Page 191 - Technology Roadmap Transportation

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP: TRANSPORTATION

(e) Fuel Cell technology: millimetre is equal to 1,000,000 nanometre.
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert
the chemical energy of a fuel and an oxidant Use of nanotechnology needs to be
into electrical energy and heat through a series promoted in shipping technology as this offers
of electrochemical reactions without open flame immediate advantages for following marine
combustion. Since the fuel cells combine the application:
molecules of a fuel and oxidizer without burning,
much of the pollution of traditional combustion • Fuel cell technology becomes cost effective
in the immediate future;
is dispensed with and quite high efficiency is
achievable with silent operations. • Efficient and flexible solar panels can be
produced at reasonable costs;
A fuel cell system can be fuelled by hydrocarbon • Batteries can be produced that store more
fuels such as natural gas, biogas, methanol, ethanol, energy and are much more efficient;
diesel or hydrogen but the potential benefits
offered are greatest when the operation is on • Plastics & paints can be produced that will
high-purity hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells have store solar power and convert to energy at
found application mainly in naval sector, which much lower cost; and
has provided momentum to the development
of fuel cell technology through its application • Clean, potable and low cost water can
in submarines and naval crafts because of their be produced on-board ships even from
low power demands as well as desirable stealth polluted water sources such as brackish
waters.
characteristics including silent operations, lack of
vibrations and reduced infra-red signatures.
(g) Use of shore electricity when in port:
Vessels use auxiliary engines to produce on board
Although fuel cell technology offers significant electricity while at the dock to power lighting,
environmental advantages, its marine applications
so far have remained limited to auxiliary power ventilation, pumps, refrigeration, air conditioning
units because of the space constrains, slow and other on board amenities as well as systems
response to load variations and capital costs for cargo operations.
involved. In terms of cost per Kilowattel, fuel cells
are ten to twenty times more expensive than On average, ships spent about 100 days in a
diesel engines. year in ports consuming on an average about 5
tons of fuel per ship per day during their port
stays. Equipping ships and ports with facilities to
It is expected that establishment of emission
control areas (ECAs) will provide a boost to the utilize shore side power capabilities can be a cost
growth of marine application of fuel cells powered effective air pollution reduction mechanism with
by LNG. Currently, a marine fuel cell prototype zero emission potential particularly for container,
cruise and refer vessels that call regularly at fixed
delivers power in the range of 0.3 MW. Initially, ports. In Indian context, considering a number
fuel cells powered by natural gas are expected
to provide auxiliary power e.g. hotel loads of ports already existing and others coming up
etc. and thereafter supplementary propulsion and deployment of Indian navy vessels along the
vast coastline, there is huge potential for emission
power in hybrid electric ships. Feasibility studies reduction through this means.
for fuel cells powered by natural gas report no
emission of NO , SO or particulate matter (PM)
x
X
and a significant reduction in CO emissions as 4.3 NAVIGATION ASPECTS
2 Safety of maritime navigation is most vital to
compared to diesel engines burning similar fuel. overall maritime safety. The sea can be a cruel
It is predicted that fuel cell solutions will replace
current power systems when feasibility and adversary and any reduction in safety measures
reliability of these technologies for ship-board on board ships may have disastrous consequences
applications are proven. leading to accidents such as collision, grounding,
stranding etc. resulting in loss of life, property and
consequential environmental damage. Exponential
(f) Nanotechnology:
It is an emerging technology and is the engineering growth of maritime traffic around the globe has
of functional systems at the molecular scale. made safety of navigation all the more important.
From the pre-historic era of maritime world
The term “nanotechnology” is derived from the
Greek word “nanos” meaning dwarf, where one when the simple hollow wooden crafts were
plying into the uncharted waters to a situation

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