Abstract No.

F171201-041

Fuel and Emission Reduction in Shipping Industry Based on Low

Carbon Economy by the use of Flexible Solar panels and Rotor Sails.
Author Names: Cdt. Avishek Ankit1; Cdt. Rishikesh Rout2
1. 3rd Year Marine Engineering Cadet, Tolani Maritime Institute, Pune, India
2. 2nd Year Marine Engineering Cadet, Tolani Maritime Institute, Pune, India

The idea is to substitute half the fuel required to run a ship by the use of rotor sails to get energy from the wind and solar panels fit for
marine environment to get energy from the sun. The use of rotor sails along with flexible solar panels onboard merchant vessels will
help curb the carbon emissions. The temperatures are generally high around 43-45 degrees in a well-ventilated engine room from
around 100 degrees of actual temperature. The rest of the heat generated is channeled to the surrounding through the exhausts;
instead of dumping this heat to the atmosphere we can reduce the pollution from it by channelizing it for steam formation, to aid in the
working of boilers onboard vessels. Installing energy efficient cycles onboard ships for crew to paddle and generate energy and from
the mechanical work done and further storing that energy in batteries can aid in the internal lighting systems on the ship.

KEYWORDS: Greenhouse gases (GHGs); Wind Energy

groups (WEGs); Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI);
Deadweight Tonnage (DWT).
INTRODUCTION
Sustainable shipping is recognized as one of biggest challenges
of 21st century. It is accepted that whilst shipping is relatively
safe and clean, compared with other transport modes, the
industry does have a significant impact on the environment. It
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of the future generations to meet their own needs. It also focuses
on lost sustainability, stabilization and subsequent reduction of
CO2 emissions whilst allowing maritime trade to thrive, which
currently is only one of the greatest challenges facing the
industry.
It consists of three emerging key areas, which are identified by
the pillars of sustainability. It is mostly similar to green shipping
initiatives. As shipping is a global industry, responsible for the
transportation of approximately 90% of world trade, the impacts
of increasing pollution and illegal discharges are felt worldwide.
Shipping is the key to the world economy for the future
populations and economic growth projected by the governing
authorities. Nevertheless, shipping is expected to bear its share
of the burden and contribute to overall Carbon emission
Reduction. This concept may not be palatable to many but it‟s
something the industry needs to be aware of and prepare for.
The shipping industry, like all industries faces the challenge of
what to do and how to ensure any solution to be effective for
maritime trade to flourish. However, shipping is subject to less
stringent environmental demands than those placed on land-
based transportation businesses even though the sector continues
to be responsible for producing large amounts of greenhouse
gasses like CO2. Marine pollution has been the leading issue
with the shipping industry since a decade. The International
Maritime Organization (IMO) estimates that carbon dioxide
emissions from shipping were equal to 2.2% of the global
human-made emissions in 2012 and expects them to rise from
50 to 250 percent by 2050 if no actions are taken. The Energy
Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) was made mandatory for all
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new built ships and Ships Energy Efficiency Management Plan
(SEEMP) for all existing ships, under the amendments made to
MARPOL Annex VI, CHAPTER 4 [I]. As a result of this
modern-day shipping faces an enormous challenge, to reduce its
fuel Consumption and the Emission of CO2 to meet the
prescribed MARPOL targets.
Therefore, our ideas like wind propulsion could be a popular
green initiative throughout the 21st century, particularly at the
time of high bunker prices. The potential benefits are obvious;
with the promise of reducing the fuel consumption of a ship, the
possibility of improved profit margins, a reduced freight rate
and reduction in greenhouse emissions. We have considered a
Gearless capesize bulk carrier vessel for installation of Rotor
Sails and Flexible Solar Panels. Generally, its capacity is
between 100,000 and 200,000 Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT). It
usually contains 9 holds. Such ships are often described as
Capesize, since if they are travelling from Asia to Europe but do
not intend to use the Suez Canal, they‟ll sail around South
Africa‟s Cape of Good Hope. These large Bulk Carriers are
gearless, that is to say they have no derricks or cranes and
depend entirely upon onshore appliances for loading and
discharging. This is because in most places where such cargo is
handled the terminals have very advanced machinery designed
for the quickest possible loading or discharging. Its power
requirement is 25-26kW. Therefore, we plan to install Rotor
sails on the open deck area of gearless capesize bulk carrier.
Rotor Sails are a form of wind energy harnessing system that
utilizes the Magnus Effect‟s phenomenon exhibited by a
spinning body in a fluid flow incident upon it. It is this effect
that is responsible for the curving flight path of a ball in many
sports or the deviations of a spinning artillery shell in a
crosswind. It typically comprises a cylinder with an end plate
affixed to the top, mounted vertically to the deck of the shop
through the action of a motor, the cylinder rotates in the air
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stream and a lift force is generated that can contribute to the
propulsion needs of the ship. It can curtail the fuel consumption
by 10-20 % of a running vessel. It reduces the fuel consumption
by 8% per Rotor. These are completely independent, almost
maintenance free and programmed to work without manual
adjusting or any intervention from the crew members. The key
advantages are “the plug and play installation”, fully automated
use, significant savings in Bunker costs and thus relatively short
payback period. Therefore, even the older ships can benefit from
their use.
Also, Solar Energy is one of the ancient means of renewable
energy that has been looked for as a source of power since 1839.
The vital role that the sun plays in life on earth has been
recognized by nearly every culture of mankind. The Earth
receives 174 petawatts (PW) of incoming solar radiation at the
upper atmosphere approximately 30% is reflected back to space
while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land
masses. Harnessing this energy can prove to be a vital weapon
in tackling the current needs of the world in fighting pollution
and cutting down the greenhouse emissions.
The traditional solar panels that are used for shore requirements
prove to fail when used onboard due to lack of strength to
withstand strong winds and to work in high moisture content
