Solar Powered Cargo Ship - Calvin R · PDF filecargo ship by addressing aspects that will be essential in determining as to whether the concept is feasible. The proposal includes a

Solar Powered Cargo Ship

January 21

2011 The purpose of this proposal is to approach the concept of a solar powered cargo ship by addressing aspects that will be essential in determining as to whether the concept is feasible. The proposal includes a review on literature pertaining to developments of sustainable energy cargo ships. The proposal also takes into account several dependent variables and provides estimation on the daily energy usage of a Handymax cargo ship. This estimation is then used for a feasibility calculation for diesel abatement. An outline of various ideas for the development of the solar power ships is also included, followed by a discussion on how the development of the design would be implemented. This design discussion includes a timeline and budget for certain milestones needed to be achieved to complete a prototype.

Engineers for A Sustainable World – University at Buffalo

ESW-UB Solar Powered Cargo Ship

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Table of Contents

Challenge ............................................................................................................................. 2

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 2

Problem Statement: ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Relevance to ESW-SunEdison’s Collaboration ................................................................... 3

Literature Review of Related Projects and Studies ............................................................ 3

Solar Powered Ships .................................................................................................................................... 3

Other Power Sources and Efficiency Methods ........................................................................................... 4

Other Sustainability Techniques ................................................................................................................. 5

Study of Actual Energy Usage: ............................................................................................ 5

Calculations for Fuel Consumption from Energy ...................................................................................... 6

Feasibility of Diesel Abatement: ......................................................................................... 6

Calculations for Solar Potential ................................................................................................................... 7

Development of Solar-Powered Cargo Ship Designs .......................................................... 7

Scope of Project ................................................................................................................... 8

Development of Design: ...................................................................................................... 9

Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 9

Works Cited ....................................................................................................................... 10

Appendix............................................................................................................................ 12

1.0 Proposed Budget ............................................................................................................. 12

2.0 Timeline .......................................................................................................................... 13

3.0 Customer Requirements and Engineering Specifications .............................................. 16

4.0 Calculations and Equations ........................................................................................... 20

5.0 House of Quality ............................................................................................................. 20

6.0 Brainstormed Ideas ........................................................................................................ 23

7.0 Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................ 24


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Challenge

SunEdison has given Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) the opportunity to form a new strategic

partnership that supports the significant expansion of solar energy generation, creative improvements in

power storage, and integrated resource management. ESW – University at Buffalo (ESW-UB) has

formally applied for the specific category of solar cargo ships.

The focus of this category is to determine the feasibility of diesel emissions abatement

using solar powered cargo ships. A typical dry cargo ship, in the “Handymax” class is

designed to be a maximum width of 32.2 meters (m) so it can fit through the Panama

Canal. A typical length of 170 m would result in a potential surface area capable of

producing about 1.3 megawatts (MW) of peak solar power. A Handymax cargo ship

typically has a diesel engine capable of about 8.5 MW.

Introduction

Every day, millions of tons of raw materials used to make consumer goods are shipped from one location

to the next as part of the global economy. The cargo shipping industry alone carries 90% of consumer

goods and world trade (1). Over 50,000 registered merchant ships trade these goods daily. The

classification of these merchant ships is based upon deadweight tonnage (DWT), which is defined as the

sum of all of the weight in the ship except for the ship’s structure itself. This weight is the maximum

weight that the ship can safely travel with (2). Of all of the registered merchant ships, 6,200 of these ships

can be classified as dry bulk carriers, which are over 5,000 DWT (May 2007) (3).

For the purposes of this proposal, ESW-UB will focus on merchant ships classified as Handymax, which is

formally defined as a dry bulk carrier between 35,000 and 60,000 DWT. These ships account for 33.4% of

all dry bulk carriers. The average size of a Handymax is 191.8 meters long and 31.1 meters wide (629.3

feet x 102 feet), with an average speed of 14.5 knots (16.69 mph) (4). These ships on average are built to

operate for 24 hours a day, for 280 days per year (5).

Due to the size and number of all these merchant and cargo ships, the global cargo shipping industry

produces around 3% the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (6). While 3% may seem small, it

surpasses many small country’s GHG emissions. Japan by comparison contributes 3.17% to global

emissions (7). It is important to note, that on a weight per distance analysis, cargo shipping is much more

efficient than other methods of shipping such as by rail or truck. However, due to the scale and size of the

industry, there is room to lower the emissions from the shipping industry.

To effectively answer the challenge posed in the Request for Proposal (RFP) from SunEdison, ESW-UB’s

Solar Project team has developed the following problem statement, to which ESW-UB can effectively

apply engineering design principles to design potential solutions. This will include developing a set of

customer requirements (CR) and engineering specifications (ES) which can be used to create a well-

defined solution to the problem.


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Problem Statement:

The cargo shipping industry, specifically diesel powered cargo ships, is a heavy contributor to worldwide

carbon emission levels. With an increase in efforts to reduce emissions, there is great potential to use the

existing surface area of a cargo ship more effectively. This can be done by designing ways to exploit the

potential integration of photo-voltaic solar panels into the power supply of Handymax class diesel-

powered cargo ships.

