Skip to main content

Thank You 500,000 readers

Propulsion - The future is Hybrid Electric

ALL AMERICAN MARINE is constructing a new hybrid electric passenger vessel. The future is electric! 
Electric hybrid propulsion is quickly gaining momentum in the passenger shipping industry, especially with the announcement of HURTIGRUTEN’s world-first hybrid electric cruise ships, followed by other expedition cruise operators, who do not want staying behind, being "filthy".
by Earl of Cruise
The impact of diesel and marine oil polution on human health is without doubt, as it is the same for the global climate. Especially in sensitive areas, as the Artic regions. But sometimes is the media a bit too populistic with their articles and beat "only" on cruise vessels, whereas the freighters are not recognized.
I am aware of the air polution problem and have a great interest in green technology.
ROALD AMUNDSEN and FIDTJOF NANSEN of HURTIGRUTEN
ROALD AMUNDSEN and FIDTJOF NANSEN of HURTIGRUTEN - courtsey HURTIGRUTEN 
Electric propulsion is one of the buzzwords in passenger shipping right now. Indeed, HURTIGRUTEN chief executive Daniel Skjeldam emphasised the importance of electric propulsion, especially for expedition cruising, especially in the Arctic, at the recent Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami, USA.
He "bluntly" told delegates at a panel discussion on expedition cruising: “The future is electric.”
HURTIGRUTEN is building two hybrid battery expedition cruise ships at KLEVEN VERFT in Norway. ROLLS-ROYCE is providing new and environmentally sustainable hybrid technology for them.
ROLLS-ROYCE designed ROALD AMUNDSEN and FRIDTJOF NANSEN will incorporate, in addition to the hybrid power solution, the latest automation and control systems including the ROLLS-ROYCE Unified Bridge, the first delivery of two Azipull propellers using permanent magnet technology, two large tunnel thrusters, stabilisers, four Bergen B33:45 engines, winches, and power electric systems.
Mr Skjeldam said: “We think we will take the technology and the industry forward. They will be the most technologically advanced ships that are out there. The expedition industry needs to develop away from using 50-60 year old ships and find new technology that really reduces emissions. That is one of the most important things, when we sail in the most sensitive areas in the world. They are the most innovative and sustainable ships out there, taking what has been learned from battery ferries in Scandinavia and putting it into these vessels.
He said that they were putting aside extra space in the world-first hybrid expedition cruise ships in order to be able to install even more battery packs, as the technology becomes more available. Mr Skjeldam said: “This technology is going forward very fast.
Another hybrid battery passenger vessel contract has been confirmed as US shipyard ALL AMERICAN MARINE (AAM) recently inked a deal for the construction of a new hybrid electric passenger vessel to be delivered to RED AND WHITE FLEET of San Francisco. The contract for the new 600-passenger aluminium monohull was signed at the Passenger Vessel Association’s annual convention at MariTrends. RED AND WHITE FLEET will receive its new craft in late spring 2018.
The new vessel, to be christened ENHYDRA, will be the first aluminium hulled, lithium-ion battery-electric hybrid vessel built from the keel up under United States Coast Guard subchapter-K passenger vessel regulations and the latest guidelines for structural fire protection, AAM said in a statement.
AAM partnered with BAE Systems to design and integrate the complete battery-electric hybrid system. BAE Systems will supply its HybriDrive propulsion system that includes a generator, a control system, and an AC electric traction motor. The generator will mount to a variable speed Cummins QSL9 diesel engine delivering 410 mhp at 2,100 rpm. The motor generator offers diesel-electric operation of the AC traction motor which is coupled directly to the propulsion shaft. AAM said "With this configuration, torque is immediately available for the propeller and the speed can be controlled precisely without the need for a reduction gear."
The hybrid system will also use battery power from two 80 kWh lithium-ion battery packs. The batteries will come from Corvus Energy and are supplied under their next generation Orca ESS energy storage system line. The BAE HybridDrive system can automatically use full electric battery operation at slower speeds and when manoeuvring in and out of the harbour. At higher speeds, the generator will automatically engage and augment the additional power demands of the traction motor.
RED AND WHITE FLEET’s vice president of operations Joe Burgard, said: “We see the propulsion configuration on ENHYDRA as phase one in our move toward the full electrification of our fleet. Stay tuned for phase two.
Propulsion Control System, Quadro Drive
Propulsion Control System, Quadro Drive - courtsey NAUTICEXPO
Meanwhile, FJORD1 has struck a contract with Norwegian Electric Systems for hybrid-electric systems for three new ferries being built by HAVYARD SHIP TECHNOLOGY.
NES Framedside
NES Framedside - courtsey HAVYARD SHIP TECHNOLOGY

