FellowSHIP IV - FellowSHIP in operation

The Fellowship IV project has aimed to accelerate the development and uptake of marine hybrid battery systems by demonstrating the applicability of the technology in a life-cycle perspective. The Project partners DNV GL, Wärtsilä Norway and Eidesvik have strived to prove the reliability, operability, maintainability and safety of a battery-hybrid maritime battery system, and quantify its benefits in operation. The offshore supply vessel "Viking Lady" has been equipped with a Li-Ion battery-hybrid power and propulsion system, and used as a casy study and demonstrator vessel. Extensive measurement data have been gathered and analysed in order to document and quantify performance, fuel consumption and emissions. Additionally advanced simulations models have been utilized in order to benchmark the battery-hybrid system towards more conventional configurations, and to propose ways to further optimize both the control system and the actual power configuration. In this respect a better and more detailed understanding of how offshore vessels are actually being operated is key. Another important aspect of the work is related to battery life. The Project has sought to build a better understanding of the Li-ion battery degradation mechanisms, and proposing operating strategies that both result in considerable fuel/emission savings and extend the battery lifetime. The battery lifetime considerations will be made through combining measurement data, specific capacity testing and theoretical calculations. Finally, maintenance aspects have been investigated, trying to quantify potential savings by comparing maintenance records from Eidesviks 4 battery Powered supply vessels.

The key enabler to innovation in the proposed work is the Viking Lady off-shore supply vessel (OSV) which is already a laboratory ship, heavily instrumented with hundreds of sensors. In addition, the Wärtsilä hybrid full scale test lab will be used to develop, validate and test new control methods before on-board implementation. The existing sensor network will be extended, with sensors to measure ship motion due to wind waves and current. The collection of this motion and weather data will allow one to compare different periods of time in the project period that are almost identical in terms of external conditions; thereby increasing the usability and value of the collected measurements. The next step will be to optimise the operation and further develop the control of the hybrid energy system and the propulsion, simultaneously demonstrating its reliability, durability and performance over time. The control strategy will be developed by taking into consideration operating patterns that will extend the lifetime of the battery, while maximizing fuel and emissions savings. It is anticipated that this approach will significantly improve the energy efficiency as well as assessing the relevant reliability and durability issues of the hybrid power system in actual operation. By addressing the real operational capabilities of batteries, the project will help to accelerate the introduction of hybrid power systems in shipping. An advanced control system is a key enabler for an efficient power production system, also for optimizing the propeller efficiency. Demonstrating this kind of control will be a breakthrough in efficient operations of a vessel.