Relevance to ESW-SunEdison’s Collaboration

ESW's official mission statement is as follows: ESW mobilizes students and professionals through

education, technical projects and collaborative action to impact local and global sustainability challenges.

This project ties in closely to that mission. Due to the heavy contributions to carbon emissions, applying

solar energy to offset diesel emissions on cargo ships can help to positively impact the global community.

Furthermore, such a large-scale project gives our chapter a great opportunity to collaborate with

professionals from industry to gain a practiced point of view for working on a technical project.

SunEdison’s key values pertain to continuous dedication and enthusiasm towards the pursuit of

innovation in solar energy technology and the collaboration with customers and professional contacts in

related fields. Allowing collegiate chapters of ESW to become involved with this type of technical design

project is consistent with the values of SunEdison and gives students the ability to apply their untapped

knowledge and capabilities.

Literature Review of Related Projects and Studies

At present and in the recent past, cargo ships have been designed to utilize alternative sources of energy

and be more power efficient. ESW-UB has researched the work that other companies have done, and are

currently doing to foster sustainable shipping. Listed below are some of the efforts to lessen the carbon

footprint of cargo shipping.

Solar Powered Ships

In late 2008, the construction of the M/V Auriga Leader, marked the completion of the world’s first cargo

ship partially powered by solar energy. Two leading Japanese companies, the NYK Line (Nippon Yusen

Kaisha), and the Nippon Oil Corporation, jointly designed the 656-foot, 60,000-ton ship as a Toyota

Motors Corporation car carrier to transport vehicles from Japan to North America. Capable of generating

40 kilowatts of electricity, the solar panels will save up to 6.5 percent of fuel used by the ship, cutting its

CO2 emissions by about 1 to 2 percent or about 20 tons per year (8) (9). The 328 solar panels are not

attached to the ship directly. Instead, the panels are installed on the ship’s car carrier, designed to carry

6,400 automobiles, and then connected to the onboard 440 volt electrical network (10). Although this is

only a fractional amount of the energy used by the ship, the companies hope to commercialize the design,

because it significantly decreases the total amount of fossil fuels used (9).

In addition, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, and the shipper Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) are working together to develop

a car carrier shipping vessel to run on a diesel-electric hybrid powered in part by photovoltaic panels

placed on the ship. The panels will function as a 200 kW system while the batteries can operate at 3000

kW/h, meeting the capabilities of the diesel engine. This will allow the ship to operate entirely off of the

solar energy stored in its 644,000 lithium ion batteries when maneuvering and docking in port. This


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system accounts for a 6.5% decrease in fuel usage over one roundtrip (11).Through the support of Japan’s

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism docks can potentially be outfitted with solar

energy collection systems to supply energy to the ship’s batteries while vessels are loaded. The Ministry

also is pushing for MOL to retrofit their Euphony Ace and Swift Ace cargo ships with solar panels to run

as hybrids as well. The ultimate goal is to make the transportation industry carbon neutral and these are

the appropriate steps to achieve this (12).

Other Power Sources and Efficiency Methods

Using engines that run off biogas and sails that harness wind power can lead to a sustainable cargo ship

design. In 2009, B9 Energy announced their plans to launch a sustainable cargo ship in 2012. To

eliminate the need for fossil fuels, B9 Energy is constructing a ship, run on multiple propulsion systems,

to transport torrified wood and sustainable bio-fuels. Sixty percent of the energy for the ships propulsion

will ideally come from thrust harnessed from the wind by sails. The other 40% of the ships power will

come from biogas engines. This combination of propulsion will result in a carbon neutral cargo ship. B9

Energy is also planning on including recycling practices in the construction of the boat hull. The steel

used for their fleet of sustainable ships will be made from the steel of the cargo ships they plan on

replacing (13). The melting process for the recycled steel is to be done with torrified wood, which produces

less fossil carbon emissions than other heating processes. B9 Energy has created a plan to show that

sustainability will not only power a cargo ship reliably, but also guide their manufacturing process. Thus,

B9 Energy hopes to fill a commercially successful and environmentally responsible shipping niche (13).

Since hybrid engines are already integrated in several types of transportation to increase efficiency and

reduce carbon emissions, similar technology could also probe successful to design cargo ships. The most

efficient power plant is the diesel-electric engines that power cars, trains, and maritime vessels. This

combination typically consists of a combustion engine that drives a generator which converts mechanical

energy to electrical energy either stored in batteries or used to directly drive an electric motor. Depending

on the amount of power needed the vehicle can be propelled directly from the batteries, generator, main

combustion engine, or a combination of these. The first hybrid tugboat, a Dolphin Class, runs in a variety

of modes to use as little energy as possible. Its minimal emission mode uses energy from the batteries to

drive an electric motor. While cruising, it operates with energy directly from both the electric engine, and

the full power main engines. The ability to function with different operational limits allows the tug boat to

drive its propeller in a manner that is conscious of its environmental impact, reducing greenhouse gas

emissions significantly (14). Similar systems may also be implemented in future cargo ships, so they

become a more environmentally feasible form of transportation.