Two of the ferries will operate the route between Brekstad and Valset and one ferry between Sandvikvåg and Husavik. The Norwegian Public Road Administration’s strict emissions requirements for these two ferry routes have resulted in an electrical propulsion system using chargeable lithium-ion batteries (lithium). The ferries are being designed by Multi Maritime.
Norwegian Electric Systems’ DC system ensures the safe charging and discharging of the batteries. It includes the Odin’s Eye solution, which Norwegian Electric Systems says is “an ultra-fast acting safety solution which is incredibly flexible, too. It provides for future upgrades of the vessels, such as larger battery capacity or higher charging power from shore.”
We have had good and close contact with Fjord1, Havyard and Multi Maritime during this preliminary process,” said Norwegian Electric Systems vice president for sales Stein Ruben Larsen.
Norwegian Electric Systems will deliver a complete integrated DC grid system consisting of:
  • the Quest Energy Storage System (batteries)
  • DC switchboards
  • generators
  • transformers
  • switchboards, 230 VAC
  • quadro drive low loss DC/AC and AC/DC
  • Odins Eye, EMS and IAS
  • project management
  • calculations and engineering
  • commissioning and sea trials

Comments

  1. Stephen Carey Except that four Bergen B33:45 engines does not make it an electric ship. Had the same stuff years ago when the Navy was promoting its "all electric ship" to which I replied "You mean diesel/electric?". Well, they've got that ship now and it's the Type 45 destroyer which, whenever they have a problem with the propulsion train, the whole ship blacks out.
    I'm all for saving energy and being green, but I fail to see how batteries - which are not as efficient as a diesel engine - can be said to be greener as they require more energy to charge them up, provided by a diesel engine or other fossil fueled prime mover, or the national grid which is itself driven by fossil fuels. There is no way you can get a battery powered ship any other way. Same with the Tesla car (I'd love one of those) - it still needs charging up by using a source that is provided by fossil fuels. Until someone provides a hydrogen car or fuel cell, then it's not going to happen, and even then the hydrogen and the fuel cell will require manufacture by current means..

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ss NORMANDIE 1935 - 1942 IX

s s / te NORMANDIE starting from cold Owners: COMPAGNIE GÉNÉRALE TRANSATLANTIQUE BUILDERS: PENH Ö ET, St. Nazaire, France   by Stephen Carey © , editing by Earl of Cruise   This document is almost exclusively about the engineering aspects of NORMANDIE , mainly on how to start her up from cold. If you are looking for photos of the passenger spaces, there is a plethora of them on the web, in Facebook groups - Admirers of the ss Normandie , ss Normandie photographic file , The French Ocean Liners / Les Paquebots Fran ç ais , ss Normandie , GREAT LINERS OF THE PAST & PRESENT , and others, Pinterest and in articles about NORMANDIE here in the blog, please see at the end of the article. Using "ss" for NORMANDIE is quite incorrect, as NORMANDIE was a Turbo Electric vessel and not a steamship, therefore NORMANDIE should be adressed as "te".   by Earl of Cruise te / ss NORMANDIE berthed in Le Havre, Gare Maritime May 29th, 1935 - colouring courtesy

