Daretech, with support from SEAI’s 2021 RD&D programme, have been developing their range of hybrid power systems for the marine sector. With electrical requirements currently supplied by diesel gensets there is a significant opportunity to reduce operating costs & emissions in the marine sector.
Electrical supply for marine vessels is extensively provided by on-board diesel generators which, because of operational requirements, are difficult to size appropriately for efficient operation. This results in typical operation of the diesel generator below 30% capacity. Marine vessels were shown to spend up to 70% of their working life at quayside. Running a generator at low power versus high power is less efficient in terms of fuel used per kWh of electricity produced. Reduction in fuel consumption is desirable both for cost and emissions reduction. Minimising the running hours of the diesel generator is attractive to operators and can significantly reduce emissions due to the large number of suitable vessels.
Daretech’s hybrid system brings the advantages of energy storage and renewable energy to the marine sector. The system is a scalable, modular hybrid energy system that Daretech are developing for marine users that do not have access to shore power. Use of this technology allows the vessel owner to both reduce their base-load power related emissions by up to 70% while reducing fuel consumption and extending periods between servicing for diesel generators. The hybrid system has been specifically designed for the marine environment and provides a robust and user-friendly solution. Field trials have resulted in a reduction of 90% of diesel generator running hours. The data gathered during operation is analysed to deliver peak system performance metrics. The intent of this project is to bring the technology through a phase of detailed design to develop a modular, scalable system that can suit a wide range of marine applications.
Eire Project activities focussed on electrical system categorisation and data collection from existing marine users. The test data collected provided a basis for the standardisation of a range of hybrid system sizes within specific user requirements. These base specifications can be further customised to include renewable generation or additional monitoring of a range of sensors as required. Daretech are providing this data as open source for any research purpose – the summary of the data is shown in the graphs below. Click the graphs to access the open source data.
The remaining project activities will see detailed system design concluded in advance of project completion in Q3 2023. The objectives of the project are:
1. Gather power consumption data from marine users to represent the range of vessels in the Irish fleet.
2. Generate User Requirement Specification for Hybrid Systems
3. Generate a Basis of Design for Modular Hybrid Power System
4. Undertake Detailed Electrical Equipment Selection & Mechanical Packaging Design
5. Delivery of a market ready product by project completion.
6. Raise the awareness about the outcomes of the project and the business to maximise company profile, reputation, and sales.
If you would like to access any of the open-source data collected from marine user generators please contact hello@daretech.ie
This project has been supported with financial contribution from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI National Energy Research, Development & Demonstration Funding Programme 2021, Grant number 21/RDD/694.