The suitability of placing batteries near the hull sides from a collision and safety perspective: Based on statistics and simulation data
Typ
Examensarbete på grundnivå
Program
Sjöingenjör 180 hp (sjöingenjörsexamen)
Publicerad
2024
Författare
Pedersen, Magne
Perryd Mattsson, Johanna
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
The ambition to decrease global greenhouse gas emissions is more prevalent than ever, and all industries must do their part to reach that goal. The shipping industry plays a vital role, as a large part of the international transport is being done by ships. There are many ideas and potential solutions on how to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide from the shipping industry, and those are largely focused on alternative fuel types. Building ships that use batteries as an energy source for propulsion is a concept that is evolving more and more, but it does come with limitations, which are most obvious when it comes to the range of operation and the infrastructure needed to charge those batteries.
To expand the range of operation of the ship it can be tempting to make use of every available space to store batteries, for example spaces close to the side casing or within the double hull, but the reason why the space is empty to begin with, or is used for some other purpose, is often due to the safety or stability of the vessel. The spaces that are constructed from a safety perspective are often found around tanks that can contain sensitive cargo or bunker, like chemicals and oil, which could damage the environment if they were to leak out in case of an accident where the hull would be damaged.
Batteries are prone to catch fire if they are short circuited due to deformation, therefore placing batteries in spaces that can be exposed to deformation in a collision carries a potential risk, since a potential fire can lead to more substantial damage on the ship than what the collision alone would have made.
This study aims to answer if it is appropriate to place batteries where they risk being hit in a collision with another ship, the sea bottom, or a berth. Statistical and simulation data regarding hull damages, accident distribution, and a battery’s resilience against deformation is compiled in a systematic literature review and then used to create a risk analysis on the appropriate placement of batteries.
The results show that battery cells can only be deformed by a few millimetres before the cell fails, meaning that the risk of fire is high in a collision if the deformation would reach the batteries.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
battery powered ship , collision , grounding , construction , fire safety , statistics , hull damage , Batteridrivna fartyg , kollision , grundstötning , konstruktion , brandsäkerhet , statistik , skrovskador