Also, there are multiple ways to make cargo ships more energy efficient, which will ultimately help a cargo

ship powered by sustainable sources of energy be feasible. One of these ways consists of installing an air

cavity system aboard the ship. Rotterdam marine-engineering firm DK Group designed a ship equipped

with this system, where air is pumped into the bottom of the ship’s hull, creating buoyant pockets that

allow the ship to glide more easily on the surface of the water. This technology ultimately can cut ship fuel

consumption by up to 15%. Furthermore, an air cavity system only adds about 2% to 3% to building costs,

while cutting the fuel costs in the future (15). Also, power consumption can be decreased by coating the

bottom of the cargo ship with antifouling paint, which prevents the buildup of barnacles, which add to

ship drag. Because of the size of the cargo ships, this decrease in drag saves a significant amount of power

(16). Additionally, slowing the speed of cargo ships decreases the energy needed to power cargo ships.

With the recession some companies have slowed their standard shipping speeds from 25 knots to 20

knots. Others have even further reduced their speeds down to 12 knots. For example, Maersk, the world's


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largest shipping line, with more than 600 ships, adapted its giant marine diesel engines to travel at super-

slow speeds, reducing fuel consumption by 30% (16). Ultimately, these means to reduce fossil fuel usage

are promising for sustainable ships, because less energy needs to be generated to power them.

Other Sustainability Techniques

Sustainability techniques are also being implemented in ports through the Green Flag Incentive Program,

which rewards incoming and outgoing cargo ships for reducing their speed to 12 knots within 40 nautical

miles of port to reduce their emissions closer to port. Ultimately, this reduction in speed can decrease air

pollution for ships by 2,000 tons per year. The Port of Long Beach has been taking further steps to

decrease air pollution by implementing new docking techniques and giving incentives to incoming and

outgoing ships. Also, a practice known as cold ironing has been implemented at pier G of the Port of Long

Beach. This allows the cargo ships to plug into clean electrical power and turn off their diesel engines

while at port. This process is equivalent to taking 33,000 cars of the road for each day the engines are not

running. To reduce emissions in the Port of Long Beach, equipment utilizes diesel oxidation catalysts,

fleets of hybrid vehicles run on compressed natural gas, and low emission freight locomotives are now

used (17).

Study of Actual Energy Usage:

To estimate the potential of solar power on a Handymax class vessel, preliminary energy calculations were

performed. For our design process, it is important to produce an accurate analysis of energy usage by a

Handymax vessel, taking into consideration all possible variables. To provide a broad enough analysis

while maintaining scientific integrity, each key variable is considered independently with respect to other

relatively fixed quantities. In quantifying the use of fuel (energy usage), there are numerous quantities

that vary under different conditions. Calculations cover the entire range of conditions, because conditions

are difficult to predict and maintain.

Dependent variables

The dependent variables vary with conditions. The most important variables in this category are:

Size of the ship in DWT

Speed of the ship in knots

Engine efficiency

Independent variables

The independent variables remain relatively stationary with change in conditions. The most important

independent variables are listed in Table 1.

Independent Variables

Power in diesel fuel: 10.96 kWh/L

Hours/day sun: 6 hr sun/day

Solar Panel Efficiency: 20%

Length Overall: 170 m

Beam: 32.2 m

Insolation: 1 kW/m2

Table 1. Independent Variables


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The range of ship length is approximately 150 m to 190 m. The average value of 170 m is used here as the

change is small in the calculations (9% power produced). Solar insolation varies daily, however average of

6 hr/day of sun is assumed for operation over the year. This assumption is valid in that the engines will

not be completely replaced by solar. Also, over the duration of trips ranging from roughly five days to two

weeks, solar averages will tend close to average. With current weather prediction techniques, fuel needs

can be more accurately planned for these trips.

Calculations for Fuel Consumption from Energy

The energy consumption (in kWh) is examined for a 24 hour period in order to accurately predict realistic

needs. See Appendix 4.0, Equation 1. Table 2 is adapted from MAN Diesel and Turbo, a diesel engine

manufacturer, whose engines can be found in Handymax ships (3).

DWT kWh/day [14.5knots]

(average) kWh/day [14knots]

kWh/day [15.0knots]

35,000 161,520 135,600 182,640

40,000 172,320 150,720 197,040

45,000 201,600 176,160 230,880

55,000 224,400 196,800 254,400 Table 2. Daily Energy Used in a Handymax ship by weight and speed. Adapted from MAN Diesel and

Turbo (3)

The actual fuel needs can be examined by comparing the daily required energy needs with the percent

efficiency of the engine versus the power available in the fuel itself (See Appendix 4.0, Equation 2). A

graph of this can be found in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Daily Consumption vs. Size for Handymax at 60% engine efficiency

Feasibility of Diesel Abatement:

The purpose of the feasibility analysis is to quantify current fuel consumption of Handymax vessels as well

as to determine the percentage of fuel that can be replaced using solar panels. In quantifying the use of

fuel, there are numerous quantities that vary under different conditions. These conditions are difficult to

4,000.00

6,000.00

8,000.00

10,000.00

12,000.00

30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000

Fu

el

Co

ns

um

pti

on

[G

al/

da

y]

Size [DWT]

Daily Fuel Consumption vs. Size for Handymax at 60% engine efficiency

Gal/day [14.5knots] (average)

Gal/day [14.0knots]

Gal/day [15.0knots]


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predict and near impossible to maintain, therefore calculations have been expanded to encompass the

entire range of conditions.

