Optimized Hydrogen Powered Maritime Mobility

The OptHyMob project aims to research and develop software that will be used to optimize the design and operation of hybrid systems consisting of batteries and hydrogen fuel cells on board vessels. Hydrogen fuel cell systems are sensitive to load variations and have slow response and ramp-up times. Batteries are therefore a favorable partner that complements the fuel cells in a hybrid configuration. How these are operated largely affects the system's fuel economy and lifetime, both of which will be important factors in the maritime industry's transition to zero-emission solutions. The project will use and analyze experimental and full-scale operational data to understand how fuel cells and batteries affect each other, and how they can best be used together to minimize degradation and extend lifetime. OptHyMob will use this to develop systems for optimizing the power balance on a vessel consisting of several batteries and fuel cells, which will help to minimize fuel costs and extend lifetime by continuously ensuring that all components in the power system are operated at the best possible operating point, both in relation to each other and as a whole. The optimization will take place through physics-based and data-driven degradation models which are run in real time on board the vessels and which work closely with the control systems on board. The technology developed for operational optimization in OptHyMob will also be integrated and used in design tools for hybrid installations of batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. During operations at sea, there are large dynamic variations of propulsion and machinery loads. To be able to carry out an accurate load balancing, it is therefore important to make a good prediction of how the loads on the vessels will be in the coming minutes. OpyHyMob therefore builds on work done in the KSP project HyEff, led by NORCE, where a prediction system is developed that predicts the next minute's wave forces and vessel movements.

Corvus Energy – the world’s leading provider of energy storage solutions for the maritime industry, NORCE – one of the leading Norwegian research centers, Topeka - a zero-emission shipping company in the Wilhelmsen group, SinOceanic Shipping – provider of management services to ship owning companies and SEAM – a leading supplier of hybrid and fully electric solutions to the maritime industry has joined in a consortium for a combined KSP and IPN development The industrial project “Optimized Hydrogen Powered Maritime Mobility”, short name OptHyMob, will significantly improve hydrogen fuel economy and extend system lifetime for maritime fuel cell-battery hybrid systems, both being essential and important factors in making the maritime sector progress towards zero-emission shipping. As both factors depends to a large extent on how the system is operated, it is imperative to manage the system in a way that maximizes its durability and efficiency in order to minimize the total cost of ownership. The project will combine experimental and full-scale operational data with knowledge of degradation mechanisms in maritime fuel cells and batteries to develop a cost-optimization system for optimal load distribution between fuel cells and batteries applied for ship propulsion. The system will be based on physics-based and data-driven models, and implemented in an industrial clustered edge computing infrastructure. To succeed with the innovation, research is needed to gain knowledge about degradation mechanisms in batteries and FC systems used in maritime applications, how they affect each other and how they best can be used in combination to limit system degradation and extend system lifetime. This project will perform this research in close collaboration with and relation to the KSP project titled “Energy efficient operation of hydrogen powered vessels”, with short name HyEff, led by NORCE.