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SHIPPING SCENA
CONCEPT OVERVIEW
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Concepts for the

The Water Carrier is a tanker designed to transport freshwater over long distances. Onboard power demand is minimised by using wind power, air lubrication of the hull and an efficient shtail propulsion system. DWT Length Beam Draft 150,000 tons 285 m 46 m 16 m

TEXT: OSKAR LEVANDER ILLUSTRATION: WRTSIL

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Wrtsil has designed ship concepts to envision vessels that could feature in the three different scenarios presented in the companys Shipping Scenarios 2030 published in the autumn of 2010. Details of two of these concepts are presented in this article to provide some insight into what the future may hold in terms of ship design and onboard technology.

ARIOS 2030
CONCEPT OVERVIEW T This algae-harvesting concept is a vessel that collects algae from the sea for use in biofuel production. All onboard systems are powered using renewable energy sources. Length Beam Draft 100 m 20 m 6m

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T
Water Carrier [above]

he brief was to create future ship concepts to represent vessels that could feature in each 2030 shipping scenario. In addition to the examples presented here, many other concepts and solutions could become reality. Additional concepts will be presented in future issues of Twentyfour7.
FUTURE SHIPPING TRENDS

WATER AND OIL IN TANKERS In many respects, water tankers are similar to oil tankers. As both cargoes are liquid and of much the same density, cargo arrangements and capacity, hull form and onboard machinery can be almost identical. On the other hand, since water is not a hazardous cargo, there are less restrictions when designing a water carrier. For example, the deckhouse can be located on top of cargo tanks instead of aft of them, a conguration not permitted on an oil tanker. The tanks can also be made of composite materials rather than steel. Ballast-free designs and single hull constructions also offer attractive options.

In assessing the results achieved in the scenario work, it is clear that there are just two certainties and many uncertainties. The two certainties are that shipping will remain an important part of the transportation matrix and that freshwater will become a more valuable commodity. Unfortunately, this does not give us much to go on when we are attempting to envision future vessels. Closer examination of the scenario work does however reveal a number of trends that will affect ship design. All three scenarios call for new trading patterns and ships to satisfy them. New commodities will have to be transported. The emerging fuel types highlighted in one of the scenarios called Open Oceans scenario biogas, bio oil and hydrogen all call for new transportation solutions. The increasing value of freshwater will create trade over ever-longer distances. Another clear result will be the emergence of new trade patterns. In the Rough Seas scenario, new routes will have opened up to serve trade between future bilateral partners, and the Yellow River scenario includes expanded trade between Africa and China. In Open Oceans, most goods are being transported between areas rich in resources and megacities. New functions and services will also call for purpose-built

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ALL THREE SCENARIOS CALL FOR NEW TRADING PATTERNS AND SHIP DESIGNS.
vessels. In Open Oceans, floating desalination, waste-management and recycling plants will be anchored offshore to serve the needs of future megacities. In all the scenarios, the trend towards methods of transportation that are greener and more efficient is clear. In some scenarios, this trend is being driven by the need to cope with depleting energy resources and local regulations. In others, global agreements set very stringent targets for levels of emissions. In the final analysis, all three scenarios call for substantial improvements in energy efficiency.
WATER CARRIER FOR LONG JOURNEYS

For the Rough Seas scenario we have created a Water Carrier concept. In this future world, supplies of energy, food and water are scarce. As freshwater has become a valuable commodity traded between countries and regions, special vessels designed exclusively for water transportation will emerge. Many different technologies and designs can be applied in this concept. Our design is similar to that employed in a conventional double-hull tanker with a deadweight of 150,000 tonnes, close to a Suezmax oil tanker. In a world where energy is in short supply, there will be a clear desire to minimise the amounts of fossil fuel consumed in transporting freshwater. Our tanker is therefore equipped with Flettner rotors to harness energy from the wind and generate free thrust. The vessels frictional resistance to moving through the water is minimised by pumping lubrication air through underwater outlets in the ships hull. Propulsion is based on a Fishtail system equipped with two large horizontal fins that move up and down to provide forward thrust with high propulsion

FISHTAIL PROPULSION Slow-moving vessels with relativelylow power demands can achieve high propulsion efficiencies if they are tted with propellers which are very large and run at slow speeds. Another approach is to use even larger horizontal blades or wings (ns) to produce the required lift Fishtail or Whale-tail propulsion. The ns are moved up and down and rotated during each movement to achieve the right angle of attack for incoming water. As the large dimensions offer low loadings and rotational losses are not present in the vessels wake, systems of this type can achieve very high levels of efficiency. The challenge is to build a construction that moves the ns in the right way while still offering high levels of reliability. Mechanical aspects of the design are very challenging. Experiments on shtail propulsion have been carried out in model test facilities for many years. By 2030, ships could be sailing the oceans using propulsion systems of this type.

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Algae harvesting vessel [above]

efficiency. The power to drive the system is generated by multi-fuel diesel engines - this flexible solution allows use of the fuel that is most economical at each point in time.
ALGAE HARVESTING VESSEL FOR OPEN OCEANS

In the Open Oceans scenario, climate change is perceived as an opportunity with the innovation of green solutions having become a lifestyle and a wide range of clean technologies being introduced. Biofuel production is one of these and will call for whole new types of ship, such as vessels than can collect or harvest algae from the large floating basins in the ocean where it is being grown. The harvesting vessel collects algae by sailing up and down inside the basin while surface water is directed into the vessel using hinged booms. When these booms are not in use, they can be folded against the hull to make a streamlined, bulb-like hull shape. Inside the vessel, the water is filtered to separate the algae from the seawater and transferred into two barges stored in recessed openings in the ships side. When a barge is full, it is floated off to be collected by a pusher tug and replaced by an empty barge. As the algae is used to produce clean biofuels, power for harvesting vessels should come from renewable energy sources. Most power is produced by fuel cells running on biogas stored onboard in liquid form, and these fuel cells supply the base load during harvesting operations. When higher speeds are required for transit, the vessels dual-fuel engines are started up. Power for onboard systems also comes from a large solar panel that can be tilted to maximise energy production. The ship has electric propulsion with two pulling thrusters and a low-loss electric drive system to minimise transmission losses. The ship operates without any crew members and is operated from a shore-based control station via a satellite link.

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Learn more about Shipping Scenarios 2030 at www.wartsila.com/ shippingscenarios or follow our twitter feed @shipping2030

REMOTE CONTROL Our vision of the algae harvester is that of a remotelycontrolled operation without any permanent crew members onboard. As the vessel will mostly be operating in restricted areas inside oating basins, it is a good rst candidate for such unmanned remote operations. Todays electronic navigation aids such as nightvision cameras, radar, ASIS and GPS technology already provide a better view of the ships surroundings than the human eye. By locating the crew on shore, more comfortable working conditions and improved shift arrangements will be possible. When maintenance has to be carried out, a dedicated service team can be own out to the ship or rendezvous with it in port.

A CLEAR TREND IN ALL SCENARIOS IS THE NEED FOR GREENER AND MOREEFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION.

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