Calculations for Solar Potential

The calculations for potential of solar energy that can be obtained can be found in Appendix 4.0,

Equations 3-6. This too is examined against a 24 hour period for accurate prediction. From these

calculations, it is determined that there is a per-day energy potential of 6,600 kWh/Day.

The results of these calculations show that with the aforementioned assumptions, about 2% of the ships

fuel needs could be replaced by solar panels covering the upper surface area of the ship. An attempt was

made to correlate these amounts of fuel to the price of heavy fuel oil (HFO); however, the sources for this

information require subscriptions to online databases and further funding will be used to acquire this

information.

Development of Solar-Powered Cargo Ship Designs

Once research on the energy usage and diesel abatement was developed, customer requirements (CR) and

engineering specifications (ES) were developed (Appendix - 3.0, 4.0) that would best suit the problem

statement. These CR and ES were created by analyzing the potential customer groups that this design will

affect. Using various brainstorming techniques, we have the following core design categories for further

development (Appendix - 6.0):

Coverage of the ship deck with solar PV panels

o Covering the ship's deck with solar paneling is a key component to all of our design ideas.

Solar Sails

o Through the use of solar sails in various capacities, total surface area can be increased in

a flexible, easily stored manner.

Retractable Panel Designs and Techniques

o Through the potential use of various retractable designs (such as accordion-style and

flower-petal style), solar surface area can again be increased without greatly interfering

with loading processes.

Connected Extensions

o Another design to increase overall surface area for solar paneling is to add forms of flaps

to the ship to fold down and harvest sunlight. Adding solar arrays to the decks or sides of

ships also falls under this category.

Solar Barge

o Another design we've discussed is to create a towable barge or catamaran. While adding

base surface area, other structures such as solar sails or solar arrays could also be built

upon them.

Furthermore, brainstorm discussions led to the development of various ideas which can be potentially

applied to any of the previous design categories:

Solar Tracking or Programming

o To maximize efficiency of added solar arrays, forms of tracking systems to reposition the

arrays would be implemented. Due to the regularity of shipping routes, the arrays could


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also be programmed to follow a direct path of the sun (in the case that the swaying of a

ship made solar tracking impractical, for instance).

Energy Storage and Port Charging

o Energy storage systems are important in these designs not only to store energy from on-

board solar panels, but also to potentially charge at port to help offset the necessary

amount of energy drawn from solar paneling. Specifically, super-capacitor technology

could be researched.

Durability

o Due to the application of these solar panels, durability could be an issue. To address this,

the technology used in the design of prototyped solar roads will be researched.

Scope of Project

For this proposed project, ESW-UB plans to fully develop one of the aforementioned brainstormed ideas

into a prototype model. To effectively develop this prototype, we have developed a tentative timeline to

follow over the following 8 months (Appendix 2.0). The major milestones are:

Preliminary Design

Verification of Design

Computer Generated Model

Physical Prototype

Final Report

To effectively choose our design, ESW-UB will need to travel to different shipyards in the continental US

that can handle Handymax ships. During these visits, ESW-UB will set up meetings with industry

professionals to create more robust set of CR and ES. Currently, the CR and ES that make up the HOQ

are from current information, which is solely based upon internet research. By working with these

professionals, ESW-UB will gain invaluable insight into the needs of our customer groups to create a

better design.

Currently, there is no Handymax production in the United States due to international regulations;

however ESW-UB has identified three different shipyards that handle Handymax ships. They are located

in:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Aker Philadelphia Shipyard

San Diego, California – General Dynamics NASSCO

Tampa, Florida – Tampa Ship, LLC

ESW-UB plans to reach out to these shipyards and set up a meeting with their engineers to discuss our

design problem. We have budgeted (Appendix 1.0) to send 3 different groups of 2-3 students to each of

these shipyards, which will cost effectively gain the proper information. From these trips, our HOQ can

be redefined to create a relevant design and prototype. Local travel costs have also been budgeted to visit

Great Lakes shipyards that handle cargo ships.

After visiting the shipyards, the design process can continue. This will start with selection of a final design

idea to develop, all the way to a prototype. Funds have been budgeted for completion of this process,

which will include (based on final design selection): materials to build a prototype, testing equipment,


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diagnostic equipment, CAD software, etc. The final allocation of funds will be for printing and

publication of our final report to all valid parties.