levels at sea. Flexible solar panels come into the picture to fix
this problem. The use of lightweight polymer films instead of
traditional glass covers up the problems faced by the use of
crystalline silicon cells. The careful choice of materials and their
thickness creates the right balance between protection of thin
photovoltaic cells and the creation of a flexible and light casing.
We can innovate and deploy the zero-maintenance solar power
system onboard a ship. It will be capable of generating 5.4 kW
electricity and replacing the ship‟s traditional 4.4 kW
emergency diesel alternators. The solar power generating system
can be installed by customizing and installing razor-thin,
flexible solar panels on canopy of Helicopter deck (Heli/Helo
Deck), poop deck, side deck and upper deck. It‟ll be light-
weight, extra-thin, flexible and unbreakable along with no-fume
solid electrolyte batteries. The flexible panels are shade tolerant
hence they can work in mostly any light condition. The system
is 100% reliable as a power source that can also be used for
communication equipment, general lighting onboard and battery
charging round the clock with battery outputs during night. The
low-cost system will slash a yearly Carbon Emission of 60,225
kg and save around 22,995 liters of diesel used to run the
vessel‟s Emergency diesel Alternator. The cost of generation of
electricity using flexible solar panels is Rs 12 per kV/hour.
Hence, the estimated savings in 15 years of service life is
approximately 1 crore as the existing diesel generator consumes
one litre of diesel to generate 5 units. Therefore, it will be one of
the most prominent and efficient techniques to curtail carbon
emissions.
One of the important ideas of this paper is utilizing the heat
generated by the propulsion engine as well as different
machineries present in the engine room. The typical temperature
in the engine room is around 25-45 degree Celsius, installing
inlet and outlet ports at different positions along with forced
blowers can help channelize this heat and feed air from the
atmosphere to the engine room. We are planning to construct a
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vacuum chamber in which the channeled heated air would be
stored and simultaneously the temperature would be increased
by the installation of an air heater inside it. The temperature
would be displayed by the heat sensors installed, which would
help to control it. The temperature of the heated air will be
around 100 degree Celsius which would then be directed
towards the sprinkler fitted in a mixing chamber which would
take suction from the seawater tank. The sprinkler would
sprinkle 10 drops per second which will cause the generation of
low pressure steam. As seawater contains a lot of salt, the
precipitate formed after the formation of low pressure steam will
increase and after some time the mixing chamber can be vacated
of this precipitate by the ease movements of a single drain
system so that the salt can be separated out from the mixing
chamber from time to time. The low-pressure steam is then
directed towards the condenser which would condense the steam
and result in the formation of freshwater.
This freshwater generated would serve as a replacement for the
uses of the freshwater generator onboard vessels. It can also be
utilized as a feed for boiler water for generation of high pressure
steam. The generated low-pressure steam can also be utilized as
accommodation heating during cold climate condition.
The installation of energy efficient cycles onboard merchant
vessels to curtail some of the power required for internal
lighting of the superstructure of the vessel is the last sub-idea of
this paper. A typical machine of such make will generate
0.11kW energy per hour. A general crew allotment of a ship is
of around 20 people. An hour of using the machine by each
crew member simultaneously would generate 2200 Watts of
power. Assuming the internal lighting system to consist of 4
CFL bulbs of 5-Watt rating would consume a total power of
2400 Watts. The energy produced would be stored in batteries
and will be utilized in emergency blackout situations as well as
for other lighting requirements of the ship.
These are some revolutionary ideas which will help in curtailing
the carbon emissions up to maximum extent as per the
upcoming regulations of IMO by 2020.
We have incorporated 4 sustainable ideas to help the shipping
industry tackle the ongoing rate of Sox emissions. These ideas
will not help in completely reducing the pollution caused by the
shipping industry but they surely can contribute a significant
effect on the environment and help the maritime fraternity move
towards a greener shipping era. The following are the ideas
presented by us in this paper:
1. Rotor Sails
2. Flexible Solar Panels
3. Utilization of heat from engine room machineries
4. Energy Efficient Cycles
ROTOR SAILS
Background
The shipping industry has witnessed some significant
advancement since its advent. More than 90 percent of world
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 trade is moved through the maritime commercial shipping
industry. Subject to free market forces, this industry has
achieved a high level of efficiency, which has contributed to the
expanding global economy by enabling the low-cost movement
of goods around the world.
Worldwide seaborne trade has quadrupled in the last 40 years
and now exceeds 6 billion tonnes per annum, with an annual
growth rate of about 4 percent. In order to drive magnificent
structures such as a ship, generally 3 types of oil are used.
Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (LSFO) and
diesel oil. Different countries have different rules for burning
fuel when the ship is at that place.
With the natural resources being depleted day by day, humans
are in search of cleaner and sustainable sources of energy which
can be used in the seaborne trade for the upcoming generation.
One such clean source of abundant energy available in the high
seas is wind energy.
Flettner rotors
Flettner rotors (FR‟s) are a form of a wind-based propulsion
system that utilizes the Magnus effect shown by a spinning body
in a fluid flow incident upon it. A Flettner rotor is a smooth
cylinder with disc end plates which is spun along its long axis
and as air passes at right angles across it, the magnus effect
causes an aerodynamic force to be generated in 3 rd dimension. A
Flettner Rotor typically comprises of a cylinder with an end
plate affixed to it on the top. The rotating cylinder in an
airstream generates a lift and a drag force that contributes to the
propulsive need of the ship. The rotation to the Flettner Rotor is
generally given by an electric motor.
Fig 1: Rotor ship Barbara (Courtesy of Deutsches Schifffahrts
museum Archive, Bremerhaven.)
Principle
The principle on which the Flettner Rotor works is that of
Magnus Effect. Magnus effect is defined as the generation of a
sidewise force on a spinning cylindrical or spherical solid
immersed in a fluid (liquid or gas) when there is relative motion
