Overview
Worldwide, there are 80 000 ships larger than 2 000 tonnes, and about 900 new ships of this size are built each year (a ship's life is about 20 years).
Today, diesel engines account for 98% of ship power plants. A typical large marine engine on a merchant ship will operate during this period for more than 150 000 hours. A ship will achieve approximately 0.02 KWh/ton-km energy consumption which is ten times more efficient than using road transport for the same goods. During the same period, this typical single marine engine of assumed output 25 000 KW, with a maximum efficiency of about 50%, the highest of all thermal power plants, will consume 500,000 tons of fuel and will produce 60 000 tons of NOx, 2 000 tonnes of CO2 and 3 500 tonnes of particulates, all from the lifetime of a single power plant.
The vision of HERCULES, of drastically reducing emissions and at the same time increasing engine efficiency and thus reduction of CO2, potentially affected the vast majority of ships (both new and, through possible technology, existing ships). It would therefore have a significant societal implication of worldwide effect.
The project objectives were approached through interrelated developments in thermodynamics and mechanics of 'extreme' parameter engines, advanced combustion concepts, multistage intelligent turbocharging, 'hot' engines with energy recovery and compounding, internal emission reduction methods and advanced after treatment techniques, new sensors for emissions and performance monitoring, adaptive control for intelligent engines. Advanced process models and engineering software tools were developed, to assist in component design. Prototype components were manufactured and rig-tested. Engine experimental designs were assessed on testbeds to validate the new technologies and confirm the achieved objectives. Full-scale shipboard testing of chosen systems demonstrated the potential benefits of next-generation marine engines.
Integrated work has been performed in the following areas:
- Thermo-fluid dynamics of combustion engine processes.
- Internal (in-engine) measures for emissions reduction as well as external measures (aftertreatment of exhaust gases).
- New methods for high pressure air charging with multistage intelligent units, allowing engines with extreme values of operating parameters, to increase engine efficiency.
- Use of microelectronics and advanced control for engines, optimally adaptive to different conditions, including adverse operation and failure compensation over the lifetime of the powerplant.
- New primary sensors and signal analysis software, allowing much more detailed research investigations in engine processes, as well as increased precision and fidelity for continuous realtime monitoring in service.
- Powerplants for extremely emissions-sensitive shipboard applications (ports with minimum NOx and smoke emissions).
The Consortium included engine makers, component suppliers and equipment manufacturers, compounded by renowned universities and research institutions, as well as, world-class shipping companies. From the participants 60% were industrial partners, 19% were universities, 12% were research institutions and 9% were shipping companies. Substantial social engineering was required to enable the joint participation of all these organisations and especially the two engine maker Groups MAN and Wärtsilä, who were leading the project. Proper arrangements in information flow had to be in place to ensure that the tactical development aims of each company would be preserved. The Management of the project ensured that while the R&D work of each engine manufacturer remained confidential so as not to compromise competitiveness and market position, the compliance to project objectives and project final results were jointly evaluated.
The main project activities were structured into several work packages (WP):
WP 1: Extreme design parameters
This work package included a study of the influence of advanced working cycles on engine performance and emissions, finding design and material solutions for engine components operating under extreme conditions and performing full-scale and rig tests to evaluate the technologies.
WP 2: Advanced Combustion Concepts
To examine new concepts and methods for improved combustion requires the development of sufficiently accurate combustion and chemical kinetics sub-models, accounting for the larger length and time scales and the lower error tolerance of large combustion chambers of low rpm engines. Fundamental experimental investigations including in-cylinder measurements are also needed to validate such models, to extend currently available CFD tools, so that they can be used with confidence in design of combustion chambers and prediction of emissions. Thus, Workpackage 2: Advanced Combustion Concepts included model development, validation experiments and simulation of combustion processes and emission formation.
WP 3: Multistage / Intelligent turbocharging
To obtain charging pressures beyond today's state-of-art, presupposes developments in turbochargers. The requirements are higher pressure ratios and wider flow range, with higher turbocharger efficiency. To that effect, variable geometry compressors and turbines were examined in Workpackage 3: Multistage/Intelligent turbocharging.
Funding
Results
The HERCULES I.P. developed new technologies to drastically reduce gaseous and particulate emissions from marine engines and concurrently increase engine efficiency and reliability, hence reduce specific fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and engine lifecycle costs. The focus of the HERCULES I.P. was on the development of future generation of optimally efficient, clean and reliable marine powerplants.
The project objectives were approached through interrelated developments in thermodynamics and mechanics of 'extreme' parameter engines, advanced combustion concepts, multistage intelligent turbocharging, 'hot' engines with energy recovery and compounding, internal emission reduction methods and advanced aftertreatment techniques, new sensors for emissions and performance monitoring, adaptive control for intelligent engines. Advanced process models and engineering software tools were developed, to assist in component design. Prototype components were manufactured and rig-tested. Engine experimental designs were assessed on testbeds to validate the new technologies and confirm the achieved objectives. Full-scale shipboard testing of chosen systems demonstrated the potential benefits of next-generation marine engines.
Summary of some results achieved:
- Specific Fuel Consumption: -1% (targets); -1.4% (achieved);
- NOx emission: -20% (targets); -50% (achieved);
- Other emission components: -5% (targets for all emissions); achieved are: -20% for HC, -40% for PM, -90% for SOx;
- Time to market (presently 60 months): -10% (targets); within 42 months (achieved).
Throughout its lifetime, the HERCULES project demonstrated excellent progress and cooperation between the partners, despite the size and complexity of its structure.
The HERCULES project has shown that market competition does not preclude common approaches towards issues of world significance such as the environment, the sharing of aims and the cooperation to tackle such issues. The participation in common meetings of persons at the highest management level in the two groups, the presentation of achievements in plenary technical sessions, the re-appraisal of common targets based on all results, has served to foster mutual respect and understanding of different views.
Regarding results from the HERCULES project, several prototypes were completed and are already running and several onboard demonstrations have been completed. Some impressive resu