NAUTILUS
NAUTILUS, short for Nautical Integrated Hybrid Energy System for Long-haul Cruise Ships, is a research project funded under the EU Horizon 2020 program. The focus of the project is on developing a low-emission energy system for large passenger ships. The aim of the NAUTILUS project is to develop, evaluate and validate a highly efficient liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered power generation system for long-haul passenger ships. The system to be developed will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% and almost completely eliminate all other exhaust components from diesel engines.
NAUTILUS is an EU-funded project led by the DLR Institute of Technical Thermodynamics that focuses on improving the ecological footprint of passenger and cruise ships. The shipping industry has an opportunity to contribute to one of the biggest challenges: reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement and the recent European Green Deal targets. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 and by 70% by 2050. There is also societal pressure to reduce emissions from passenger ships as they spend more than 50% of their operating time in ports. The results of NAUTILUS will significantly reduce emissions of soot and other pollutants, ensuring a clean and smog-free environment for passengers and residents in the ports.
Genset system engineering and proof of concept
- System engineering of the hybrid SOFC-battery unit, the optimization of the sizing of the SOFC and battery unit and the validation of the SOFC-battery hybrid system.
- Development of a virtual genset simulator for ship integration and technical proposal for a multi-MW genset for ship integration.
System development tasks
- Development of a 5 to 60 MWe SOFC stacks hybrid power plant concept based on the requirements analysis
- Development and validation of transient models during experimental campaigns at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to create a piping and instrumentation diagram and design the hybrid system
- Construction and commissioning of a modular functional demonstrator with 60 kWe
- Connection of the demonstrator to the grid and operation for > 3 months to feed energy into the grid
- environmental conditions while ensuring durability and meeting the strict requirements of aviation.