between the spinning body and the fluid., It is responsible for
the “curve” of a served tennis ball or a driven golf ball and
affects the trajectory of a spinning artillery shell.
Named after the German physicist and chemist H.G. Magnus,
who first in 1853 experimentally investigated the effect is that
of a force generated by a spinning object traveling through a
viscous fluid. The force is perpendicular to the velocity vector
of the object. The direction of spin dictates the orientation of
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the Magnus force on the object. The orientation of the force can
change or it can be changed but it is important to remember that
it is always perpendicular to the direction of fluid.
A spinning object moving through a fluid departs from its
straight path because of pressure differences that develop in the
fluid as a result of velocity changes induced by the spinning
body. The Magnus effect is a particular manifestation of
Bernoulli‟s theorem: fluid pressure decreases at points where
the speed of the fluid increases. In the case of a ball spinning
through the air, the turning ball drags some of the air around
with it. Viewed from the position of the ball, the air is rushing
by on all sides. The drag of the side of the ball turning into the
air (into the direction the ball is traveling) retards the airflow,
whereas on the other side the drag speeds up the airflow. Greater
pressure on the side where the airflow is slowed down forces the
ball in the direction of the low-pressure region on the opposite
side, where a relative
increase in airflow
occurs.
The force of the Magnus effect
can be calculated with the following equation:
Where:
Fm =the Magnus force vector
w= angular velocity vector of the object
v=Velocity of the fluid (or velocity of object, depends on
perspective)
S= air resistance coefficient across the surface of the object
Once Fm is found we can use the basic kinematic equations to
predict the characteristics of spinning objects in flight.
Fig. 2: Pictorial representation of Magnus Effect
Components and working
The Flettner Rotor can be used on board for two major
applications:
• Rotor Ships:
Rotor ships use mast-like cylinders for propulsion.
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 • Stabilizers:
A Flettner rotor mounted beneath the
waterline of a ship's hull and emerging
laterally will act to stabilize the ship in
heavy seas. By controlling the direction
and rotation strong lift or downforce can
be generated. The largest deployment of
the system to date is in the motor yacht
Eclipse.
Fig 4: Savonious Rotor
Driving a magnus rotor
A Magnus rotor is usable as a lifting device as long as it is
spinning. In case of the rotor ship, the rotors are powered by an
electrical drive system. One reason for this solution is the
flexibility in selecting the spinning direction according to the
wind direction and the desired moving direction. In order to
reduce system complexity and increase system safety, other
technologies may be developed to drive the rotors. For example,
Flettner proposed a Savonius-rotor, which is known as an auto
rotating wind energy converter, to drive the Flettner-rotor.
Flettner rotors
Fig. 5: Magnus effect applied on Flettner Rotor
Rotor design
A standard Flettner Rotor is a basic cylinder shape, with an
endplate mounted at the top in order to improve the lift/drag
ratio. It can include „Thom fences‟, additional plates spaced
evenly along the length of the cylinder which can also increase
the lift coefficient at the cost of greatly increased power
requirements, named after Dr Alexander Thom who initially
proposed their use in FR design. The basic structure and major
characteristics of the rotor must be defined in the technology
options file prior to use within the model. As the model is
generic in order to be used with a number of different ships with
different sized rotors, the rotor design will automatically be
generated based on the particulars of the test ship if it is not pre-
defined.
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Fig 6: Thom Fences
Height of rotor
The Flettner Rotor height is defined as the vertical distance from
the weather deck to the top of the ships tallest mast, so as not to
increase the existing air draft of the ship. The diameter of the
cylinder is defined based on a fixed aspect ratio of
height/diameter, with a lower aspect ratio for the endplates.
Fig. 6: Components of Flettner Rotor
Ship selection
When beginning an assessment for the potential retrofit of
Flettner Rotors on a ship, it must first be ensured that the
candidate ship is physically well suited to accommodate them.
The ships particulars are used to define the initial dimensions
and locations for FRs, and depending on the type of ship, a
different logic is applied.
Initial requirements are as follows:
• Sufficient clear deck space.
• No immediately adjacent structure.
• Suitably strong mounting points.
These requirements ultimately mean that a candidate ship must
be of a type that has an open area of deck, without extensive
superstructure that would inhibit air flow, or deck gear/cranes
which may be obstructed by the presence of a Flettner Rotor.
As there will be considerable forces transmitted to the structure
of the ship, the mounting sites must be carefully chosen to
ensure that the forces can be safely transferred to the ships
structure. For an initial assessment, areas that already have deck
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reinforcement for cranes or capstans etc. are assumed to be an
appropriate site. Where this is not possible, sited directly over a
bulkhead that can accommodate extra stiffening is an acceptable
alternative.
Vessel types such as dry bulk carriers and tankers represent an
ideal platform for the installation of Flettner Rotors. Their open
decks and relatively slow steaming speeds, alongside favourable
operating profiles make them a more attractive proposition for
the use of Flettner Rotors.
The operating profile of the ship and the ships speed in different
sea states are also key factors to the feasibility of installation, as
Flettner Rotors are more effective for ships travelling at slower
speeds in medium/higher winds. The best fuel-saving benefit is
for ships that spend the majority of their operational time at a
constant cruising speed instead of manoeuvring, such as anchor
handlers.
(the direction of the wind were the ship to be stationary) to
create the apparent wind.
It is the apparent wind incident upon the ship that is the wind
speed used for calculating the velocity ratio. The apparent wind
varies in strength and direction for every combination of ship
speed, true wind speed and true wind direction.
As the model is intended to be generic there is no wind routing
performed, therefore each instance of true wind direction is
assumed to be equally likely to occur.
The resulting lift and drag forces from the Flettner Rotor are
then broken into their components and summed to give the net
force for that scenario. The apparent wind and forces are
illustrated in Fig. 8.