Thank You 500,000 readers

HISTORY - PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY

The PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMANY was existing for "just" one hundred years and was in her heydays a backbone for the development of the US West. The PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY was founded April 18, 1848, as a joint stock company under the laws of the State of New York by a group of New York City merchants, William H. Aspinwall , Edwin Bartlett, Henry Chauncey, Mr. Alsop, G.G. Howland and S.S. Howland. These merchants had acquired the right to transport mail under contract from the United States Government from the Isthmusof Panama to California awarded in 1847 to one Arnold Harris. The company was sold 1938 last to AMERICAN PRESIDENT LINES , existing only on the paper, was closed down in 1949.   by Earl of Cruise CALIFORNIA , PACIFIC MAIL's first ship - Source: Wikipedia   CALIFORNIAwas the first steamer built by the PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY and she was launched May 19, 1848. She sailed from New York for Panama, via Cape Horn, on October 6, 1848

HISTORY - Traveling with airliner LZ 129 HINDENBURG was the most luxurious airtravel

The real airliner LZ 129 HINDENBURG enabled the most luxurious airtravel for decades. Imagine, gliding through the air while the landscape or the sea below can be seen ... LZ 129 HINDENBURG marks the climax of airship construction. On May 6, 1937, the story of civilian airship ended in a tragedy. In Lakehurst, New Jersey, the largest flying object and has been with the similar sized LZ 130 GRAF ZEPPELIN II the most luxurious of all time. How this came about can be reconstructed logically, a series of fatal physics concatenations . The airship LZ 129 HINDENBURG marks the climax of airship construction. It was in its time the fastest and most exclusive traveling object between Europe and America. The challenges of the construction of the giant of the heaven were immense. by Earl of Cruise LZ 129 HINDENBURG, 1936, in Lakehurst - digital copy of a coloured cover photo, originally by Bill Schneider, published in Dan Grossman´s book ` ZEPPELIN HINDENBURG: AN ILLUSTRATED HI

HISTORY - ts / ss BREMEN and ts / ss EUROPA

Germany’s two luxury liners, BREMEN and EUROPA , have not only played an important part in their country’s mercantile revival, but have added also an immortal chapter to the history of transatlantic travel. Copy from Shipping Wonders of the World   From part 6 , published 17 March 1936 editing by Earl of Cruise ss / ts BREMEN in her early years - Source: Shipping Wonders of the World/Bundespresse Archiv The PRIDE OF A NATION - the NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD quadruple-screw turbine express liner BREMEN . The keel of this ship was laid in June 1927. Her launch took place in August, 1928. In less than a year later, the Bremen made her first voyage to America, when she crossed the Atlantic from Cherbourg to New York in four days seventeen hours forty-two minutes, thus setting up a new record and gaining the coveted “Blue Riband”. During the passage the Bremen attained an average speed of 27.83 knots. ss / ts BREMEN in her early years - Source: W ikipedia For the populac

HISTORY - The CUNARD - WHITE STAR Liner rms QUEEN ELIZABETH (1938-1972)

Over years, in my early youth, the QUEEN ELIZABETH was shaping my mind for the perfect ocean liner, despite having made my first experiences with a liner onboard the HANSEATIC (1), ex EMPRESS OF SCOTLAND, ex EMPRESS OF JAPAN. When leaning at the rail of HANSEATIC entering the port, my eyes where every where and I wished to by a camera, I took all in. And when seeing the QUEEN ELIZABETH with my own eyes, the nice behaving young boy turned into a tomboy, that my grandmére was no longer able to tame ... I did draw quite a lot of looks, back then. I found, while on research, this article and thought it interesting publishing in my blog: written and published by John Sheperd at liverpoolships.org editing and comments by Earl of Cruise I ( John Shepard ) joined the CUNARD LINE in March 1962 as an Assistant Purser and sailed the QUEEN ELIZABETH throughout that year, before transferring to the Liverpool-based CARINTHIA in November, where I remained as Crew Purser for the next five