In order to coordinate our group efforts, a website has been created specifically for this project, which can

be found at https://sites.google.com/site/eswubsolarproject2011/. Due to the sensitive nature of the

information on the website, it has been made private (access furnished upon request).

From this project ESW-UB will deliver a fully designed working prototype. To accompany this prototype,

a presentation, research paper and all related models will be provided to ESW-National and SunEdison.

Development of Design:

To develop the design, the customer requirements and engineering specs will be refined with further

research and resources. With the greater base of specifics on the subject and information from field

interviews, relative importance will be applied to each engineering specification. Through use of the

House of Quality (HOQ) (Appendix - 5.0) the weight of the requirements will be figured into absolute (AI)

and relative importance (RI) can be calculated (Appendix 4.0, equation 7).

Each importance will be ranked and the top 10% of customer requirements will be used to develop a

decision matrix to compare the top design ideas. The idea that is selected from the decision matrix will

then move on to final design development.

In final design development, the design selected will pass through multiple phases to approach

finalization. These include: sketches, parts list and bill of materials (BOM), cost analysis, reliability

analysis, life cycle analysis, and tolerance analysis. Concurrently with this phase, CAD model development

will be taking place. These steps ensure robustness of the designed solution and will allow moderate

testing before prototyping.

Physical prototyping will require the BOM to be finalized and will require acquisition of materials and

goods. The prototype will involve but is not limited to a scaled model of the ship as well as actual size

prototyping of important aspects. The testing plan will be finalized before material acquisition, but will

include aspects to ensure proper operation of the ship as well as feasibility of integration of solar panels.

Conclusion

ESW-UB would like to ask SunEdison and ESW-National for the full $10,000 amount for

this given proposal. This money will be used to fully refine the CR and ES of this problem statement in

order to take our core design ideas into a robust decision matrix. From here, we can choose the core

design idea that best fits the newly refined CR and ES. Expenses are laid out in a budget (Appendix - 1.0),

and include a large (70%) portion to cover research and travel costs. These costs will be incurred in

sending 6-9 team members to one of the three shipyards in the continental US. (Philadelphia, San Diego,

and Tampa) to interact with an industry professional to better define the CR and ES. ESW-UB also plans

to travel to local (Great Lakes) shipyards to speak with additional industry professionals. The final

destination will be determined on availability of the shipyards to speak with us about design. Once this

travel and research has been completed, the final design will be taken into the process of engineering

design, described in the previous section, where 25% of the funds will be used. The remaining 5% of the

funds will be used for producing, printing, and distributing the final report to the appropriate parties.

https://sites.google.com/site/eswubsolarproject2011/


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Works Cited

1. International Chamber of Shipping. Shipping and World Trade. International Chamber of

Shipping. [Online] International Chamber of Shipping, 2010. [Cited: 1 13, 2010.]

http://www.marisec.org/shippingfacts/worldtrade/index.php.

2. Turpin, Edward A. and McEwen, William A. Merchant Marine Officers' Handbook, 4th edition.

Centreville, Maryland : Cornell Maritime Press, 1980.

3. MAN Diesel A/S. Propulsion Trends in Bulk Carriers. Copenhagen, Denmark : s.n., 2007.

4. Gerson Lehrman Group. Handysize. Energy & Industrials. [Online] Gerson Lehrman Group, 2010.

[Cited: 1 13, 2010.] http://www.glgroup.com/Dictionary/EI-Handysize.html.

5. Vidal, John. Health Risks of Shipping Pollution have been 'Underestimated'. The Guardian.

Thursday, 2009, April 9th.

6. International Chamber of Shipping. Shipping, World Trade and the Reduction of CO2 Emissions.

London, England : International Maritime Organization Marine Environment Protection Committee,

2010.

7. Wikipedia. List of Countries by Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Wikipedia. [Online] Wikimedia

Productions, 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_greenhouse_gas_emissions.

8. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. Toyota's Solar-Powered Cargo Ship. Toyota. [Online] 8 2, 2010.

http://www.toyota.com/esq/articles/2010/Solar_Powered_Cargo_Ship.html.

9. IGreenSport. Solar Powered Ship from NYK Line and Nippon Oil. igreenspot. [Online] 9 30, 2009.

http://www.igreenspot.com/solar-powered-ship-from-nyk-line-and-nippon-oil/#idc-cover.

10. Schuler, Mike. Auriga Leader – Toyota’s Solar Powered Cargo Ship. GCaptain. [Online] 7 2, 2009.

[Cited: 1 19, 2011.] http://gcaptain.com/solar-powered-cargo-ship-auriga-leader.

11. Mitsubishi, Sanyo Working on Hybrid Car Carrier. Pure Green Cars. [Online] GreenCarsMedia.com, 1

15, 2010. [Cited: 1 19, 2010.] http://puregreencars.com/Green-

Culture/mitsubishi_sanyo_working_on_hybrid_car_carrier.html.

