Naval Architecture & Ship Design:

Sustainable Designs for Operation and Environmental Recycling

Author Name(s): Antony Prince (President & CEO, Smart Engineering & Design Solutions Ltd.)

This paper contains a brief discussion on the factors that necessitate sustainable ship designs, the measures in place
to ensure sustainability of designs, a designer’s approach towards such designs, and the need for consideration of
recycling during ship design.

1.0 KEY WORDS

Sustainable; ship design; INMARCO; EEDI; IMO; energy  Environmental aspects
consumption; propulsion; fuels; LNG; Boil of gas; Bio-fuels;  Safety and security aspects
Gas Turbines; Fuel Cells; Nuclear; Waste Heat Management;  Consideration of human element in design and
Ballast Water; Scrubber; Battery Technology; Exhaust Gas operation
Recirculation; SCR; ECA; Ship Recycling  Increase in cost of construction, operation, and
maintenance
2.0 INTRODUCTION  The need of ‘green ship designs’
Developments that meet the needs of the present without  Increase in market competition
compromising the ability to fulfil the demands of the future can
be termed sustainable. Increasing the efficiency of a process and 3.1 Environmental Aspects:
avoiding of environmental degradation are two important
aspects of such developments. Shipping, which transports about 95 percent of the global trade,
is statistically the least environmentally damaging mode of
Developing an optimum and sustainable solution is the target of transport. But the effects caused by shipping are nearer to the
any engineering design problem. The target becomes more and ports and coastal areas. The fact that more than 50 percent of the
more challenging when the number of design variables and world’s population live within 60 miles of the cost line makes it
parties involved in the design process increases. For ship design, more relevant to give due consideration to various aspects of
the difficulty is further worsened by the global market scenario, pollution from early stages of design of ships.
the introduction of new rules and regulations, increase in the
choice of equipments and systems, and an ever increasing The major aspects to consider are:
demand for designs with lesser fuel consumption.
 Lower fuel consumption
This paper touches upon the factors that necessitate sustainable
ship designs, the measures in place to ensure sustainability of  Reducing air pollution (CO2, NOx, SOx and
designs, a designer’s approach towards such designs, and the particulates)
need for consideration of recycling during ship design.
 Ballast water treatment & management
3.0 FACTORS THAT NECESSITATE  Waste management & sewage
SUSTAINABLE SHIP DESIGNS
 Reducing accidental spillage and discharges
The lifecycle of a ship can be broadly classified into 3 stages:  Minimising impact on maritime flora and fauna
1) Ship Construction  Improving ship energy efficiency index
2) Ship Operation and Maintenance and
3) Ship Dismantling  "Clean" production and maintenance methods
 Design for end of life & recycling
Considerable amount of energy is consumed in all these stages.
Any developmental efforts to improve the vessel’s sustainability
must attend to various aspects of all these stages to be effective 3.2 Safety and Security Aspects:
and are to be economically viable for them to be implemented in
practice. Increase in number of ships, size of ships, number of ports,
amount of cargoes carried, type of cargoes carried, and the
The major factors that necessitate sustainable designs are:

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change in global weather conditions demand a deeper  Reuse the majority of materials after ship laying up
consideration of safety aspects on ship design.
3.6 Increase in market competition:
Safety related to life onboard, cargoes, fire, navigation,
communication, and operation of ships are major considerations Access to information and availability of advanced design tools
in the vessel design. has increased the number of players in the ship design market.
This has initiated a healthy competition to have greener and
The increase in piracy over the past few years has made it more sustainable designs.
another important aspect requiring design consideration from
early stages. 4.0 MEASURES IN PLACE TO ENSURE
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
3.3 Consideration of ‘human element’ in design and
operation:
The global maritime fraternity has very well understood the
Human element has long been recognized as important to the need of sustainable designs. The International Maritime
maritime safety and operational efficiency. An improved Organisation (IMO) is working on various rules and regulations
understanding of ergonomics by designer can ‘design out’ making mandatory requirements concerning the safety, security,
hazards and prevent incidents, both to the individual and the environment, and human element which are to be considered in
vessel. the vessel design and operation. The major items which have
deep impact on the vessel designs are listed below:
The various factors to be considered in the design are:
- IMO Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), Energy
 Occupational health and safety Efficiency Operational Index (EEOI) and the Ship
Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). These
 Feedback from the users into the design loop requirements contain regulations aimed at improving
 Design of navigation & control systems energy efficiency and reducing harmful emissions from
ships
 Safety performance and management - IMO Environmental regulations introduced to reduce
global warming by green-house gases. The new
 Habitability; and
regulations impose restrictions on CO2, NOX and SOX
 Survivability, escape and evacuation emitted from ships.
- IMO Ballast Water Management Convention
- IMO International Safety Management(ISM) Code
3.4 Increase in cost of construction, operation, and which provides an international standard for the safe
maintenance: management and operation of ships and for Pollution
Prevention
The cost of raw materials, equipments, man power, - IMO improved noise code which demands lower noise
technologies, fuels etc. are steadily increasing in ship building levels onboard ship
and operation. This necessitates the designer to consider the cost - ILO – Maritime Labour Convention which provides for
aspects from early stages of design to ensure that the vessels comprehensive protection at work for sea farers
will be more cost effective during its life cycle.
In addition to the above, flag states, and various governmental
and nongovernmental organisations are working on different
3.5 The need of ‘Green Ship Designs’: aspects of ship design and construction and are bringing out
standards and guidelines for smarter and safer practices.
The design of vessels and systems should ensure elimination of
use of environmentally hazardous materials during construction, 5.0 A DESIGNERS APPROACH TOWARDS
operation, and dismantling of ships.
DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE DESIGNS:
A ‘Green ship’ mainly depends on ‘green design’- A design
which imparts minimum impact on environment during A designer normally starts with a set of ‘Buyer’s requirements’
construction and operation. to develop a design. The design evolves mainly through three
stages - concept, basic, and production. The designer
The keys to green designs are 3Rs: concentrates on various aspects at each of these stages. The
 Reduce the consumption of materials and energy and major considerations with respect to sustainability at each of
the pollution to environment in ship manufacturing and these stages are briefly described in the following parts of this
service section.
 Recycle the parts and accessories in ship maintenance