Results & discussions

Aerodynamic data
The only dynamically controlled variable of the FR is the
rotational speed, which consequently affects the velocity ratio,
which is defined as ratio of the cylinder surface speed relative
to the air speed as shown below:

Figure 8: Apparent wind and forces.

Coefficients of lift and drag vary with the velocity ratio; The formula for drag is the same but with the corresponding
therefore, FR performance is dependent on the background data drag coefficient.
used to calculate the coefficients of lift and drag, and the
subsequent forces that are generated.
Accurate data regarding the coefficients of lift and drag was
limited to a maximum velocity ratio of 8, taken from early
experimental results based on the work of Jakob Ackeret. This
data is illustrated in Fig. 7.
It is assumed that the rotor will always rotate in the direction
that will provide beneficial thrust and at the highest beneficial
rotational speed; where that is not possible the rotors are turned
off to minimize drag and power consumption.

Net power
The power consumption of a Flettner Rotor was taken to be the
sum of the motor power required to overcome the aerodynamic
resistance and the resistance from the bearings. Aerodynamic
power is calculated by treating the endplate and cylinder as
separate entities and summing the required powers. The relevant
equation for each is given below:

Figure 7: Ackeret values for CL and CD

Wind and forces

The wind force and direction experienced by the ship as it
moves forward will be the resultant of the „induced wind‟ (the
airflow felt due to the ships forward motion) and the „true wind‟

