Green ship technoloGy
Wärtsilä’s technology for the future
Commercial and research initiatives see, Wärtsilä developing
environmentally sound propulsion technologies, writes Clare Nicholls.
W
ärtsilä is unfolding a diversified
programme of environmentally-
friendly technologies.
Among its most forward-looking strands
is the company’s fuel cell programme, aimed
at creating sustainable power generation
that is operationally reliable. Research and
development started in 2000, and current
work is focusing on the development of a
solid oxide fuel cell system (SOFC).
An international project, ‘Validation of
a Renewable Methanol Based Auxiliary
Power System for Commercial Vessels’
(METHAPU) began in 2006 and is due to run
until 2009. Its objective is to develop SOFC
technology running on methanol, including
fuel bunkering and storage systems, and a
further aim is to support the introduction of
regulations to allow the use of methanol as a
marine fuel.
METHAPU partners include Wallenius
Marine, DNV, and Lloyd’s Register, and the Wärtsilä WFc20 solid oxide fuel cell.
Wärtsilä is also currently working with
Topsøe Fuel Cell. The project is supported by
EU funding, and validation tests regarding
the performance and emissions of a 20kW
SOFC test unit installed onboard a car carrier
will take place over the course of a year.
According to Lena Blomqvist, Wallenius
Wilhelmsen Logistics vice president,
environment: ‘An installation of a bigger unit
will follow after the tests have been completed
on the smaller unit. The aim is to find a fuel
cell that will be able to provide power for
the auxiliary engine. There is a consensus
of opinion in the shipping industry that it
is doubtful that a solution will be found for
fuel cells providing the sole solution to main
power engines.’
The prototype 20kW SOFC power unit Diagram of a solid oxide fuel cell system.
itself, designated WFC20, is said to be highly
efficient and has high exhaust gas temperature,
which makes it suitable for combined heat WFC20 is claimed to have reliable placed between them. The anode is made
and power (CHP) operation, providing clean operation, and is silent and vibration free. One out of a nickel-zirconia oxide cermet, the
power for marine applications, with low of the advantages of using fuel cell technology cathode is based on lanthanum manganate,
NOx and no SOx emissions. It can be used is that the unit is modular, which allows large and the electrolyte consists of yttria-stabilised
onboard ship as an auxiliary power unit, and systems to be built, based on smaller units. zirconium oxide.
is designed to be connected to a ship’s AC The cell is set up by three main building During operation, air is fed to the cathode,
bus-bar and automation system. blocks - an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte where its oxygen is reduced to form oxide
88 The Naval Architect January 2008
NA Jan - p88+
89.indd 88 07/01/2008 12:29:15
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