Maritime Hydrogen Technology
Development Group Formed by DCH

by Carlton Salter, Manager of Product Development, DCH Technology

The use of hydrogen as the energy carrier for maritime applications is essentially unexplored, yet hydrogen, in combination with other enabling technologies, has the potential of offering significant operational advantages over the conventional marine power sources of diesel/gasoline and battery. To bring focus and direction to this untapped market, DCH Technology has formed the Maritime Hydrogen Technology Development Group (MHTDG). This group consists of companies that provide leadership to the critical technologies necessary to vertically integrate a marine vessel and onshore fueling station. DCH is continuing its efforts to organize the group and expand its scope of activities and participants. The following reviews the application of hydrogen-fueled power for maritime uses, the enabling technologies, and presents an overview of the tasks for the MHTDG.

Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier

Hydrogen is called an energy carrier because it must be manufactured, as opposed to fossil fuels, which can be taken from the earth as long as the reserves last. Hydrogen has three main advantages over fossil fuels: hydrogen burns clean, the by-product being only water; it does not generate CO2 (a major greenhouse gas); and the supply of hydrogen is inexhaustible.

Currently, the majority of hydrogen is manufactured from natural gas. Electrolysis of water is a second method. The electricity used to drive the electrolysis process is generally from fossil fuels. In the future, hydrogen will be made from clean electricity (from solar, wind, or geothermal) or from processes in which hydrogen is the biological by-product. Fission is the current alternative to fossil fuels, with fusion being an ongoing hope. Hydrogen is the only clean burning, nonpolluting, non-greenhouse, inexhaustible fuel there is, and is the only sure bet for the future.

End uses of power are mechanical, electrical, or thermal. The main converters of hydrogen to power are internal combustion engines (ICE) to generate mechanical power or fuel cells to generate electricity. These two paths can be crossed over using electrical motors or generators, i.e., an ICE can drive a generator and a fuel cell can drive a motor. Gas turbines, run on hydrogen, are alternates to ICEs. Thermal end-use can be from direct burning of the hydrogen or from waste heat from an ICE or fuel cell.

Uses, Advantages of Maritime Applications

Hydrogen power units have applicability to boats and ships for propulsion, auxiliary power, and emergency power. Hydrogen offers several distinct advantages in the areas of efficiency, human factors, and lack of negative environmental impact.

In an example of propulsion, hydrogen runs a fuel cell, which generates electricity and drives an electric motor that turns the propeller. So, the advantages are:

  1. Efficiency. Fuel cell (and/or turbine) efficiencies will be proven to be comparable to diesel engines.

  2. Operational Characteristics & Human Factors. In public or private use, the on-water experience would be greatly enhanced. The noise, vibration, smell, and smoke of the IC engine would be gone. Such a hydrogen/fuel-cell propulsion system would be valuable in pleasure cruising and ferrying.

  3. Environmental Impact & Personal Health. The broad spectra of diesel emissions are totally eliminated by using hydrogen fuel. Also, the CO2 greenhouse gas emissions are nonexistent.

Auxiliary power requirements on-board a vessel are many and variable. Current solutions are battery or motor/generators supplying a few watts to kilowatts. These systems are run often independent of the ship’s propulsion source. Many of these units are easily replaced with hydrogen-powered fuel cells. The private sector sailing fleet may have the desire and available funds to use such units.

The ‘SLICE’ vessel is a proprietary design created by Pacific Marine to dramatically advance the speed and stability for the next generation of ocean-going commercial and military vessels. Pacific Marine is a member of the MHTDG.

In addition, the lower power requirements of auxiliary power are applicable to stand-alone systems. Initially, these units would be powered using replaceable hydrogen storage containers. These systems would completely eliminate battery replacement or the use of fuel for motor/generator sets. As small electrolyser technology evolves, wind, solar, or moving water electrical generators could be used to drive electrolysers to generate hydrogen, which would be stored, rendering the power units stand-alone. Small sailboats could use these power units.

As the output power of these units increases due to developing technology, sailboats could be one of the first applications of fuel cell propulsion. It takes relatively little power to move a typical pleasure sailboat through the water at a few knots. As this technology develops, it could be incorporated on progressively larger craft. A whole new class of boats, with specialized hull designs, could develop to incorporate the unique features of this technology.

Emergency power is separate from auxiliary power, as the requirements are significantly different.

  1. These power sources must be stand alone.

  2. The power requirements are relatively small and the units generally must be portable.

  3. The units must be easily carried, preferably with the ability to float.

The technology path is the same as described above but offers an independent starting point, which might be easier to develop because the power requirements are lower and the initially higher cost of improved reliability could be justified for emergency gear.