Ocean Liners in Movies or Films at Sea (updated Nov 2017)

For liners and the shipping companies movies and films had been a top marketing tool Movies or Films and liners at sea, had been intriguing me since I have read about in my youth in LUXUSLINER - BILDER EINER GROSSEN ZEIT by Lee Server ( THE GOLDEN AGE OF OCEAN LINERS ). But earlier, mot only since my first crossing, I was keen watching movies with liners in it, and disapointed, which was an understatement, when I realized the films have been made in a set ashore in some movie "factory". That was after my first crossing.   by Earl of Cruise an essay in progress `Sabrina´, Humphrey Bogart in the office, while LIBERTÉ is sailing out of New York harbor - screenshot Ocean liners, especially those of the luxury category, had been the location of dramas, love stories, thrillers, suspense and catastrophies sinde film was born, or nearly. In this list, the most descriptions are taken from Wikipedia, as I guess no one can expect having seen all these films ... otherwise I w

Germany and HAPAG - A Journey through History

HAMBURG-AMERIKANISCHEPACKETFAHRT ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT - HAPAG or HAMBURG AMERICA LINE is reflecting, as Germany, the LLOYD of Bremen, two times of rsing and two times of devasting downfall and a third rise. BORUSSIA , 1856, First Day Cover 1956 of Deutsche Bundespost - own collection Once Germany´s biggest shipping line HAPAG / HAMBURG-AMERIKANISCHE PACKETFAHRT ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT-LLOYD, merged with it former old Hanseatic rival NORDDEUTSCHER LLOYD in 1970, to now HAPAG-LLOYD, had its peaks and downs, but rose each time on its own to new hights, without any state subsidies. As German mail subsidiaries did never cover the costs for purchasing or mainting the vessels ordered for the specific German mail lines.   by Earl of Cruise In this article I used most German Wikipedia links, as they proved to be mostly of better research quality, and surprisinf to me, some English lines and liners have only German written articles, for the others, English Wiki links are to find

HISTORY - RHEINGOLD the German luxury day express train

Between May 1928 and August 1939 the luxury day express train RHEINGOLD operated between Hoek van Holland and Basel as a FFD Pullman train of DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN GESELLSCHAFT (DRG) and MITROPA. The name was mystic and elitarian. by Earl of Cruise   RHEINGOLD, the name of the most luxurious train ever of Germany - detail, own photo On May 15th, 1928 the luxury express train RHEINGOLD started for the first time, connecting Hoek von Holland, Netherlands, and Amsterdamn with Basel, Suisse. Name giving was the legendary treasure of the Nibelungen. This special service for most international travelers was an immidiate success. Advertisment for the RHEINGOLD created by Frank Newbould - collection Earl of Cruise For the most travelers in the RHEINGOLD meant the voyage in the luxury train more than being transported in high comfort. From their soft armchairs they could watch the pitoresque Rhine landscape, with wine villages, vine-growing slopes, forteresses and castles, and the Lo

HISTORY - the ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY sailing the South Atlantic

While on research for an article published in print in Jan/Feb 2017 eventually, about the CAP Express steamers of HAMBURG-SÜD (Wikipedia) HAMBURG SÜDAMERIKANISCHEDAMPFSCHIFFFAHRTSGESELLSCHAFT I had to look into the competitors and took advantage of creating seperate articles about. by Earl of Cruises ROYAL MAIL LINE cruise broshure of 1959 - own collection The first of these South America or Rio de la Plata route related articles is about the ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY which was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by the Scottisch business entrepreneur James MacQueen. The line's motto was ` Per Mare Ubique´ (everywhere by sea) - nobody ever should argue about the motto of Albert Ballin `Mein Feld ist die Welt´, both mottos are not ostentatious they express the same: I don´t want to be hindered by frontiers and my limit is the other shore or the sky. After good and bad times ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY became the largest shipping group in