On the design of plug-in hybrid fuel cell and lithium battery propulsion systems for coastal ships

A plug-in hybrid propulsion system comprising of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and lithium battery capable of being recharged in port offers a promising low carbon propulsion system for small coastal ships, e.g. small container ships, tankers and ferries, which typically sail over short routes at modest speeds. PEMFC operate at high efficiency and emit no harmful emissions, but their poor transient performance necessitates the need for an energy storage system such as a lithium battery. A shore-to-ship electrical connection is needed to recharge the lithium battery from the grid so as to improve the propulsion system performance both environmentally and economically. Production of both H2 and grid electricity have a carbon footprint. In this paper a two-layer optimisation based methodology is used for the design of plug-in hybrid fuel cell and lithium battery propulsion systems for coastal ships. Results from a case study suggest that the design of hybrid PEMFC and battery propulsion systems should be influenced by the ‘well-to-propeller’ carbon footprint.

[1]  James Larminie,et al.  Fuel Cell Systems Explained , 2000 .

[2]  E. Ovrum,et al.  Modelling lithium-ion battery hybrid ship crane operation , 2015 .

[3]  Bijan Zahedi,et al.  Optimized efficiency of all-electric ships by dc hybrid power systems , 2014 .

[4]  B. Nykvist,et al.  Rapidly falling costs of battery packs for electric vehicles , 2015 .

[5]  Olivier Tremblay,et al.  A generic fuel cell model for the simulation of fuel cell vehicles , 2009, 2009 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference.

[6]  Heath Hofmann,et al.  Energy management strategies comparison for electric vehicles with hybrid energy storage system , 2014 .

[7]  K. S. Dhathathreyan,et al.  Performance analysis of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack operated under marine environmental conditions , 2016 .

[8]  H.L. Hess,et al.  Fuel cell propulsion system for marine applications , 2009, 2009 IEEE Electric Ship Technologies Symposium.

[9]  I. Dincer,et al.  Comparative assessment of hydrogen production methods from renewable and non-renewable sources , 2014 .

[10]  Chee Wei Tan,et al.  A techno-economic assessment of a combined heat and power photovoltaic/fuel cell/battery energy system in Malaysia hospital , 2016 .

[11]  Remus Teodorescu,et al.  Performance model for high-power lithium titanate oxide batteries based on extended characterization tests , 2015, 2015 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[12]  José J. de-Troya,et al.  Analysing the possibilities of using fuel cells in ships , 2016 .

[13]  S. Mashayekh,et al.  Optimum sizing of energy storage for an electric ferry ship , 2012, 2012 IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting.

[14]  Milinko Godjevac,et al.  A review of fuel cell systems for maritime applications , 2016 .

[15]  R. K. Ursem.  Multi-objective Optimization using Evolutionary Algorithms , 2009 .

[16]  Stephen R. Turnock,et al.  Sizing optimization of a fuel cell/battery hybrid system for a domestic ferry using a whole ship system simulator , 2016, 2016 International Conference on Electrical Systems for Aircraft, Railway, Ship Propulsion and Road Vehicles & International Transportation Electrification Conference (ESARS-ITEC).

[17]  Sousso Kelouwani,et al.  Optimal economy-based battery degradation management dynamics for fuel-cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicles , 2015 .

[18]  Yousri M. A. Welaya,et al.  A comparison between fuel cells and other alternatives for marine electric power generation , 2011 .

[19]  Jianqiu Li,et al.  Power management strategy for vehicular-applied hybrid fuel cell/battery power system , 2009 .

[20]  Christopher J. Koroneos,et al.  Life cycle assessment of hydrogen fuel production processes , 2004 .

[21]  Azah Mohamed,et al.  Review of energy storage systems for electric vehicle applications: Issues and challenges , 2017 .

[22]  Jan Fredrik Hansen,et al.  History and State of the Art in Commercial Electric Ship Propulsion, Integrated Power Systems, and Future Trends , 2015, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[23]  Huicui Chen,et al.  Main factors affecting the lifetime of Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells in vehicle applications: A review , 2014 .

[24]  M.A. El-Sharkawi,et al.  Pareto Multi Objective Optimization , 2005, Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on, Intelligent Systems Application to Power Systems.

[25]  Tianhao Tang,et al.  State of the art of fuel cells for ship applications , 2012, 2012 IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics.

[26]  Omar Z. Sharaf,et al.  An overview of fuel cell technology: Fundamentals and applications , 2014 .

[27]  Jihong Wang,et al.  Overview of current development in electrical energy storage technologies and the application potential in power system operation , 2015 .

[28]  Jong-Woo Ahn,et al.  Development and demonstration of PEM fuel-cell-battery hybrid system for propulsion of tourist boat , 2016 .