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In order to ensure the operation of Flettner Rotors provides a net
benefit in a particular scenario, the total power required to drive
Flettner Rotors does not justify their added power requirements,
the rotors are turned off.
Conclusion
It can be thus concluded from that Flettner rotors are an
alternative supportive propulsion system which are possible to
be integrated on existing vessels. It works on the principle of
Magnus Effect and taps in the power of wind energy to propel
the ship in the desired direction. It consists of rotating cylinders,
these cylinders mainly generate forces in the horizontal plane,
forward plane and sideway forces. To make sure the seagoing
properties of the vessel remains good, it must be prepared and
planned because the healing movement influences the stability
and the strait of the cylinder foot must be properly supported as
it is subjected to high stress. The vessel needs to have a
sufficient free deck surface. At the same time no objects should
block the accessibility of free wind and operational height
limitations must be taken into account. The German wind
turbine manufacturer “Enercon” has constructed a new ship the
E-Ship 1, which incorporates four large FRs as auxiliary
propulsion and has operated successfully at sea in 2013, yet a lot
of changes and advancements need to be done.
The range of cost of Flettner Rotor is quite high but with further
technological and material science advancements, the Flettner
rotor can eradicate the problem of pollution, provide fuel
savings and ensure reduction potential from 3-15% on main
engine fuel consumption depending on vessel size, segment,
operation profile and trading areas.
FLEXIBLE SOLAR PANELS
Introduction
Solar energy is one of the most looked for energy as a source of
sustainable unlimited power. The use of silicon based solar
panels has increased in the past
few years as the nations
throughout the world realize
the importance of a pollution
free environment. The same
green movement has taken
place in the shipping industry
as well. The International
Maritime Organization (IMO)
has taken the initiative to curb
the SOx emissions onboard ships to help limit pollution caused
by the diesel engines of merchant vessels. As per the rules laid
down by IMO outside an Emission Control Areas (ECA)
established to limit the SOx and particulate matter emissions,
the fuel oil standard (0.50% m/m) shall become effective on 1
January 2020 and inside an ECA established to limit the SOx
and particulate matter emissions, the fuel oil standard (0.10%
m/m) has become effective on and after 1 January 2015. Most
ships which operate both outside and inside these ECA will
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a rotor is compared against the equivalent main engine power its
thrust replaces. In the event the thrust from the
therefore operate on different fuel oils in order to comply with
the respective limits. Shipping companies are looking forward to
new ways of running their engines in order to comply with these
rules as a result there‟s been a shift from the traditional Bunker
Fuel used for the diesel engines to using Liquefied Natural Gas
(LNG) as fuel for their merchant vessels.
Crepuscular rays
Crepuscular rays are also called sun rays or god rays. These are
the rays of light which appear to radiate from the point of the
sky where the sun is located. The amount energy that is radiated
from the sun in form of solar energy through crepuscular rays is
around 1,575–49,837 exajoules(EJ).
Solar energy
The energy from the sun has proven to be a renewable energy
source even to our great ancestors. It is pollution free unlimited
energy, the importance of which even our forefathers
understood in their era. The only drawback the world faces is
the efficiency of our technology to harness this energy. Solar
energy is the energy received in the form of heat and light from
the crepuscular rays emitted by the sun. Only half of this solar
radiation actually reaches the surface of the earth. The Earth
receives 174 petawatts (PW) of incoming solar radiation
(insolation) at the upper atmosphere. Approximately 30% is
reflected back to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds,
oceans and land masses. Solar radiation is absorbed by the
Earth's land surface, oceans – which cover about 71% of the
globe – and atmosphere. The use of solar energy has been
growing throughout the world ever since the threat of global
warming became evident, more and more countries have come
forward to harness the power of the Sun.
Flexible solar panels
The marine environment makes normal glass made crystalline
solar panels of no use due to the high moisture content in air at
sea. To counter this flexible solar panels can be used instead of
the traditional rigid one‟s onboard merchant vessels to generate
electricity from solar
energy. The factors that
would influence the
working of these flexible
solar panels are length,
height, weight and
thickness. These would
influence the power
produced by these panels.
The construction of panels
would be of thin material
of monocrystalline cells.
Polymers of high strength would be used to make the panels
resulting in better durability of the panels. Making the solar
panels flexible will provide it resistance to weather and
degrading agents such as thermal shock, fog and salt water and
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hence prove to be a better alternative than traditional glass solar
panels.
Principle
When photons hit a solar cell, they knock electrons loose from
their atoms. If conductors are attached to the positive and
negative sides of a cell, it forms an electrical circuit. When
electrons flow through such a circuit, they generate electricity.
Multiple cells make up a solar panel, and multiple panels
(modules) can be wired together to form a solar array. The more
panels one can deploy, the more energy one can expect to
generate. PV solar panels generate direct current (DC)
electricity. With DC electricity, electrons flow in one direction
around a circuit. This example shows a battery powering a light
bulb. The electrons move from the negative side of the battery,
through the lamp, and return to the positive side of the battery.
With AC (alternating current) electricity, electrons are pushed
and pulled, periodically reversing direction, much like the
cylinder of a car‟s engine. Generators create AC electricity
when a coil of wire is spun next to a magnet. Many different
energy sources can “turn the handle” of this generator, such as
gas or diesel fuel, hydroelectricity, nuclear, coal, wind, or solar.
This DC is further then converted to AC using a solar inverter.
A solar inverter takes the DC electricity from the solar array and
uses that to create AC electricity. Inverters are like the brains of
the system. Along with inverting DC to AC power, they also
provide ground fault protection and system stats, including
voltage and current on AC and DC circuits, energy production
and maximum power point tracking.
Factors influencing power generation through
flexible solar panels
Net energy
The global formula to estimate the electricity generated in
output of a photovoltaic system is:
E=A*r*H*PR
E =Energy(kWh)
A =Total solar panel Area (m2)
r = solar panel yield or efficiency (%)
H = Annual average solar radiation on tilted panels (shadings
not included)
PR = Performance ratio, coefficient for losses (range between
0.5 and 0.9, default value = 0.75)
Notations
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r is the yield of the solar panel given by the ratio: electrical
power (in kWp) of one solar panel divided by the area of one
panel.
Example: the solar panel yield of a PV module of 250 Wp with
an area of 1.6 m2 is 15.6%.
Be aware that this nominal ratio is given for standard test
conditions (STC): radiation=1000 W/m2, cell temperature=25
Celsius degree, wind speed=1 m/s, AM=1.5.
The unit of the nominal power of the photovoltaic panel in these
conditions is called "Watt-peak" (Wp or kWp=1000 Wp or
MWp=1000000 Wp).
H is the annual average solar radiation on tilted panels.
PR: PR (Performance Ratio) is a very important value to
evaluate the quality of a photovoltaic installation because it
gives the performance of the installation independently of the
orientation, inclination of the panel. It includes all losses.