12. Hiratsuka, Mark. Solar-powered car carrier to clean up 'dirty' shipping. CNN GO. [Online] Cable

News Network, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., 1 15, 2010. [Cited: 1 12, 2011.]

http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/none/solarpowered-container-ship-delivers-cars-port-without-co2-

burn-146088#ixzz1BRRDWcI2.

13. Brass, Elaine. Energy company sails into view with sustainable cargo ship. Green Wise. [Online] The

Sixty Mile Publishing company, 12 9, 2009. [Cited: 1 13, 2011.]

http://www.greenwisebusiness.co.uk/news/energy-company-sails-into-view-with-sustainable-cargo-

ship-965.aspx.


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14. Scott, Willie. First Diesel-Battery Electric Hybrid Tugboat. Bright Hub. [Online] Bright Hub Inc., 12

31, 2010. [Cited: 1 10, 2011.] http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/marine/articles/101461.aspx.

15. Sustainable Life Media. "Air Carpet" Cargo Ship Uses 15% Less Fuel. Sustainable Life Media.

[Online] 1 05, 2009. [Cited: 1 16, 2011.]

http://www.sustainablelifemedia.com/content/story/design/air_carpet_cargo_ship_uses_15_percent_l

ess_fuel.

16. Vidal, John. Modern cargo ships slow to the speed of the sailing clippers. The Observer. [Online]

The Guardian, 7 25, 2010. [Cited: 1 18, 2011.]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/25/slow-ships-cut-greenhouse-emissions.

17. Port of Long Beach. Green Port Policy. Port of Long Beach. [Online] 2010. [Cited: 1 15, 2011.]

http://www.polb.com/environment/green_port_policy/default.asp.

18. Chen, Hsiu-Li. Benchmarking and quality improvement. s.l. : International Journal of Quality &

Reliability Management, 2002. 0265-671X.

19. Lewis, Dr.Kemper E. MAE 451 - Design Process and Methods, Alternative Generation Lecture.

Amherst : University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 2010.


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Appendix

The following items are supplemental to ESW-UB’s proposal for Solar Cargo Ship Designs.

1.0 Proposed Budget: ESW-UB’s Proposed Budget:

Research & Travel

Great Lakes Shipyards (4-5 people, multiple day trips, dependent on distance) Gas (3000 miles total trip lengths, 25 mpg, $3.50 per gallon) $ 420.00

Hotels $ 380.00

In-city transportation (parking, driving, etc) $ 100.00

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Aker Philadelphia Shipyard (3 Members - 1 Night, 1 Day) Flight (3 Round-trip tickets) $ 1,400.00

Hotel (1 Night) $ 250.00

Transportation around city (cab, bus, taxi, etc) $ 100.00

San Diego, California - General Dynamics NASSCO (3 Members - 1 Night, 1 Day)

Flight (3 Round-trip tickets) $ 1,400.00



Tampa, Florida – Tampa Ship, LLC (3 Members - 1 Night, 1 Day) Flight (3 Round-trip tickets) $ 1,400.00



Potential Research Costs (Engineer's time, entrance to shipyards, etc.) $ 900.00

Research & Travel $ 7,000.00

Printing & Publication

Printing, binding, mailing, etc. $ 500.00

Supplies and Materials

Paper, materials, software, CDs, DVDs, etc. $ 500.00

Equipment

Diagnostic equipment, testing rigs, building materials $ 2,000.00

Total: $ 10,000.00

Note: Flight round trip tickets taken from an Expedia.com estimate, departure from Buffalo to selected

city on Tuesday March 8th, early in the morning (6:00 AM) landing around lunch time at all 3 cities.

ESW-UB solar team members will have time to meet from the business hours of 12-5PM, allowing hotel

check-in after the first round of meetings. The departing flight leaves evening (after 6:00 PM) the next

day, allowing for a full day at the shipyards to meet with the industry professionals. The potential other

research costs are to include for time that might need to be paid to the shipyard professionals.


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Local travel will include any costs incurred on relatively short (less than 3 hours drive) to various Great

Lakes ship builders and ports. The main portion of the research and travel funds will be incurred on

visiting shipyards and ports that actually work on Handymax type ships. ESW-UB plans to send 2-3

students to each of the 3 mentioned ship yards to meet with industry professionals. By sending small

groups to multiple places, we can obtain a wider variety of responses from the ship yards. Before

attending each shipyard, ESW-UB will work with SunEdison and ESW-National to formulate questions to

ask the industry professionals, to make the best use of our time.

Depending on the final project scope, our equipment and materials that we will need to purchase will

vary, such as actuators and metal to construct a working model. A 3-D CAD model will be developed for

the final design. Once the project is fully developed a presentation will be developed, encompassing

everything that we’ve done in the project.

2.0 Timeline The following charts describe a detailed chart is chart describes when the deadlines will occur throughout

the project’s scope. Figure 2 and Figure 3 depict the timeline and a GANTT chart, respectively.

