Fuel Cells in Marine Vessel Propulsion

A hydrogen fuel supply system for ships that uses liquefied hydrogen stored on board to fuel hydrogen fuel cells without needing a separate cooling system. The system vaporizes the liquefied hydrogen using a refrigerant to provide gaseous hydrogen for the fuel cells. The refrigerant removes heat from the vaporizer and fuel cells, cooling them. This eliminates the need for a separate cooling system since the liquefied hydrogen itself acts as a coolant. The system also has a buffer tank to store and condition hydrogen, moisture filter, and venting to prevent boiloff.

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Controlling a ship with multiple fuel cell modules to efficiently meet power demands while maintaining stability. The ship has an integrated controller that detects power requirements and sequentially turns on/off fuel cells based on their characteristics to meet demand. Local controllers then follow the integrated commands to actually operate the cells. This allows optimizing fuel cell usage and preventing issues like long start times.

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A fuel cell power system for ships that enables reliable and safe operation of fuel cells on ships, particularly for hydrogen fueled fuel cells. The system uses redundant fuel cell modules and hydrogen storage on different decks of the ship. This allows separating the hydrogen storage from the fuel cell cabin, reducing risks of hydrogen leaks and fires. The hydrogen storage is on an upper deck and the fuel cell cabin is on a lower deck. The hydrogen is piped between the decks to the fuel cell. This prevents hydrogen accumulation and potential explosions in the fuel cell cabin. The system also uses parallel fuel cell modules for redundancy.

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A hydrogen fuel cell-based electric leisure boat that enables long-duration, long-distance water navigation while reducing battery degradation and fire risks. The boat has a hydrogen fuel cell system that generates electricity to power the electric motor propulsion. Additional battery packs store excess fuel cell power. A control system selects between fuel cell and battery supply based on occupant choice. This allows extended water operation compared to just batteries. The fuel cell prevents battery degradation from prolonged submerged use, and avoids battery fires in marine environments.

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A ship propulsion system that uses hydrogen fuel for zero emissions and high integration compared to dual fuel systems. The system has a single motor, propeller, hydrogen fuel cell, internal combustion engine, battery, and storage tank. It allows selective operation of the fuel cell, engine, and battery through controllers. This provides versatility for different speeds and load conditions. It enables using hydrogen as the only fuel source for the propulsion system.

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Multi-power unmanned ship system that uses a combination of a methanol fuel cell and a methanol diesel engine for improved endurance and environmental friendliness compared to traditional power sources. The system intelligently switches between the two power sources based on factors like environment conditions, path optimization, and battery charging efficiency to maximize sailing time and adaptability.

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Hybrid electric propulsion system for ships using direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) and lithium batteries. The system has separate compartments for the DMFC, lithium battery pack, and isolation cabin. This allows using the DMFC for primary power generation, with the lithium batteries providing backup and smoothing. The compartment arrangement improves safety by containing the toxic and flammable methanol fuel. It also reduces motor vibration and improves stability by leveraging both fuel cell and battery power sources.

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Marine solid-state hydrogen storage fuel cell power system for water vessels that uses solid-state hydrogen storage instead of high-pressure hydrogen tanks. The system has a solid-state hydrogen storage device, an integrated pressure valve, a control system, a hydrogen fuel cell, and a circulation pump. The solid hydrogen storage is connected to the integrated valve. The fuel cell has air and hydrogen inlets/outlets, and the pump connects the storage to the fuel cell. The valve regulates pressure. The system charges and discharges hydrogen using the pump, valve, and fuel cell.

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Dual fuel integrated system for marine vessels that combines a reversible fuel cell with a marine diesel generator set to enable energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and load matching for marine vessels. The system uses the waste heat from the diesel engine to generate hydrogen and oxygen for the fuel cell. The fuel cell can then produce electricity and water as output. This allows the diesel engine and fuel cell to complement each other and provide optimal power and efficiency based on the vessel's load requirements. The system also has a heat exchanger to recover additional heat from the diesel exhaust.

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Electric propulsion system for ships that nearly eliminates exhaust emissions compared to traditional diesel engines. The system uses a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power plant instead of diesel engines to generate ship propulsion power. Electric motors drive the propellers instead of diesel engines. The SOFC fuel cell replaces the diesel generator as well. Batteries provide energy storage to compensate for load variations. The onboard electrical system has AC, DC or a mix.

