sailing into the future - electrical energy storage systems

Approaching Midnight on last July, Kenichi Horie, 69year-
Japan's old environmental activists and the Lone Ranger dragged the double-body Suntory Mermaid 2 into Wakayama in southern Japan.
After sailing 111 days at sea, the estimated 60 days for the mermaid's 7000 km voyage across the Pacific from Hawaii almost doubled --
They survive with rice, curry and fish caught from the ocean.
Ending the longest wave in the world. Power odyssey.
Despite the delay, the trip was considered a success. The 9.
Designed by the School of Marine Science and Technology, Donghai University, Japan, the 4 m 3 ton Mermaid is driven by wave energy and controlled by two independent fins mounted on the cat bow.
When the water flows through the double shell, the fins move up and down, creating a dolphin --
It's like playing super.
Light boat made of recycled aluminum.
The calm sea and bad weather limit the speed to 1.
5 sections, so leisurely crossing.
"It's time for us to move from fossil fuels," Horie told the New York Times . ".
Jiang, who owns the record148 days -for a solar-
In 1993, he also rode a ship from Hawaii to Okinawa, hoping to "raise awareness and interest in natural energy ".
Indeed, concerns about the impact of fuel costs and carbon emissions from commercial vessels on climate change are already plaguing the shipping industry.
Sulfur emission of "marine fuel", low
Diesel also poses health risks, with an estimated 60,000 deaths worldwide in 2007.
In response to global warming, shipping is excluded from the Kyoto Protocol.
But according to the United Nations, global carbon dioxide emissions rose by 3 percentage points in 2007, and the pressure on the shipping industry is growing --
The output that year was about 0. 847 billion tons.
According to the International Maritime Organization, accounting for 7% of the world's total (
Other estimates are much higher)-
The act of cleaning it up.
And orie's feat is the echo of an era.
Thor Heydar and Jacques Cousteauof derring-
Doing so is a rapid decline under the horizon, he advocates cleaning
Technology has set off a wave in the shipping industry.
Last year, a 10,000-ton container ship MS a beluga Skysail to Quanta, Venezuela, leaving German Port bremehaven.
Diesel 132 m
Powered beluga, the world's first commercial ship to use a 300 kite, deployed meters above the bow to boost power, reduce fuel costs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Traditional sailing ships use the mast, mast and rope to manipulate the sail, while the kite sail stored under the deck is fired and recycled from the retractable mast on the Beluga bow.
The kite was tied by a synthetic tether and controlled by a computer from the bridge.
Kite sails can be used at Winds of 12 to 74 km/h or 7 to 40 knots.
Unlike traditional sailing boats, the number traced by the Beluga kite is --of-
There are eight arcs in the sky, using stronger, more stable winds to get extra energy.
An aerial control pod, located between the anchor chain and the line connected to the kite, automatically aligning the sail according to changes in wind direction and speed.
The ship's parent company, the Beluga Group, hopes to cut its fuel bill by 20 cents with a kite.
The company said it cut its diesel bill by 10-15 per cent -
Between $1000 ($1924)
$1500 a day-on the two-
During the week, the kite was flying in the winds south of the Azores.
Verena Frank, project manager at Beluga, said: "Everything is done according to our plan . ".
"There is still a lot of testing, adjustment and experiments going on.
Before the end of the whale's 19,000 km virgin voyage in Norway, "Sail was used again" for a few minutes for eight hours in a row.
As of January 2008, according to the Lloyd's Register, there were 50,525 world merchant ships, including general cargo ships, bulk carriers, container ships, tankers and passenger ships.
SkySails believes that its kite sail can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 0. 146 billion tons, about 0 tons.
5 of the total number of people-
SOURCE generated.
It hopes to debut the 320sq m and 600sq m kites on 1500 ships by 2015.
Use so high
The tech sail will mark the first time a large commercial vessel has managed the wind since the bagpipe disappeared, most of which have disappeared 1950.