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5.1 Concept Design Stage
Gas Turbines
- Optimum dimensions and coefficients - Gas turbines represent a proven high power density
- Optimum distribution of spaces propulsion technology
- Trim and stability of the vessel for various operating - Their low weight gives considerable flexibility when
conditions locating them in a ship. Mainly useful for naval ships.
- The selection of major machinery and systems - NOX emissions are low and SOX emissions can be kept
- Identification of rules and regulations low by selection of fuel
- However, thermal efficiencies of gas turbines are lower
The decision on major machinery and systems has presently than for diesel engines of similar power
become more difficult with the new and forthcoming
environmental rules and regulations. These are major Fuel Cells
contributors towards increasing the sustainability of the designs. - Hydrogen is the easiest fuel to use in fuel cells.
However, the decision on the correct combination has key However, this requires a worldwide infrastructure for
importance on the weight, arrangement complexity, and cost of hydrogen supply to ships.
the ship. Hence, this aspect is elaborated a little more in detail - This area is under research
under this section.
Nuclear ship propulsion
5.1.1 Alternate propulsion systems/Fuels - Doesn’t produce CO2, NOX, SOX, volatile organic or
particulate emissions
LNG - The conventional methods of design, planning,
building and operation of merchant ships would,
Advantages: however, need a complete overhaul to incorporate
- LNG is the cleanest fossil fuel – very low pollution nuclear ship propulsion.
- Found in abundance – lower cost - Issues would need to be addressed in terms of
- Reduces emission of CO2 by about 25%, NOX by 85%, international regulation, public perception and
and SOX and particulate matter by 100% acceptability, financing the initial capital cost, training
- Can be applied to commercial cargo vessels and retention of crews, setting up and maintenance of a
global infrastructure support system, nuclear
Major Design Concerns: emergency response plans for ports etc.
- Rules and regulations: Rules are at early stages of
development Battery technology
- Storage Volume: LNG has very similar energy content - Battery technology offers some potential for
and half the density of HFO. This demands almost propulsion.
double storage space onboard ships for LNG - Doesn’t produce CO2, NOX, SOX, volatile organic or
- LNG leak: LNG is a cryogenic liquid. Any leakage of particulate emissions
LNG can lead to brittle facture of vessel structure. - Batteries may offer a potential hybrid solution in
Leakage can also lead to formation gas cloud and pool conjunction with other modes of propulsion for small-
fire medium sized ships provided that their recharging does
- Installation Cost: LNG containment and handling not increase the production of other harmful emissions
systems are expensive, heavy, and consumes more from land-based sources or elsewhere
space and power onboard
- Protection from Mechanical Damage: Protection of 5.1.2 Waste Heat Management
LNG storage and supply systems from mechanical
damages due to vessel operation With the current conventional two-stroke propulsion plant,
- Managing boil of gas approximately 50% of the energy content of the fuel is lost. This
- Selection of main engine and auxiliary equipments presents a great potential for waste heat recovery systems
- Weight distribution on ship maintaining the trim, onboard.
stability, and strength requirements
The waste heat can be recovered as heat for heating up bunker
Bio-fuels or cargo. Some of the studies indicates that reusing the waste
- Biodiesel and Bio-ethanol fall in this category heat from engines to heat up cargo areas, can save up to 20 % of
- Biodiesel is produced by reacting vegetable oil or a ship’s total annual fuel consumption in certain type of ships,
animal fat with alcohol such as methanol and Bio- thereby reducing CO2 emissions and saving fuel costs
ethanol by fermenting renewable sources of sugar or
starch(egs: sugarcane, wheat) 5.1.3 Exhaust Gas Treatment Systems
- This is an area currently under research

