Overview
This project will contribute to a more competitive liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain, and strengthen the technological leadership of European shipyards, which today are facing fierce competition from Asian companies. The project could also result in a € 3 million p.a. cargo pump industry in Europe, thus creating an alternative supply source to US and Far East suppliers. It opens the door to a potential € 1 million p.a. retrofit market for European LNG carrier repair shipyards and equipment suppliers, and to international freshwater trading. It paves the way for setting innovation and affordable, competitive and more environmentally friendly design and operating standards for LNG carriers and terminals.
The objectives of this project were:
- to develop and demonstrate an LNG cargo pump enabling a 20% reduction in its operating time;
- to develop more efficient LNG cargo transfer lines, demonstrating an 80% improvement in their thermal performances, with improved insulation systems;
- to develop a new concept of insulation for the LNG cargo tanks, demonstrating a 20-40% reduction in boil-off -related CO2 emissions during harbour manoeuvres;
- to demonstrate the feasibility of using diesel-electric LNG carriers as co-generation units providing power and hot water to regasification terminals.
The main benefits expected from this project were:
For shipyards and LNG carrier operations:
- a manufacturing cost reduction of more than € 2 million per ship; and
- a yearly operational cost reduction of up to € 5 million.
For terminals:
- a 20% increased capacity;
- reduced boil-off emissions during ship manoeuvres and transfer operations;
- the creation of a new role for freshwater providers to LNG exporting countries;
- access to a competitive co-generation source, and exploitation of the regasification cooling power.
The activities undertaken and the research methods employed in the NG2SHIPI/F project were pursued in the following Work Packages:
- WP1: coordination;
- WP2: cargo pump: trade-off and conceptual studies, electrical motor technology assessment, electrical architecture optimisation, pump preliminary design, forerunner building for further tests in WP6;
- WP3: transfer lines insulation: improvement of foam insulation formulation at cryogenic temperature, foam insulation creep behaviour at cryogenic temperature, insulation of transfer line components, loading arms insulation studies, optimisation of piping mechanical brackets;
- WP4: tank insulation: feasibility and performance tests performed on foam insulation, thermal analysis, feasibility of retrofit on an existing carrier;
- WP5: co-generation I/F: power generation interface definition;
- WP6: cargo pump demo: test-bench modification and acceptance, demonstrator manufacturing, assembly and acceptance, demo tests performance, test-bench reconditioning;
- WP7: transfer lines insulation demo: equipment insulation demonstration tests, loading arm insulation demonstration tests;
- WP8: tank insulation demo: thermal model on existing LNG carrier, test on the existing LNG carrier;
- WP9: knowledge management and dissemination plan.
Funding
Results
The cargo pump scale prototype has been designed, mounted, shipped to the United States for its first series of tests, whose goal was to assess its hydraulic performances. After this successful first campaign, the second phase consisted of the specific tests of the new electrical motor designed by Wroclaw University of Technology and made by Mikroma, which took place end of March 2006. The tests were successful and showed perfect correlation compared to simulations made at design stage. Pump and motor expertise after test confirmed the good pump and motor behaviour.
The design of a powerful variable speed system for this type of pump has been deeply studied thanks to the use of dedicated models. Conclusion is that it is possible to integrate pump variable speed systems on-board LNG carriers at low cost, using propulsion VFD systems, taking into account the different networks and unloading scenarios.
Argon filled foam insulation tests have been carried out, but did not show the expected results. The study has been shifted to tests and studies with argon filled perlite insulation system, whose results are positive, as they present a 10 % reduction in thermal conductivity when using argon. Simulations carried out by Sintef for the different insulating boxes match well the tests results and confirm the influence of the plywood thermal coefficient. Finally, the argon supply system preliminary study has been performed, starting with a trade-off between various solutions. A closed argon supply system (ASU) based on liquefied argon storage and argon / CH4, argon / nitrogen cryogenic separation has been selected on the basis of economical and environmental considerations. This solution is easily applicable for new or existing LNG carriers.
Loading arms insulation studies have shown interesting gains by using double wall and vacuum insulated pipes, a solution that has been manufactured and tested with positive results.
Use of pre-insulated valves was studied, but it was soon realised that this technical solution could not be finalised with a commercially satisfying result and the work was discontinued.
Instead, all efforts were used to finish the two remaining tasks:
- a new and more flexible PUR foam formulation;
- new lighter and more cost effective pipe support design.
The power interface study has been completed, leading to a high potential gain by using power interface either by selling electricity to the grid when the ship is processing, o