Beluga faces potential competition from KiteShip, a California company whose kite sails pull 25-
On December 2002, a ton of America's Cup yacht sailed at the port of Auckland for 45 minutes at a speed of 7 knots.
But KiteShip, whose rival has received German government aid, is scrambling to find money.
Climate Action Network, a global alliance of 430 non-climate organizations
Government groups say kite sails could cut fuel costs by 10-
15%, or 40% at a slower cruise speed on some routes.
"Anything that can be cut double
The digital percentage of ship fuel costs is a huge wedge in a larger battle [
Reduce emissions that lead to climate change
Kert Davies, research director at Greenpeace, said.
"This is a big deal.
Kite sails can be used in conjunction with the old sailing routes, taking advantage of the wind and the flow of water. " Thus, fuel-
Conscious ships will search for the most effective routes in a way that aircraft uses jet streams and real streams
Satellite weather forecast.
"We 've been looking for alternative propulsion systems for Greenpeace's fleet, like Cousteau's cylindrical sail system, a vertical wind turbine," Davis said.
We looked at kite sails and traditional sails.
The fact is that there are hundreds of solutions including ship and hull design.
"The bottom line of the ship owner is that Eric Daoji, director of the Northeast Maritime Institute, said," you have to go from ship to ship B in the fastest and safest time ".
As a "wave in the near future", he prefers liquid natural gas that is cleaner than marine diesel and says alternatives must match the power of the diesel engine.
Although kite sails evoke the era of sails, more ideas for future advancement include huge solar wing sails --
Solar glass mounted on the mast
A "air rotor system" that utilizes wind, wave energy, collected by fins similar to those used by Horie, and a combination of each fin.
One design envisioned by Scandinavian shipping giant Wallenius Wilhelmsen is E/S Orcelle.
Known as the first "zero"
It will get energy from the sun, wind, waves and hydrogen fuel cells.
Through photovoltaic panels located in three sails, solar and wind energy will be utilized
Can be tilted or laid on the deck
Made of lightweight composites, 12 fins can transmit wave energy.
The conceptual work of futuristic vessels as a motor carrier began in 2004.
The design will take advantage of any clean
With the rapid development of fuel cell, battery and other technologies, the automotive industry has driven battery innovation.
It may set sail on 2025.
Wilhelmsen said that Orcelle will carry more cargo than the current aircraft carrier, using the deck space equivalent to 14 football fields.
Dramatic "pentamaran" Hull
Main hull with stability and speed and four sponges
Made of aluminum and thermoplastic composites, ballast water will be eliminated
A key innovation is that invasive species removed from ballast tanks can destroy the ecosystem.
"This will be the first truly eco-friendly vessel to protect the atmosphere and marine species," the company said . " Sustainable energy is the trend for the future, the company believes.
Interestingly, Wilhemsen predicts that Orcelle will one day be part of the environmental supply chain.
From the factory to the customer, the final disposal
As the pressure to reduce or eliminate the carbon footprint increases.
Others are betting on liquefied natural gas, a "clean" fossil fuel that emits less carbon dioxide than diesel.
Wrtsil, a marine engine supplier in Finland, expects EU rules to cut CO2 and design a set of 3. 1 million, 100 million tons, LNG
It is reported that the cruise ship will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20.
With nearly 6000 passenger ships currently in service, this could be a huge market.
Despite operational problems
Global scarcity of LNG supply stations
According to Wrtsil, "better environmental performance is always a competitive asset ".
Solar sailors in Australia use retractable and adjustable wings to obtain patented technology for solar and wind energy.
The city ferry is considered a potential market.
The company has signed a contract with the US Navy to clean it
Technology systems for driverless ships, as well as ferry operators in the United States, Asia and the United Arab Emirates.
But most shippers have not yet invested in cleaning
Technology advancement system.
Even the Beluga uses its kite sails as an aid.