The major planned milestones are:

Preliminary Design

Verification of Design

Computer Generated Model

Physical Prototype

Final Report


14

Figure 2. Timeline for Proposed Project


15

Figure 3. GANTT Chart for proposed project


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3.0 Customer Requirements and Engineering Specifications

Customer requirements (CR) are a specific set of requirements from all groups that are impacted by the

product. The CR are directly defined by individual customer groups. Examples of customer groups used

are the ship captains, solar panel suppliers, and direct suppliers of goods. The customer requirements are

generally not quantifiable and provide little base of comparison. For example a customer requirement of a

direct supplier is inexpensive shipping. The engineering specifications (ES) are directly mapped from the

CR. These take the CR and turn them into quantifiable metrics by which the design can be measured. For

example, the ES mapped from cheap shipping would be to minimize cost of shipping in dollars. The CR

are then given a weighting and related to the ES. These weightings are normalized and this allows for the

top ES to be determined. These top ES are then used to pick and develop the best design ideas and can be

used to optimize the design to best serve the customer’s needs.

The following CR and ES that we developed were:

Customer Groups

Customer Requirements

Engineering Specs

Ship Builders (Modifiers)

Minimal Excess Labor for Ship

Minimize Time

of Construction

Minimize Number Of Parts

Complexity

Minimize Number of Added

Parts

Minimize Number of

New Physical Interfaces

Maximize use of Previously

Implemented Controls

Availability of Materials

Maximize Use of

Existing Products

Minimize Time for Material Acquisition

Value Added

Maximize Number of

Features / hr labor

Maximize Added Profit

Building Material Suppliers

Little Change from Materials

Already Supplied

Minimize New BOM

Items

Few Changes in Underlying Structure

Maximize use of

Existing Structure (Wiring, Physical

Components)

Ship Design Ability to Float

Reduce Weight (Reduce Added

Weight)


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Captain

Navigation Doesn’t

Interfere with Navigation

Minimize Vision

Impairment

Minimize Interference

with Positioning Equipment

Maintain

Maneuverability

Minimize change in

weight distribution

Management (Company Owners)

No Crew Increase

Maximize Use of

Previously Implemented

Controls

Minimize Required

Maintainability

Reduce

Expenses Minimize

Power Losses

Maximize Efficiency

(System and Panel level)

Minimize Unique Parts

Improve

Company Image

Maximize Visibility of

Panels

Maximize Visible

Recognition of Sustainable

Design

Decrease Emissions/

Energy Consumptions

Maximize Solar

Efficiency

Maximize Surface Area

Used

Crew (3 - 30 people)

Adequate

Living Spaces

Minimize Internal

Structural Changes to

Ship

Good Ability to Move

about the Ship

Minimize Internal

Structural Changes to

Ship

No Decrease in Ability

to Perform Duties

Maximize Use of

Existing Structure

No Extra Training

Minimize Required

Maintenance Time

Minimize New Controls

Minimize Unique Controls

International Regulations

Fit Through

Panama Canal

Target Value Zero

Increase in Ship Width and Height

Size

Regulations

Target Value Zero

Increase in

Minimize Increase in Permanent


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Ship Width and Height

Length

Electronic

Regulations

Minimize Electrical

Interference

Minimize New Electrical

Components

Maximize Integration into New

Source

Ease of

Inspection

Maximize Access Points

for Mechanical

Systems

Maximize Access Points for Electrical

Systems

Sun Edison (Project

Funding & Coordination)

Robust

Final Product

Minimize Number of

Added Parts

Minimize Number of


Avoid

Failure

Minimize Exposure to

Elements and Weather

Minimize Fatigue Points

Maximize Redundancy in

Electrical System

Ease of

Implementation

Maximize Integration

with Existing Systems

Minimize Time Required to

Install

Ease of

Integration

Maximize Integration

with Existing Systems

Minimize Time Required to

Install

Maximize Use of Existing

Products/Technology

Ports (120 hrs)

Loading Crew

MaintainTime to Load

Minimize Number of


Target Zero Change in Loading Method

Maintain

Safety

Minimize Number of



Refueling Decrease Time

to Refuel

Minimize Time to Refuel

Decrease Fuel Consumption

Minimize Fuel

Consumption (Volume

Consumption Rate)

Maintenance Ease of Access

to Critical Parts

Maximize Access Points

for Mechanical

Systems

Maximize Access Points for Electrical

Systems

No Interference

Minimize Time for

Maintenance


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Minimize New Parts Required

Minimize New Parts Required

Minimize

New Training

Minimize Hours of Training Required

Maintain

Safety

Minimize Number of



Direct Suppliers

(ie growers of wheat,

grain, coal, ore)

Company

Image


Panels

Maximize Visible


Design

Maintain or Decrease Cost

of Shipping

Minimize Cost of

Shipping

Direct Consumers

No Extra

Cost of Goods

Minimize Cost of

Shipping

Company Image


Panels

Maximize Visible


Design

Maintain

Scheduling

Minimize Shipping

Time

Solar Panels

Suppliers Profit on

Panels

Maximize Profit on

Solar Panels in $

Increase Demand

Maximize Rate of Solar

Panel Demand in Panels/yr

Makers Maintain Quality

of Panels

Target Zero Change to Existing Panels

Maintenance

Ability to Perform in

Violent Salt Water

Environment

Minimize Area of

Sensitive Components

Exposed

Minimize Time Required for Maintenance

Environmental

Decrease Carbon

Footprint

Maximize Solar

Efficiency

Maximize Surface Area

Used

Minimize Volume of Fuel Consumption


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4.0 Calculations and Equations The following are equations used to support our study of energy usage on Handymax ships and the

feasibility of diesel abatement.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

