Analysis of design characteristics of ice-class supply vessels with alternative energy sources

The paper presents the results of an analysis of the possibility of development ice-class supply vessels with alternative energy sources, such as liquefied natural gas, Li-ion batteries (a fully electric vessel) and hydrogen fuel cells. The relevance of the work is related to the tight standards for atmospheric air emissions, which forces shipowners to consider the use of alternative energy sources that are cleaner to operate. Initial design of a classic supply vessel (with anchor handling tug functions) with ice class Arc6, a deadweight of 2700 tons and a power of similar to 14 MW powered by diesel fuel is developed for uses as a basis for analyzing the possibility of using alternative energy sources. It shows that usage of liquefied natural gas as the main fuel decreases vessel's cargo capacity and deteriorates general arrangement due to necessary to accommodate large storage tanks. The development of fully electric ice-class supply vessel is impossible due to the large required mass of Li-ion batteries. The usage of hydrogen fuel cells leads to serious changes in the vessel's architecture, especially due to large liquid hydrogen storage tanks. However it is promising direction, which requires a large amount of research and development works.