Example of detailed losses that gives the PR value (depends on
the site, the technology, and sizing of the system):
- Inverter losses (4% to 10 %)
- Temperature losses (5% to 20%)
- DC cables losses (1 to 3 %)
- AC cables losses (1 to 3 %)
- Shadings 0 % to 80% (specific to each site)
- Losses at weak radiation 3% to 7%
- Losses due to dust, snow (2%)
- Other Losses
Material of panels
The panels are made up of monocrystalline silicon cells
incorporated with flexible polymers having high strength and
low thickness. The materials used in the flexible solar panels
are:
Cadmium Telluride: this is the most commonly used material in
thin film production, and it accounts for almost half of the
materials used in total. Recently, the solar efficiency of these
cells has risen, and is almost equal to that of polycrystalline
silicon. It also has the ability to lower the payback period-
making it the best of all the solar technologies, with the average
in good areas being around eight months.
Copper Iridium Gallium Selenide: the main difference between
this and the previous materials, is the absence of heavy metals.
The cells made from this material are also being developed to
create a silicon-like level of efficiency, with much lower prices
due to the lower quantity of materials used.
Amorphous Silicon: this is a non-crystalline version of silicon
that makes a great alternative to the traditional wafer material.
Devices that have been built with Amorphous Silicon have
shown fewer issues than other thin film technologies, primarily
because they are not affected by humidity and do not contain
any toxic materials. They are also the greenest option because
their production causes no hard to the environment.
Power
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The power generated from the flexible solar panels considering
clear skies during sailing with ample amount of sunlight ranges
from 50-160W per panel.
Length
The panels in order to provide the corresponding power must
have lengths in the range of 600-1600 cms. These numbers are
taken into account considering the limitations of the size of the
space available to us on the deck of a merchant vessel.
Height
The height of the flexible panels could range from 200-800 cms
Thickness
As the panels are made from thin polymers having high strength
the thickness of them is considerably low comparing the
traditional glass panel. The thickness of the solar panels can
range from 2-3 cms allowing flexibility and hence creating more
places onboard a merchant vessel where it could be put to use.
Weight
The panels are made up of monocrystalline silicon cells
incorporated with lightweight flexible panels, this helps in the
ease of placement and movement of the panels onboard in case
of any emergency. The typical weight of a panel ranges from 1-
3 kilograms.
Positioning
UTILIZATION OF HEAT GENERATED BY
DIFFERENT MARINE MACHINERIES
PRESENT IN ENGINE ROOM
The heat generated by the propulsion engine as well as the
different machineries present in the engine room can be utilized
for various steam involved processes. The typical temperatures
in the engine room is around 25-45 degree Celsius, installing
inlet and outlet ports at different positions and using forced
blowers can help channelize this heat and feed air from the
atmosphere to the engine room. We are planning to construct a
vacuum chamber in which the channeled heated air would be
stored and simultaneously the temperature would be increased
WMTC’18 Tolani Maritime Institute
The panels can be placed on canopy of Helicopter deck
(Heli/Helo Deck), poop deck, side deck and upper deck
These areas are specifically chosen by us because they are the
most exposed to the Sun in a ship allowing us to harness the full
potential of the energy that reaches the vessel from the Sun.
Negative effects
The flexible solar panels prove to be ineffective when the skies
are not clear. On cloudy days, the power output by the panels
may equivalent to nothing, but the two-way mechanism,
combining the flexible solar panels along with the rotor sails
helps us overcome this major disadvantage. The rotor sails come
into effect when the wind speeds are considerably high at sea
proving as a fail-safe mechanism for the solar panels due to
cloudy weather. The panels vice versa prove to be a fail-safe
mechanism for the rotor sails when the sea is calm and the
winds are flowing at considerably low rate while the sky is
sunny. This way it helps tackle the disadvantages of the rotor
sails as well as the flexible solar panels.
Conclusion
The flexible solar panels provide to be an alternative source of
energy for the 2 stroke diesel engines used in a merchant vessel
for propulsion. It‟s an overall low-cost system as only the cost
of installation is high after which the panels run with no trouble
throughout their lifetime with little to no interference required
from the crew members. The low-cost system will slash a yearly
Carbon Emission of 60,225 kg and save around 22,995 liters of
diesel used to run the vessel‟s Emergency diesel Alternator.
The cost of generation of electricity using flexible solar panels
is only Rs 12 per kV/hour, hence the estimated savings by using
these instead of the diesel engines all the time are significant in
number. It will help curtail the carbon emissions and help
merchant vessels to abide by the new rules of Carbon and
Sulphur emissions laid down by the International Maritime
Organization.
by the installation of an air heater inside it. The temperature of
vacuum chamber would be displayed by the heat sensors
installed on the upper region which would help to monitor it.
The temperature of heated air will be around 100 degree Celsius
which would then be directed towards the sprinkler fitted in a
mixing chamber which would take suction from the seawater
tank. The sprinkler would sprinkle 10 drops per second which
causes the generation of low pressure steam. As seawater
contains a lot of salt, the precipitate formed after the formation
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of low pressure steam will increase and after some time the
mixing chamber can be vacated of this precipitate by the ease
movements of a single drain system so that salt can be drained
out from the mixing chamber from time to time. This drain
system will have connection with seawater suction and a
regulating valve at starting point of inlet which can be opened
from time to time anyone can open the port as per requirement
of removal of salt. This will cause again dissolution of
accumulated salt in mixing chamber and can be easily drained
off. The low-pressure steam is then directed towards the
condenser which would condense the steam and result in the
formation of freshwater. Furthermore, water released from
FLOW DIAGRAM OF HEAT EXTRACTION MECHANISM
Forced Blowers
Engine Room
(Temp- 20-45⁰
Celsius)
CONDENSER
FRESH WATER RELEASING POINT
Final water
Treatment plant
Feed to Fresh Water
Generator
ENERGY EFFICIENT CYCLES
The world needs every possible way to substitute the energy
from the fossil fuels with a greener form of power generation.
The use of energy efficient cycles onboard could help us
provide enough energy to at least sustain the internal lighting of
the cabins of the crew members for a few hours every day. The
usefulness of this apparatus may not seem much but taking off
WMTC’18 Tolani Maritime Institute
condenser can be treated through chlorine and required elements
to get 100% purity.
This freshwater generated would serve as a replacement for the
uses of the freshwater generator onboard vessels. It can also be
utilized as a feed for boiler water for generation high pressure
steam. The generated low-pressure steam can also be utilized as
accommodation heating during the cold times. The high-
pressure steam from the boiler then can be used to rotate the
turbine and hence provide energy to help propel the ship
forward.
Heat sensor
Vacuum chamber (Air
heater installed inside it to
raise the temp. up to 100⁰ Seawater
Celsius) Tank
Mixing chamber with sprinkler
Salt draining system
few hours of fuel requirement for lighting systems every day
creates a compounding effect whose results show overall
pollution and cost reduction in the long haul. The cycles would
work on the basic principle of conversion of mechanical work
done to electricity. The basic model of which can be
