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Applied Sciences
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Advances in Maritime Transport: Sustainability, Contamination and New Technologies
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Advances in Maritime Transport: Sustainability, Contamination and New Technologies

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2024 | Viewed by 3444

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. José A. Orosa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Navigation Science and Marine Engineering, Universidade da Coruña, Paseo de Ronda, 51, 15011 A Coruña, Spain
Interests: marine engineering; energy; thermodynamics; naval architecture; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ninety percent of the world's cargo is transported by sea. Its strategic importance was highlighted by the Ever Given accident in 2021. The Suez Canal was blocked for 6 days and the result was a global economic concern, with rapid price increases for certain products and logistical problems worldwide. However, this maritime traffic is carried out in a difficult and, on many occasions, extreme environment. The accidents of the Titanic (1912), Torrey Canyon (1967), Herald of Free Enterprise (1987), Exxon Valdez (1989), Estonia (1994), Prestige (2002) and Costa Concordia (2012), among others, caused great social alarm at the time, serious fatal and environmental consequences, as well as regulatory changes.  

In consequence, it can be affirmed that the search for the permanent improvement of safety has been parallel to the evolution of maritime traffic, whose constant growth has not only been reflected in the number of tons transported but also in the size of the ships themselves. Mega cruisers, post-Panamax containerships, ultra-large crude carriers and very large ore carriers are examples of vessels exceeding 400 meters in length, 400,000 tons of deadweight or 6,500 passengers. Complex structural, material, welding, maintenance, maneuverability and operational calculations are behind the design and construction of such mega-ships. Simulations of flooding, fire or abandonment situations are carried out beforehand to ensure the safety of the ship and its crews. 

All of the above highlights the importance and need for new and original technical and scientific studies applied in the maritime field in topics such as structural mechanics, safety, security, navigation, maneuverability, propulsion and fuels, applied meteorology, environment, as well as logistics. In consequence, this new Special Issue aims to help international maritime organizations in their activities with a compilation of these recent research works. 

