The application of LNG as a fuel for medium and high speed ferries James Bennett, Technical Manager, Austal

The application of LNG as a fuel for medium and high speed ferries James Bennett, Technical Manager, Austal The shipping industry in Europe is facing increasing pressure from a raft of new environmental regulations, as well as the prospect of higher fuel prices in the near future. The high speed ferry sector has used light weight diesel engines that burn distillate fuels; however the higher installed power required in these vessels coupled with the corresponding higher fuel consumption has further increased pressure on this sector. Austal has been researching new ferry platforms that can combine...

The application of LNG as a fuel for medium and high speed ferries James Bennett, Technical Manager, Austal Other pressures The travelling public is increasingly well informed about environmental issues and where there is a choice, will exercise their decision based not wholly on price, but on values including who has the most environmentally friendly vessel. Design development Over the last 18 months, Austal has been researching the development of several new types of fast ferry. The most promising of these are multi-hulled ferries that comply with the High Speed Craft (HSC) Code, but are significantly...

The application of LNG as a fuel for medium and high speed ferries James Bennett, Technical Manager, Austal Lean burn gas engines used as generating sets may be arranged to provide AC or DC power. The final choice as to which type of electric platform is best requires careful study as there are advantages and disadvantages to both systems. There are also a number of additional mechanical features that may be combined with LNG machinery including waste heat recovery and energy recovery units mounted on the main engine exhausts. There are also a number of hybrid propulsion packages available where...

The application of LNG as a fuel for medium and high speed ferries James Bennett, Technical Manager, Austal Vessel One: The first platform is based on the Austal 102m trimaran ferry, the outline specification of this vessel is shown below. The trimaran hull form is an ideal platform to develop an LNG powered vessel. The central hull can be designed to house all of the LNG machinery, thus simplifying the layout and reducing piping runs. The centre hull is also large enough to house the cryogenic tank and comply with the B/5 regulations, this double bottom can also be designed as the diesel tank....

The application of LNG as a fuel for medium and high speed ferries James Bennett, Technical Manager, Austal Vessel TWO: The second vessel is a 72m catamaran; the outline specification of the vessel is shown below. This vessel is equipped with four lean burn pure gas engines arranged as generator sets, sized to provide the power required for the hotel load and propulsion. The vessel will be fitted with two cryogenic tanks, one in each hull or on the superstructure so that there is redundancy in the fuel supply. The vessel will be equipped with two propellers on each hull each with a high lift...

The application of LNG as a fuel for medium and high speed ferries James Bennett, Technical Manager, Austal Vessel THree: The third vessel is based on a 127m trimaran. The concept of this vessel is very similar to Vessel One, where the machinery and cryogenic tank are located in the centre hull. The gas turbines may be arranged to drive one large waterjet through a suitable reduction gearbox or drive two waterjets from a gearbox that splits the drive into two output shafts. This latter solution may be lighter and cheaper than the former. This vessel is fitted with one cryogenic tank located in...