demonstrated by the use of a belt and two pulleys connected to a
generator which further is connected to an inverter and a battery.
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Tweaking certain aspects of this apparatus can help us increase
the overall efficiency of these cycles. A typical machine of such
make will generate 0.11kW energy per hour. A general crew
allotment of a ship is of around 20 people. An hour of using the
machine by each crew member simultaneously would generate
2200 Watts of power. Assuming the internal lighting system to
consist of 4 CFL bulbs of 5-Watt rating would consume a total
power of 2400 Watts. This can help us to substitute the power
source of internal lightings of the ship during the day time and
hence prove to play a part in the overall pollution reduction by
the vessel up to a certain extent.
UPSHOT OF STUDY
The maritime fraternity is in dire need of a green makeover
considering the impact the shipping industry has on pollution.
Our paper aims to curtail the Carbon and Sulphur emissions
onboard merchant vessels in order to make them compatible
with the future rules of Indian Maritime Organization regarding
the levels of emission of these gasses. The ideas presented in
this paper if implemented can have a positive impact on cutting
down SOx and Carbon emissions, clean energy as well as
reduce the overall coinage of the shipping companies.
This will help bring on a new era of green ships that are
environment friendly as well as being equally efficient in
transporting cargo which can result in preservation of marine
life and hence build a greener earth. Our goal is to start a green
trend in the shipping sector in this world of decreasing fossil
fuel resources to make the world a greener and pollution free
home to our future generations. Therefore, we emphasize that
promotion of green shipping offers a powerful tool to provide
opportunities and incentive schemes for policy makers to put a
GREEN BEACON at the horizon of 21st century shipping! This
paper outlines our current thoughts on policies, technological
and operational measures to control carbon emission from ships.
This paper also discusses about the Reduction in fuel
consumption for marine propulsion and about their prime
drivers.
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
We introspected in detail about all the four sustainable ideas that
we thought of in our paper. All of the four ideas separately may
not be able to provide a significant reduction in the Sox
emissions but all of them combined and utilized in one green
ship can surely make a difference. The rotor sails and flexible
solar panels can be used together so that if one fails the other
can sustain at least some power to help run the engine of the
ship. The energy efficient cycles cannot be used all the time to
provide for the lighting onboard but they can be used as a
backup in situations like blackout where there is no power.
Energy from the machineries in the engine room can help aid
the boiler and hence in freshwater generation helping us cut
down the requirement for a separate freshwater generating plant
and help us cut costs. Some of the ideas mentioned in this paper
area already being thought up by different shipping companies
throughout the world in order to tackle the rules laid down by
IMO. All the ideas mentioned are practical and can be
implemented in helping us save the marine environment, we do
agree that some of the ideas in this paper may require a high
WMTC’18 Tolani Maritime Institute
installation cost but the overall expenditure of the company will
decrease in the long run.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
It was indeed a great opportunity for us to write about a topic
like “Innovations in Green shipping”. At the time of preparing
this paper we had to go through different books and websites
which helped us to get acquainted with new topics that were
beyond our reach. We focused on those topics important for us
so that we could understand and grab the concepts of the
methods required to implement the ideas presented in this paper.
We also extend our sincere thanks to our worthy mentors Prof.
Sankar Subramanian, Prof. Shishir Dutt, Prof. Sudhir Sindagi
and Dr. Sanjeet Kanungoo for their able guidance and support
for the successful completion of this paper. Apart from us, this
research paper will certainly be of immense importance for
those who are interested to know about this topic. We hope that
they will find it comprehensible.
We have tried our level best to gather all relevant documents
regarding this subject. We don‟t know how far we were able to
succeed in that. Furthermore, we don‟t claim that all the
information included in this paper is perfect. There may be
shortcomings, factual errors, mistaken opinions for which only
we are responsible. We‟ll try to improve and get better in the
future regarding the same.
REFERENCES
1. J. Seifert. A Review of the Magnus effect in
Aeronautics. Progress in Aerospace Sciences (2012)
2.
http://ffden2.phys.uaf.edu/211_fall2010.web.dir/Patric
k_Brandon/what_is_the_magnus_effect.html
3. http://glomeep.imo.org/technology/flettner-rotors/
4. ENERCON GmbH. Rotor sail ship E-Ship 1 saves up to
25% fuel, Enercon Press release, 29th July 2013.
5. http://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/comment-
and-analysis/wind-rotor-for-ships
6. M. Traut, P. Gilbert, C. Walsh, A. Bows, A. Filippone,
P. Stansby, R. Wood, ‘Propulsive power contribution of a kite
and a
flettner rotor on selected shipping routes’.
7. Mandar Gadkari, Varun Deshpande, Sumant
Mahulkar, Vishal Khushalani, Shubham Pardhi, Dr. A.P.
Kedar, ‘To study
Magnus effect on Flettner rotor.
8. https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/solar-
panels/flexible-solar-panels.html
9.
https://global.kyocera.com/prdct/solar/spirit/about_solar/cell.ht
ml
10. http://www.alken-murray.com/Boilerworks.html
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11. http://www.ecomarinepower.com/en/aquarius-marine-
solar-power/99-marine-solar-panels
12. https://www.marineinsight.com/guidelines/converting-
seawater-to-freshwater-on-a-ship-fresh-water-generator-
explained/
Cdt. Avishek Ankit (Main-Author)
Avishek Ankit ‟19 a resident
of Patna, Bihar initially,
currently pursuing B. Tech
Marine Engineering as trainee
engine cadet in the esteemed
institute of Tolani Maritime
Institute, Pune. He is a person
who strives to gain
knowledge and further put it
to good use for the betterment
of the society around him. He is famous in campus for his out of
the box ideas for different paper presentations throughout the
country. The zeal to gain knowledge was triggered in the early
years of his school life wherein he wrote his first paper on Land
Resources used for prosperity and to save posterity which
gained huge appreciation from the state of Bihar. He has the
right balance of theoretical and practical knowledge which helps
him to think of new and innovative ways of tackling day to day
problems faced by the shipping industry. A National Talent
Search Examination (NTSE) scholar who is also credited with
Kishore Vagyanik Protashan Yojana (KVPY) scholarship which
is India‟s own selection procedure to segregate future
researchers and scientists. Some of the recent papers to his
credit are Inland Waterway systems of India, onboard ship
waste management, catamaran hulls based on ship design,
sustainable green shipping. Avishek along with being a child
prodigy in the field of science is also an athlete known for
completing different cross country and long-distance runs held
in the institute. He, like every known scientist also has a
philosophical side to himself, he spends his free time writing off
beautiful pieces of poetry and prose as well as clicking snaps of
the world around him. He sees the world in a different way
when he is behind the lens of a camera. He has immense
leadership qualities which got him recommended for National
Defense Academy, Pune through Army Selection Services
Board. One of his favorite quotes is “Some goals are so worthy
that its glorious even to fail”, it makes him try to take on those
hurdles of life which is seen as impossible by the rest of the
crowd and hence differentiate him as one of those who have the
strength to actually achieve their goals.
WMTC’18 Tolani Maritime Institute
AUTHOR‟S BIOGRAPHY
Cdt. Rishikesh Rout (Co-Author)
Rishikesh Rout '18 grew up in
