The ongoing technological development of methanol energy converters (EC) towards decarbonization means that their dimensions and performance characteristics will be continually updated during the lifecycle of vessels currently designed. These advancements influence the ease of EC integration within the general arrangement of the vessel. The decision to switch from an internal combustion engine to a fuel cell or a hybrid configuration depends both (1) the technology adoption costs (i.e. CAPEX, OPEX) of the EC and (2)
on the effect of EC on the actual engine room layout. The state-of-the-art literature has typically addressed these two challenges separately. This study proposes a design method to bridge these two fields by combining the use of (1) Markov decision processes to assess uncertain future methanol EC developments during the vessel lifecycle and (2) a generative probabilistic layout algorithm to quantify the risks associated with the EC systems layout integration. The case study identifies the drivers behind the EC technology choice during the lifecycle of a notional yacht vessel.@en

This article examines the potential implications of using iron powder as an alternative fuel on the design and performance of container ships. Iron powder is a relatively new alternative energy carrier and one in which little research has been done into the application on-board vessels as part of the maritime energy transition. The key benefits of iron powder are that it is a circular energy carrier and the combustion process emits no greenhouse gases. Transitioning to iron powder is expected to have far reaching implications for the design and performance of ships. Thus, this paper aims to perform the first study assessing the potential of this concept applied to container ships. To do so, a preliminary design space was explored with a custom parametric design model developed to generate preliminary designs of iron fuelled container ships as a function of the operational profile. Using this parametric design model, it was identified that iron fuelled container ships are weight limited, unlike conventionally fuelled container vessels. Furthermore, iron fuelled container ships are best suited for short voyages at low cruising speed. For these voyages, it was concluded that iron fuelled ships are economically feasible; however, other alternative marine fuels are likely more profitable than iron due to the low efficiency of iron fuelled ships and the high cost of iron per unit energy.

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The adoption of alternative energy carriers is one of the key ways to meet the increasingly stricter emission regulations faced by shipping vessels from the international maritime organisation (IMO) and European Commission. To support this objective, this study examines the challenges and uncertainties associated with implementing a methanol power propulsion and energy (PPE) system on the design of a vessel. This paper argues that new fuels, such as methanol, should be treated as disruptive innovations due, in part, to the uncertainties surrounding their implementation. Their integration causes challenges regarding systems selection, layout design, and maintaining strict safety measures. In the case of methanol, current research treats the fuel as a system conversion based on diesel fuel. This paper provides a review of the state-of-the-art on the design of methanol fuelled vessels, and identifies a research gap related to the need for a new suitable design method for the design of ships integrating future alternatively fuelled PPE systems. A design approach inspired by model-based systems engineering integrating uncertainty modelling is proposed to examine the influence of uncertainty on the design of the vessels. The impact of uncertainty on the design is investigated through a case study of a simplified engine room layout utilizing a genetic algorithm to produce layouts for variable PPE systems dimensions within a Monte Carlo simulation.@en