playing field, after the implementation of the 2020 sulphur limit. However, they also indicate that international legislation will be necessary to implement the system successfully. The shipping companies also indicated that they see potential for the on board emission system besides the enforcement task
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