If the Kite fails, she will still proceed as planned. "The low-hanging fruit -
Improved hull design, redesigned propeller
John Conrad said: "He explored cleaning
Although Orcelle tested this hypothesis, the tech ships of the marine site gCaptain.
"Many companies are focusing on these new technologies.
The problem is that fuel is still relatively cheap.
Konrad said: "because the fuel cost is passed to the customer through the price of the goods, the shipper lacks the motivation to change. Prices for low-
Serious pollution of fuel and diesel (
Will emit sulfur and carbon)
The "tipping point" burned by the world fleet has not yet been reached.
This is happening in more PR.
The conscious aviation industry has been hit by the soaring cost of aviation fuel, but shipping has not started moving towards radar until now.
Appreciate the challenges of cleaning
Technical advocates, it is necessary to understand the key role of shipping in globalization.
Shipping-
Containers, oil, grain, iron ore, coal and other products
Accounting for 90 of world trade and statistics.
The shipper's Bible, Fearnleys Review, says maritime trade has quadrupled since 1968.
It is estimated to be more than seven years in 2007.
7 billion tons of goods were transported by sea, and the freight was $380 billion.
As a crucial gear in the world economy, ships, especially container ships, are essential to maintain a tight schedule.
If time is lost at sea, the cost will rise rapidly. Take Wal-
The biggest company in the world.
Like other companies.
Mart is trying to reduce expensive warehousing costs by reducing static inventory.
"They have moved to the JIT-just-in-time -
"Delivery system," Konrad said.
"They predict the sale of the products, make the products in China, and then ship them to the United States.
But if a ship is detained, there will be no supplies in their American warehouse that will meet demand.
"Nevertheless, Konrad responded to the trade magazine's bunker Gazette, saying," There is also a lot of effort to adjust the pace, slow down and reduce fuel consumption.
Container ships do not adjust too much speed.
But a large head carrying iron ore or grain can go a little slower and still make a profit from the voyage.
Shipping companies such as Hapag-
Lloyd and Moller
Maersk reduced the speed, saved fuel and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.
Getting the right balance is tricky, as additional operating costs offset fuel savings during longer voyages.
Konrad believes that the big problem of new propulsion technologies such as solar energy, waves and wind --
In addition to funds
Is scalable: they may work on yachts and ferries, however, there is no real proof on large ships other than the Beluga.
Instead, he says reduce friction resistance.
When the vessel moves, the vessel pulls the water together with the water, cutting speed-may be a clean-tech winner.
According to the Dutch Maritime Research Institute, "slippery ships" can improve the efficiency of 20.
This can be achieved by using a polymer (
Already used to lubricate the inside of the oil pipeline)
, Or by making air cushions, by launching micro
Around the hull, bubbles or cavities filled with air.
A super eco-ship envisioned by Japan's National Oceanic Research Institute has been tested at sea with modified vessels, which will emit tiny bubbles from the gaps near the bow.
Bubbles create a layer of air along the hull, reducing the turbulence caused by resistance to increase speed.
The United States and Russia have used computer models and small aircraft to reduce resistance, while the Dutch DK Group envisioned
Giant cargo ship capable of crossing the Atlantic within two yearsand-a-
Half a day is now a quarter.
Or, as the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Move to ban toxic anti-fouling paint, the hull may be covered with "shark skin" coating
Small scales with thorns imitating shark skin-
In order to inhibit the growth of algae and rattan pots, increase the speed and save fuel.
This will still lead to carbon dioxide emissions from the fleet.
"Marine fuel is the dirtiest fuel and the lowest level of diesel," Davis said.
"It's also linked to diseases such as cancer, which has pushed ships docked around the world to use the coast --to-
Power off the coast and switch to clean diesel.
The WWF says shipping emissions have "almost doubled" since 1990 ".
As industry is increasingly forced to calculate and declare carbon emissions during upstream and downstream operations --
Production, distribution, sales and disposal of products
This trend will inevitably affect the world of shipping.