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Compact steam reforming system for offshore hydrogen production that can be used on vessels and platforms in harsh marine environments. The system has a structured catalyst inside a pressure vessel. The catalyst has an electrically conductive macroscopic structure supporting the catalytically active material. This allows controlled reaction front movement. The catalyst is heated by passing current through the structure. The product gas extracts heat from the inner tube to further heat the feed gas. This provides compact, resilient reforming with improved performance in offshore applications.

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A marine hydrogen fuel cell power generation system for ships that provides stable power for ship propulsion. The system is divided into a hydrogen fuel cell module and cabin accessories. The fuel cell module has a sealed negative pressure hydrogen area to mitigate hydrogen safety risks. It uses forced mechanical ventilation to circulate hydrogen inside. The ventilation system has sensors to monitor hydrogen concentration. The module also has subsystems for air supply, water management, electrical power, ventilation, and exhaust.

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Metal seawater fuel cell that can be stored and used in a marine environment for long periods without degradation. The fuel cell has a protective housing around the anode that degrades or can be mechanically damaged in the marine environment. This allows the anode to be exposed to seawater for fueling the cell. The housing is made of a biodegradable material that dissolves in seawater over time or an elastic material that peels off when punctured. This prevents the anode from corroding in the marine environment when stored for extended periods. The fuel cell also has a transitional housing that protects the anode during transportation and deployment. When the cell is ready to use, the transitional housing is destroyed or peels off to expose the anode for seawater fueling.

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Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships by using hydrogen and natural gas hybrid fuels in marine applications. The method involves supplying hydrogen or a hydrogen-natural gas mixture to a ship's generator and using the generator's power to drive the ship's electrical loads. This allows lowering carbon emissions compared to using diesel fuel alone. The hydrogen can be produced onboard using renewable energy sources like wind or solar. The hybrid fuel enables ships to meet stricter emissions targets like IMO's 40% reduction by 2030.

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Power management system for hybrid ships that optimizes fuel efficiency by intelligently switching between battery and fuel cell power sources. The system initially runs the ship's motor only on battery power until the fuel cell's output is reached. Once the fuel cell starts, it provides full power to the motor. If the motor load drops below fuel cell output, the battery charges. If the motor load exceeds fuel cell output, both sources are used. If the motor load stays below fuel cell output for extended periods, the fuel cell output is reduced. This ensures efficient fuel cell utilization while avoiding battery drain.

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Underwater fuel cell power system using hydrogen-air fuel cells instead of hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells to improve safety, reliability, and cost for underwater vehicles. The system involves manually creating an air atmosphere in the sealed container by mixing nitrogen and oxygen, rather than using pure oxygen. This prevents issues with oxidation, flooding, and degradation of the fuel cell membrane that occur when using pure oxygen. The oxygen concentration, humidity, and temperature in the container are controlled to optimize fuel cell performance. The hydrogen gas is recirculated between the fuel cells and container to prevent excessive hydrogen buildup. The system also has cooling, dehumidification, and hydrogen monitoring to manage the closed environment.

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In-ship fuel cell system that allows efficient operation and space utilization in submarines. The system involves supplying oxygen and hydrogen to the fuel cell inside a sealed chamber without using a separate blower. The sealed chamber contains the fuel cell, gas supply, gas-liquid separator, and a third gas storage tank. This enables generating fuel cell power inside the sealed chamber using onboard oxygen and hydrogen without external blowers. The system also monitors the third gas level and adds stored third gas if needed. This avoids using the main chamber's oxygen for fuel cell operation. Separating the fuel cell and living spaces inside the sealed chamber allows more efficient use of the ship's internal volume.

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Fuel cell ship design to minimize damage if the battery explodes. The ship has a separate battery compartment below the deck and above the hull, isolated from the fuel cell. This contains a backup battery that powers the propulsion. If the fuel cell battery explodes, it's contained in the fuel cell compartment and can't spread to the rest of the ship. The backup battery in the separate compartment can still provide propulsion.

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Fuel cell ship design with multiple fuel cells to prevent stranding if one fails. The ship has a plurality of fuel cells to generate power for propulsion. If the output of one fuel cell falls below a threshold, it is shut down to prevent further deterioration. This adjusts the deterioration rate and brings the estimated replacement time closer to the scheduled maintenance time. This allows matching replacement timing with docking instead of at sea.

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Marine hydrogen fuel cell power generation system for ships that reduces weight, simplifies design, and improves reliability compared to conventional systems. The key feature is separating the hydrogen subsystem from the integrated stack, air, cooling, and control components. This allows independent ventilation, simplified piping, and optimal hydrogen return flow. The hydrogen subsystem is placed above the stack to avoid liquid water ingress. This configuration improves overall system efficiency and reliability for marine applications.

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