Bhubaneshwar, Odisha and is
currently pursuing his pre-sea
training as a trainee engine
cadet at Tolani Maritime
Institute, Pune. He is a person
that approaches failures with a
positive mindset and always
strives to improve on his
drawbacks so that he doesn‟t
repeat his mistakes in the
future. He is a quick learner and hence has the ability to grasp
and implement new concepts quickly. A kind of person who is
self-motivated, maintains healthy inter personal relationships,
has good leadership qualities and is an important team player.
His achievements are a result of such values that he has
inculcated in himself. He was awarded with the post of a Child
Scientist in the National Children‟s Science Congress in the
state level when he was in class 10th which ignited the fire in
him to go on to pursue his ideas and try to implement them in
the day to day scenario. He has then gone on to give his best in
every opportunity that life has thrown at him. As a junior NCC
cadet in his schooling years he has attended many national
camps that have induced the qualities of a leader along with
confidence and patience in him. He's flexible, hardworking, and
cooperative and takes initiative to complete every task to
perfection that is given to him. He doesn‟t believe in the concept
of „free time‟ so he uses all the time that he gets by indulging in
productive activities throughout the campus. He has many
interests such as photography and writing, along with playing
football. He tries to improve the life of those around him by
helping the needy by doing community service or, by guiding
those who seek knowledge about things that he knows. An
active member on Quora, has over 52,000 answer views on
different questions asked by people. He like his counterpart has
been recommended for National Defense Academy, Pune
through Services Selection Board which proves that he has the
qualities of a leader. One of his favorite quotes is, “The night is
darkest just before dawn”, and this gives him the hope in every
adversity that dawn is not far away.
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ANNEXURE- 1
#IN REFERENCE FOR ROTOR SAILS
WIND
Wind is the movement of gas. On the surface of the Earth, wind
consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind
is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun
through space, while planetary wind is the out gassing of light
elements from a planet's atmosphere into space. Wind moves
from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure .
WIND ENERGY
Wind is one such source of energy which is available in
abundant quantity in the seas, but this source of energy hasn‟t
been yet tapped by the human race to its full potential. Wind
happens to be one of the cheapest, most powerful, and greenest
sources of energy on the high seas. If this source of energy can
be made to use with the help of modern technology, then we can
reduce the consumption of fossil fuels to a greater extent and
can also help in creating a cleaner society.
Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the
sun, variations in the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth.
Mountains, bodies of water, and vegetation all influence wind
flow patterns. Wind power conventionally has been generated
with the help of turbines in the past few decades. Wind turbines
convert the energy in wind to electricity by rotating propeller-
like blades around a rotor. The rotor turns the drive shaft, which
turns an electric generator. The key factors which affect the
amount of energy a turbine can harness from the wind are: wind
speed, air density, and height.
IDEAS AND VISIONS
History
Anton Flettner‟s
spinning bodies are
vertical cylinders,
which as specified
before was to use
WMTC’18 Tolani Maritime Institute
Magnus effect. Anton Flettner was assisted by Albert Betz,
Jacob Ackeret, Ludwig Prandtl and Albert Einstein, Flettner
constructed an experimental rotor vessel, and in October 1924
the Germania werft finished construction of a large two-rotor
ship named Buckau.
The vessel was a refitted schooner which carried two cylinders
(or rotors) about 15 metres (50 ft) high, and 3 metres in
diameter, driven by an electric propulsion system of 50 hp (37
kW) power. Following completion of its trials, the Buckau set
out on her first voyage in February 1925, from Danzig to
Scotland across the North Sea. The rotors did not give the
slightest cause for concern in even the stormiest weather, and
the Flettner rotor vessel could tack (sail into the wind) at 20-30
degrees, while the vessel with its original sail rig could not tack
closer than 45 degrees to the wind. On 31 March 1926, the
Buckau, now renamed Baden-Baden after the German spa town,
sailed to New York via South America, arriving in New York
harbour on 9 May.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
There are other factors that affect the overall performance of a
FR fitted ship, and demonstrate why an early appreciation of
ship type and layout are important. Factors considered within
this model are:
• Increased heeling moment from side forces;
• Extra rudder drags from increased yaw;
• Forced vibrations (Resonance).
The sideways (sway) forces as illustrated in Fig. 8 can become
very large when the apparent wind angle (β) is nearly dead
ahead or astern.
This large sideways force when combined with the vertical lever
arm of a Flettner Rotor creates a large heeling moment on the
ship and will thus increase the angle of static heel, just as with a
sailing yacht. The increase in static heel angle must therefore be
calculated to ensure it does not exceed safe levels and to
quantify its effect on the sea keeping of the ship.
Moments are equated around the vertical centre of gravity
(VCG) and basic geometry allows for a calculation of static heel
angle, shown in Fig. 9.
Figure 9: Angle of static heel
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From the calculated angle of static heel, the change in the wetted
surface area on the hull can be calculated and thus any resultant
change in drag taken into account. It was researched and found
to have negligible effects (<1%), as the static heel does not
exceed any roll angle normally experienced by the ship, thus the
effects of static heel were not routinely calculated unless
expected to be unusually high for that scenario. Another
potential effect of large sway force is the ability to create
unbalanced yaw moments around the ships Longitudinal Centre
of Gravity (LCG). This yaw moment must be countered by
applying increased rudder angle which will increase drag and
reduce the benefit from the Flettner Rotors. As part of this
problem, there is a maximum yawing moment the rudder can
exert for a given ship speed, and at reduced ship speeds and
higher winds this could result in the ship losing steerage. This
scenario is illustrated below in Fig. 10. Figure 10: FR yaw forces.

# IN REFERENCE TO FLEXIBLE SOLAR

PANELS

HISTORY
The history of photovoltaic energy (aka. solar cells) started way
back in 1876. William Grylls Adams along with a student of his,
Richard Day, discovered that when selenium was exposed to
light, it produced electricity. An electricity expert, Werner von
Siemens, stated that the discovery was “scientifically of the
most far-reaching importance”. The selenium cells were not
efficient, but it was proved that light, without heat or moving
parts, could be converted into electricity.
Thin film solar cells have been in use for over 30 years. Their
first application was in the solar powered calculator – something
most children and office workers have had at some point in their
lives. This application contained a small amount of amorphous
silicon. Now, much larger systems are in use, and their
applications include things such as building integrated systems,
solar farms, and next generation vehicles. This technology was
created and launched so that it could overtake its competitors
(primarily the crystalline silicon models), but its shares have
been in decline for years.
This is primarily due to the massive drop in price for the
crystalline silicon solar panels, and thin film panels have
declined in price. This caused the discouragement for the
installation and use of flexible solar panels, but it does hold a
host of advantages (aside from the price) that should be brought
into consideration.

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