News and articles about the latest trends in the maritime industry and around naval architecture

Methanol as marine fuel

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The potential of methanol as alternative marine fuel:                                                                            LeanShips

As member of the LeanShips project Conoship International plays a great role in the research of the possibility to use methanol as a marine fuel.

With its simple molecule, methanol has great potential to become the future marine fuel as it is safe to handle, environmentally friendly and can be produced from a large number of available raw materials from natural gas to biomass.

Conoship International already has a wide experience with assessments for conversions on existing ships but we also developed several new ship designs where the use of methanol as main fuel has a central role. These designs are made for new builds that will be powered with methanol as main fuel from the build or are easy to convert from one type of fuel to another.

Beside the technical part Conoship International has also developed a great Economic Assessment Tool. With this program several combinations of ship types, voyages and used fuel can be analyzed to compare alternative fuel options and to get an optimal prediction of the cost and returns for these scenarios.

 

Why methanol,

No sulfur and low NOx > near to zero emission.Methanol

Still liquid under ambient circumstances so easy and safe to transport and store.

Dilutes in water so no environmental harm in case of spills.

Already adopted within the provisional rules and regulations of Lloyd’s Register.

Widely available all around the world.

Can be used as fuel for combustion engines and also with a DMFC (Direct Methanol fuel Cell)

 

Is it Green?

With methanol as a fuel you are in compliance with Tier III regulations without any further aftertreatment.

Methanol has a very small ecologic footprint as it can be produced from a variety of renewable sources.

Methanol readily dissolves in water and biodegrades rapidly.

 

Conoship International will keep on investing in new designs and knowledge and we are ready to help you with questions about new solutions for your future ship propulsion.

European Commission Horizon 2020

 

Sanaborg Ragnar

Refit Icebreaker to Superyacht

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In the summer of 2017 Conoship’s research and Consultancy department was assigned with the conversion design study for an icebreaker vessel (originally also designed by Conoship International) to a luxurious explorer super yacht. On basis of the owners and Icon Yachts’ wishes and demands we provided a technical general arrangement plan together with a positive advice for the technical feasibility of the refit.

Together with Icon Yachts architects we fit the needs and class of a luxurious explorer yacht into an existent icebreaker/maintenance vessel within current rules and regulations and modern technical demands. Keeping the characteristics of the ship, resulting in a modern yacht like no other.

With the owners and Icon Yachts’ approval we are proud to announce that Conoship Internationals naval architects proceed with the refit of this conversion. Carrying out the basic design including rules and regulations study (large yacht code 3 and polar code), construction, arrangements drawings and HVAC design and integration Conoship International has proven again to be a design and engineering company with great expertise in a wide range of vessels.

For more information about other refits, luxury yachts, explorer vessels, cruise vessels, other vessels or research and consultancy in the maritime industry, please check our ships or contact us at sales@conoship.com.

Ontwikkeling prototype eConowind-unit van start

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VentiFoil windhulpvoortstuwing voor schepen

Als innovatieve scheepsontwerpers zijn wij altijd op zoek naar nieuwe mogelijkheden die het schip net dat beetje extra geven om zich te kunnen onderscheiden van de rest. Om dit te realiseren  onderzoeken we continu nieuwe mogelijkheden die leiden tot een beter schip. Een van deze onderzoeken is gestart in 2008 en heeft geleid tot de veelbelovende econowind-unit. Samen met het in 2016 opgerichte Econowind wordt nu het eerste prototype gerealiseerd, gesteund door Samenwerkingsverband Noord Nederland (SNN).

Een eConowind-unit bestaat uit een 40-voets container met 2 VentiFoils: vleugelvormige masten van 11 m hoog welke met innovatieve grenslaagafzuiging en ‘flaps’ voor aanvullende windvoortstuwing op schepen op zee kan zorgen. Het brandstofverbruik van de conventionele, fossiele brandstofvoortstuwing en dus de CO2-uitstoot, worden daarmee evenredig gereduceerd. De ontwikkeling van deze innovatieve VentiFoil windvoortstuwing is geïnitieerd door Conoship International BV en ondergebracht in een aparte onderneming eConowind BV, beiden gevestigd te Groningen.

Het gehele project bestaat uit ontwikkeling en testen van een 1:1 prototype van de eConowind-unit met speciale VentiFoil vleugelprofielen, de mechanische constructies (zwenken en inklappen), de besturing voor inklappen en autonoom varen. Voor een 1:2 schaalmodel (resultaat van een voorbereidend onderzoek, voorafgaand aan dit project) worden instellingen (zoals ‘zeilstanden’ in relatie tot windsnelheden) en werkingscondities (luchtafzuigparameters) theoretisch en proefondervindelijk onderzocht en vastgesteld. Met de resultaten van het 1:2 model wordt een 1:1 prototype van de eConowind-unit ontwikkeld. Het prototype wordt na sterkteberekeningen voor de vleugelmast, klapconstructie, behuizing en dekbevestiging ontworpen en gebouwd.

Gemiddelde besparingen van 20 tot 30% op brandstof en CO2-uitstoot zijn te verwachten, met het juiste aantal eConowind-units per schip. Ook de volledig autonome besturing van de VentiFoils, steeds optimaal afgestemd op de actuele windsnelheid en –richting, wordt ontwikkeld en getest op zee. Te onderzoeken en testen veiligheidsaspecten omvatten onder ander de constructie, montage aan boord en automatisch inklappen van de VentiFoils bij zware storm en te grote hellingshoeken van het schip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Challenge of Big Data

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The Challenge of Big Data, Conoship Internationals New Years reception

The 2017 Conoship New Year’s Event was a big success. Despite the early morning snow and the icy weather, many guests came to Groningen to toast to an exciting 2017.

Through the interesting presentations at our mini-symposium we got a glimpse of what the future might hold for the maritime industry: The Challenge of Big Data.

After Guus van der Bles (Conoship) shared Conoship’s thoughts on a number of subjects, including the potential of Big Data in Ship design, the questions it might raise and how Conoship is innovating and getting ready for the future, four other speakers followed and presented their view on big data from their own field of expertise.

Geert Schouten (Shipbuilder) showed us how big data has already been implemented in ship design and what advantages it can bring us through his program “Shipbuilder.” As an example, using a random GA and the application of augmented reality he showed us only a small part of what big data can mean not only for designers but also for ship-owners and shipyards.

Dan Veen (We4Sea) shared in a very clear presentation how his program uses big data to reduce fuel consumption up to 20% leading to lower emissions and getting grip on CO2 output. All this to save costs and at the same time comply with the latest emission regulations.

Robert Hekkenberg (TU Delft) put forth some interesting questions about autonomous shipping, referring to many commercial and non-commercials initiatives building on this subject. A Dutch Joint Industry Project and a European project concerning Autonomous Shipping are about to start, which should lead to two actual operational demonstrators.

Gijsbert de Jong (Bureau Veritas) presented to us how the class societies are getting ready for the future and how big data could bring all parties in shipbuilding closer together and make classification better and easier as well as part of the whole process of shipbuilding and shipping.

Conoship wants to thank all the guests for their presence and especially the speakers for their inspiring presentations.

We wish you all the best for 2017 and are certain that together we can make the best designs and vessels of the future.

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