5.0 House of Quality In our project proposal we include a house of quality. A house of quality (HOQ) is an efficient way to

represent relationships between different aspects of projects requirements. The center of the house is

used to relate the CR to their corresponding ES. CR are generally non-quantifiable aspects to the product

that are desired by the customer such as fit, aesthetics and maneuverability. ES are the quantifiable

aspects of the product that satisfy the customer requirements, such as size, power usage and weight. The

roof of the house relates the ES to each other where positive signs show a direct relationship between the

specs while a negative sign shows an inverse relationship and no sign indicates a weak or non-existent

relationship between the engineering specifications. The basement shows the how much such as weights

to specific customer requirements.

The HOQ for our project has been developed and can be found in a separate Microsoft Excel file. Due to

the size of this house it has been excluded from this appendix, and is available upon request. Two

examples are depicted in Figure 4 and (18):


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Figure 4. House of Quality Example


22

Figure 5. Example House of Quality


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6.0 Brainstormed Ideas Throughout the creative process, many individual ideas were created and explored by our team. These

ideas were developed using a process called the “6-3-5 method”. This method involves a 6 person team

participating in 5 rounds of brainstorming, each round lasting 3 minutes (19). A round consists of the

person writing down as many ideas that they can on a sheet of paper. After each round this paper is

passed to the right, where the ideas can either be developed further, or people can come up with new

ideas. This is repeated until you have your original sheet of paper. The following ideas were explored by

our team, and later consolidated into the major themes presented in the main of the proposal.

Coverage of the Ship Deck with Solar PV Panels

o Solar panels on the deck positioned at an angle for highest efficiency

Install on turntable to maximize degrees of freedom

o Panels mounted to bulk cargo bay doors in an array to rotate and angle as appropriate

Solar Sails

o Solar sails to extend off sides for ship, or parachutes

o Use Cranes to create elevated solar cloth level

Deployable cloth can double as a sail for additional wind power

Retractable as needed with minimal effort from crew

Retractable Panel Designs and Techniques

o “Accordion” solar panel that can close up during loading (may need extra support,

possibly use cranes. Could also extend at angles)

o Solar “Petal,” folding and unfolding like a flower

o Use Origami based folding patterns

Connected Extensions

o Solar shingles to be fitted on hull, or any space possible

o Panels on sides of ship to collect reflected light from water

o Solar “Platforms” that extend off the ship, they could use the existing hatch sides

o Solar array could be lowered by same system as life rafts, released into the water and

small motors could guide the raft (or catamaran) safely away from the ships wake, with

high strength cables secured to stern then reeled in a and positioned back by the life boat

system

Solar Barge

o Fold or slide-out raft or barge to trail and/or flank the ship

If barge can be self-powered, it could be used to tow the ship in, reducing external

costs at docks

Solar Paneling on surface

Solar sails and/or arrays on the barges as well

Solar Array Tracking

Solar Tracking or Programming

o Program the panel direction based on the ship’s route and departure time

o Determine location of the sun during the duration of the trip for maximum sun exposure.

o Automated System

Energy Storage and Port Charging

o Ultracapacitor technology and High Density Energy Storage

o “Cold Ironing” at ports to charge energy storage systems

o Use a device that will convert stopping power into electricity


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Durability

o Cleaning Solution: Specialized coating to avoid salt buildup on panels

Other ideas that were proposed, but do not fit into the primary points include:

Wind kite

Add solar panels to life rafts: could connect to the ship to supply power when attached, and could

help power themselves (medical systems, etc.) when disconnected

Use several propulsion sources (biogas, wind sails, etc)

7.0 Definition of Terms BOM: Bill of Materials

CR: Customer Requirements

cSt: Centistoke: Viscosity rating, in this case, the ratio of the fluids absolute viscosity to its density

DWT: Dead Weight Tons

ES: Engineering Specifications

GHG: Greenhouse Gas (emissions)

HFO: Heavy Fuel Oil

HOQ: House of Quality

kW: Kilowatt (1,000 Watts), a measure of electric power instantaneously used.

kWh: Kilowatt-hours (How much power is consumed over an hour), a measure of electric energy used.

LCV: Low Caloric Value (also called Heating Value). This is a rating given to the fuel based on its rate of

combustion.

MDO: Marine Diesel Oil

SMCR: Specified Maximum Continuous Rating (generally associated with Power, i.e. SMCR Power)

Documents

Solar Powered Cargo Ship - Calvin R · PDF filecargo ship by addressing aspects that will be essential in determining as to whether the concept is feasible. The proposal includes a