Prof. Dr. José A. Orosa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3873 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Hybrid Ship Machinery System with Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Battery Pack
by Jure Penga, Tino Vidović, Gojmir Radica and Željko Penga
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 2878; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14072878 - 29 Mar 2024
Viewed by 431
Abstract
As marine traffic is contributing to pollution, and most vessels have predictable routes with repetitive load profiles, to reduce their impact on environment, hybrid systems with proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC-s) and battery pack are a promising replacement. For this purpose, the [...] Read more.
As marine traffic is contributing to pollution, and most vessels have predictable routes with repetitive load profiles, to reduce their impact on environment, hybrid systems with proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC-s) and battery pack are a promising replacement. For this purpose, the new approach takes into consideration an alternative to diesel propulsion with the additional benefit of carbon neutrality and increase of system efficiency. Additionally, in the developed numerical model, control of the PEMFC–battery hybrid energy system with balance of plant is incorporated with repowering existing vessels that have two diesel engines with 300 kWe. The goal of this paper is to develop a numerical model that analyzes and determines an equivalent hybrid ship propulsion system for a known traveling route. The developed numerical model consists of an interconnected system with the PEMFC stack and a battery pack as power sources. The numerical model was developed and optimized to meet the minimal required power demand for a successful route, which has variable loads and sees ships sail daily six times along the same route—in total 54 nautical miles. The results showed that the equivalent hybrid power system consists of a 300 kWe PEMFC stack and battery pack with 424 kWh battery and state of charge varying between 20 and 87%. To power this new hybrid power system, a hydrogen tank of 7200 L holding 284.7 kg at pressure of 700 bar is required, compared to previous system that consumed 1524 kg of diesel and generated 4886 kg of CO2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maritime Transport: Sustainability, Contamination and New Technologies)
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17 pages, 8679 KiB  
Article
Synthetic Maritime Traffic Generation System for Performance Verification of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships
by Eunkyu Lee, Junaid Khan, Umar Zaman, Jaebin Ku, Sanha Kim and Kyungsup Kim
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14031176 - 30 Jan 2024
Viewed by 630
Abstract
With the global advancement of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), the critical task of verifying their key technologies, particularly in challenging conditions, becomes paramount. This study introduces a synthetic maritime traffic generation system (S-MTGS) designed for the efficient and safe verification of these [...] Read more.
With the global advancement of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), the critical task of verifying their key technologies, particularly in challenging conditions, becomes paramount. This study introduces a synthetic maritime traffic generation system (S-MTGS) designed for the efficient and safe verification of these technologies. The S-MTGS encompasses a maritime traffic generator integrating a generator based on absolute position (GAP) and a generator based on relative position (GRP). This innovative system leverages historical maritime data to create various scenarios or generate virtual ships based on their interactions with and proximity to other ships. The virtual ships adeptly navigate and perform collision avoidance maneuvers with nearby vessels enabled by the integrated collision avoidance algorithm. The S-MTGS’s ability to generate a wide range of maritime traffic information mirroring actual maritime conditions is pivotal for thoroughly verifying the performance of MASS technology under both standard and extreme situations. The development of the S-MTGS represents a significant advancement in maritime safety and technology. It can evaluate collision avoidance and navigation systems in MASS, featuring a virtual environment for realistic scenario testing and an intelligent navigation system focused on route tracking and collision avoidance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maritime Transport: Sustainability, Contamination and New Technologies)
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30 pages, 10289 KiB  
Article
Alternative Fuels for the Marine Sector and Their Applicability for Purse Seiners in a Life-Cycle Framework
by Maja Perčić, Nikola Vladimir, Marija Koričan, Ivana Jovanović and Tatjana Haramina
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(24), 13068; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132413068 - 07 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1086
Abstract
Fossil fuel combustion is a major source of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), which cause global warming. To prevent further increases in anthropogenic GHGs, the global community needs to take action in each segment of the economy, including the shipping sector. Among different measures for [...] Read more.
Fossil fuel combustion is a major source of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), which cause global warming. To prevent further increases in anthropogenic GHGs, the global community needs to take action in each segment of the economy, including the shipping sector. Among different measures for reducing shipping emissions, the most promising one is the replacement of conventional marine fuels with alternatives. According to the International Maritime Organisation’s regulations, ships engaged in international shipping need to reduce their annual emissions by at least 50% by 2050. However, this does not apply to fishing vessels, which are highly dependent on fossil fuels and greatly contribute to air pollution. This paper investigates the environmental footprint of a fishing vessel (purse seiner) through the implementation of various alternative fuels. Within the research, Life-Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Life-Cycle Cost Assessments (LCCAs) are performed, resulting in life-cycle emissions and lifetime costs for each alternative, which are then compared to a diesel-powered ship (baseline scenario). The comparison, based on environmental and economic criteria, highlighted methanol as the most suitable alternative for the purse seiner, as its use onboard resulted in 22.4% lower GHGs and 23.3% lower costs in comparison to a diesel-powered ship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maritime Transport: Sustainability, Contamination and New Technologies)
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10 pages, 2079 KiB  
Article
Development of a Novel De-NOx Technology for the Aftertreatment of Ship Exhaust Gases
by Petros G. Savva, Yiannis Fessas, Angelos M. Efstathiou and Costas N. Costa
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(20), 11356; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132011356 - 16 Oct 2023
Viewed by 870
Abstract
The shipping industry is the most fuel-efficient means of transporting goods, carrying more than 90% of the global freight task. Ships generally use low quality fuel to reduce costs and, as a result, the sulfur content in the exhaust gas stream is high. [...] Read more.
The shipping industry is the most fuel-efficient means of transporting goods, carrying more than 90% of the global freight task. Ships generally use low quality fuel to reduce costs and, as a result, the sulfur content in the exhaust gas stream is high. Emissions of sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from ships represent about 13% and 12%, respectively, of the global anthropogenic SOx and NOx emissions. In total, 95% of the total maritime NOx emissions are NO (nitric oxide) and 5% are NO2 (nitrogen dioxide). The present work focuses on the development and pilot operation of an advanced novel Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with H2 (H2-SCR) technology for the elimination of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emitted from ship exhaust gases. For the proper operation of the novel H2-SCR de-NOx unit, two additional conventional technologies were employed for the removal of SO2 and Particulate Matter (PM). In particular, the proposed novel H2-SCR de-NOx technology was combined with a Sea Water Absorption (SWA) unit and an oxidative catalytic system. A pilot unit has been successfully designed, assembled and implemented on a cruise ship for the abovementioned purposes. This effort is considered to be pioneering and is here attempted for the first time worldwide. It was proven, for the first time ever, that the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with the use of H2 as a reducing agent in combination with a suitable catalyst can be considered a suitable NOx-pollution control technology for ships. In particular, it was found that more than 80% of NOx (to N2), 99.8% of SO2 and 72% of PM can be reduced by using the present combined SWA and H2-SCR technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Maritime Transport: Sustainability, Contamination and New Technologies)
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