Enabling Technologies

The necessary and preferred technologies are:

  1. Hydrogen Availability. In the long run, the manufacture of hydrogen must be sustainable, and that is being addressed through research organizations such as the Desert Research Institute. However, for most applications, commercially available hydrogen will suffice, as the immediate goal is to begin developing maritime hydrogen technologies and infrastructure. At the present time, hydrogen is sustainable for systems that can be supplied with solar, wind, or moving water generated electricity. Currently, emergency, auxiliary, and small crafts could be supplied with stand alone systems. Larger applications, say pleasure cruises or light ferrying, could be supplied by using terminally located, commercially supplied hydrogen. Grid electricity could be used, via an electrolyser or reformer based at the ferry terminal, to supply hydrogen.

  2. Hydrogen Storage. From a delivery and storage point of view, locating the hydrogen manufacturing equipment at the terminal might be the easiest hydrogen delivery system to institute. Significant quantities of hydrogen would be needed by a practically sized ferry boat, but a ferry normally operates from one location. The simplest storage is as pressurized gas. This approach is applicable for the emergency, auxiliary power, and small stand-alone propulsion systems. Hydrogen can be stored in metal hydrides, which is advantageous in smaller stand-alone systems, as a compressor is not required. This method of storage is a good replacement for batteries. Also, hydrogen can be liquefied. The advantage of liquefaction is the reduced weight over hydrides, but this may not be a significant factor for even large on-board propulsion units.

  3. Hydrogen Generation. At this stage, improvements in hydrogen generation are desired, but not required, since large quantities of hydrogen are generated commercially. However, for demonstration projects, it may be beneficial to generate hydrogen on-site. This task can be accomplished using established electrolyser technology or reformation of natural gas, diesel, or gasoline. Solar panels and wind generators are applicable. Also, a moving water generator could be employed that uses tides and at-anchor drift currents to generate electricity for low-power applications.

  4. Fuel Cells. Fuel cell cost and maximum power delivery capability are the pacing technologies. Fuel cells exist that can support a market in either small, silent auxiliary power units or in critically deployed emergency units. Fuel cells capable of supplying several hundred horsepower are also available, but are expensive. An economic analysis might find special applications where the deployment of current systems is economically feasible. Such sites would be remotely located and have enough environmental generating capacity to meet the propulsion power needs.

  5. Turbines. Small turbines, powered with hydrogen, offer an alternative to diesel ICEs. Turbines are more compact sources of power than ICEs, and hydrogen-driven turbines may be more efficient than hydrogen-fueled ICEs. Turbines could fill a variety of needs from auxiliary to propulsion power.

Goals of the MHTDG

DCH has developed a strategic road map for the development of maritime hydrogen technology. Steps toward this goal are listed below.

This maritime development program has an important secondary fall-out: energy independence via hydrogen fuel use would be developed and demonstrated. Furthermore, the development is fostered in a field where the economics make sense, but outside of the severe competitive constraints of the automotive and utility industries. The program could result in multiple forms of profitable deployment scenarios, such as:

  1. Small independent emergency power packages;

  2. Larger auxiliary power packages, some of which would be of a self-sustaining design (the ultimate uninterruptable power sources);

  3. Transportation vehicles (ships) demonstrating hydrogen technology;

  4. Development of storage and refueling terminals; and

  5. Development and demonstration of self-sustaining water crafts, to a size not yet known.

These applications are new and may be a more favorable developmental path than the land vehicle one because maritime use does not invoke the development of as complex of an infrastructure. The travel pattern is more fixed location to fixed location; the vehicles have a lot more flexibility for carrying fuel; and the industry has a large value-added, personal-use sector, as contrasted to a commodity or high-volume industry. All of the developed products and capabilities will be transferable to land applications, beginning with favorable locations such as around ports, and as these bootstrap businesses grow, the applications would become more available and economical for the average consumer. All of this promotes and creates energy independence.

In conclusion, this Development Group will be the core of the formulation of a whole new business sector of the hydrogen economy. It is the intent of this group to create an open developmental environment for maritime hydrogen technology that fosters the inclusion of the broadest participation from the alternative energy, hydrogen, and maritime communities and potential customers. This scope will incorporate all applicable technologies; development of codes and standards for manufacture, handling, and safety; integration of public needs, such as benefits, ease of use, safety, and protection; and the development of a universal infrastructure that is replicable beyond the maritime community. This open, interactive architecture to commercialization is necessary for the speediest possible deployment of hydrogen fuel technology.

For more information, contact: DCH Technology, Inc., 27811 Avenue Hopkins, Unit 6, Valencia, CA 91355, U.S.A. Fax: +1.805.257.9398. eMail: dchinc@aol.com. Website: http://www.dch-technology.com/.

©1998. All Rights Reserved. A Publication of the National Hydrogen Association.
This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

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