But how to get shipowners to pay to motivate them to move from fuel to clean fueltech?
"This is a very important topic," Davis said . "
"They are excluded from Kyoto because no one knows who will get the bill.
If you have a container ship contracted by Wal-Mart
A supermarket that ships goods from China to the United States, but it's from Liberia-
A flag-flying vessel operated by a Japanese shipping company, who pays for the carbon footprint of the voyage?
"And when Wal-Mart
Mart is an American company that releases worldwide
From ships and factories
American emissions?
"The most basic thing is that when businesses think about their total carbon footprint, find an entry point into a broader accounting plan," Davis said . ".
"Hope climate activists including shipping (and aviation)
In a new regulatory framework under the Kyoto Protocol, the focus is on the next UN climate change conference to be held later this year in Copenhagen.
"The shipping industry is very willing to join the global climate agreement," said Peter Lockley, head of transport policy at wwf uk.
The airline industry, he said, "is aware that there is a big public relations problem with airlines.
CO2 emissions]
This is what they don't want.
"The IMO marine environmental protection board is looking at the CO2 design index for new ships, the operating CO2 index and cleaning practices for existing ships.
It is more difficult to establish a regulatory framework to reduce emissions.
The problem is to coordinate the IMO principle that all ships are equal and in line with the United Nations belief that developed countries must reduce greenhouse gas emissions while developing countries are exempt from tax, although
Flag of Panama, Liberia, Bahamas and Marshall Islands
77 of emissions.
But any way
Country of billing signs for ship owners or terminalsusers -may be gamed.
Ships can be re-registered or re-registered. And if end-
For example, a user is charged, a ship is visiting Mexico on its way from China, and then the United States pays only for the last stop.
WWF hopes that all ships will be paid to help developing countries cope with climate change.
Rockley warned that developing countries such as China, India, Brazil and South Africa are "following" in an effort to expand the burden of carbon dioxide reduction.
Any cleaning switch-
Some practical problems must also be dealt with in technological advancement.
For example, a possible disadvantage of the deck --
The installation of solar panels can interfere with the handling of goods, which is a very precise thing.
Jean-Marine consultant said: "It's ridiculous if you look at the actual situation
When asked how the vessel will respond to the addition, Pierre de Lutz
Like a solar sail, it can generate clean power.
"On a cargo ship, you have to take everything down and load and unload the goods.
"Instead, Druze took root for the methanol fuel cell.
He cited METHAPU, a project in the European Union, where fuel cells provided auxiliary power to a motor transport ship in a maritime trial that began in last March, but did not advance.
Unlike hydrogen, methanol does not need to be compressed and exists in the form of a liquid, its-
The product is water.
De Lutz warned that due to advances in fuel cell technology, "everything that proves to enter the METHAPU as a principle is out of date ".
The revolution was driven by American, Japanese and Korean automakers, but there are also cross-interests.
Take batteries.
Any clean energy at sea
The source of the technology must be kept in the battery.
But the existing battery storage capacity is very limited.
"The revolution that is going on now is the storage of electricity," De Lutz said . ".
"That's why the paradigm is being driven.
"The key to cleaning --
Technology could be super capacitors, a quantum leap from lithiumion batteries.
EEStor, a mysterious Texas company, says its "power storage unit" will significantly increase existing battery storage and allow fast and unlimited charging.
Despite the industry's skepticism, US defense contractor Lockheed-
Last year, Martin signed an exclusive agreement with EEStor for military and homeland security applications.
De Lutz said it would be an "amazing breakthrough" if the prototype of the EEStor was established ".
At the same time, the tipping point of shipping has not yet arrived.
There are several forces lining up to push: fuel costs, concerns about the carbon footprint of businesses, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the eco-activists, and the possibility that the new US government will take climate change seriously.
"The big question is, when do people care? " says Davies.
"Like the transition from suv to hybrid.
No one can guess when it will come.
But those who are ahead will be the winners.