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The MARPOL Annex VI has regulations limiting NOx, SOx, Approvals of various ballast water treatment systems by IMO
and PM emissions from ships. The main challenges to this and flag states (like USCG) are in process.
regulation are:
The decision on suitable combination of various items
- Reduction of sulphur content for global steaming to mentioned under 5.1.1 to 5.1.4 are to be made at early stages of
0.50 %, effective from 1st January 2020, subject to a design as all of these have influence on space, weight, and
feasibility review to be completed no later than 2018 electrical load distribution onboard.
- Reduction of sulphur content of SECA (Sulphur
Emission Control Areas) to 0.1% effective from 1 st 5.2 Basic Design Stage
January, 2015
- Reduction of NOX emission to ‘TierIII’ limits for At this stage, the designer concentrates on the following major
ECAs (Emission Control Areas) aspects

Sulphur Limit Control - Exhaust Gas Scrubbers: - Optimizing the fuel consumption
- Detailed space distribution and load optimisation
Sulphur limits can be achieved by purer distillate fuels like - Structural optimisation
MGO (Marine Gas Oil). However, these are twice as expensive - Advanced structural and vibration analyses
as conventional bunker fuels. - Selection of makers for various equipments
- Designing of electrical and piping systems
An exhaust gas cleaning system approved by or on behalf of the - Designing of machinery and structural arrangement
national maritime administration in accordance with guidelines considering operation and maintenance
developed by MEPC 184(59) reducing the total emission of
sulphur dioxide from vessels including auxiliary and main The decisions made at this stage have large impact on the
propulsion engines is considered as a practical alternative to vessels sustainability and operational efficiency.
meet this requirements. The exhaust gas scrubber systems in
market can reduce the Particulate matter - mainly soot - by up to One of the major aspects at this stage – the optimization of fuel
80% and SOX emissions by up to 98 %. consumption is briefly discussed under this section.

NOX Limit Control - Exhaust Gas Recirculation & Selective 5.2.1 Optimization of hull form and propeller
Catalytic Reactors Systems:
In exhaust gas re-circulation system, as the name suggests, some Advanced calculation tools like CFD and increased
amount of engine exhaust gases are send back to the scavenge computational power have given the designer large flexibility
space to mix up with the air to be supplied to cylinder for within the defined boundaries for permutations and
combustion. This reduces the oxygen content of the air and combinations of various hull forms and propellers. MARIN’s
hence reduces formation of NOX CFD tools like PARNASSOS_EXPLORER can evaluate
hundreds of hull form variations in one day which would have
The Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is the most efficient taken months couple of years before.
method to reduce NOX emissions from ships (up to 90-95% of
reduction). In this method, the exhaust gas is mixed by water Increasing the propeller diameter to the maximum possible
solution of urea and then it is passed through catalytic reactor. within the vessel design limits can reduce the thrust loading of
propellers which can improve the propulsive efficiency. In
The major main engine manufacturers are working on addition, the new CFD tools can predict the stern flow quite
improving the emissions from the engines to meet these accurately which allows the designer to extract the maximum
requirements in more cost effective ways. thrust from the propellers by adapting them in the best possible
way to the wake of the vessel.

5.1.4 Ballast Water Management Systems 5.2.2 Usage of Energy Saving Devices

Many treatment systems are now available in the market. There are numerous energy saving devices/methodologies
- Physical Treatments which can be adopted forward, at, and aft of propeller disc.
- Cavitation and Ultrasound Systems These include pre-swirl stators, Mewis duct, Wake equalizing
- Thermal Systems ducts, Contra-rotating propellers, tip loaded propellers, boss cap
- Inert Gas De-oxygenation Systems fins, rudder bulb, twisted rudder etc.
- Ultraviolet Irradiation (UV) Systems
- Chemical treatment plants are also available. A correct combination of these energy saving devices is to be
established by suitable use of CFD and model testing
techniques.

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5.2.3 Main Engine Selection environmental factors in selection of materials and equipments,
and recycling processes at early stages of design so as to
Main engines are selected considering the optimum propeller facilitate efficient and environmental friendly recycling.
RPM, specific fuel oil consumption (SFOC), the efficiencies at
lower loads, maintenance etc. Matching the main engine and
propeller is an important event in the vessel design process. 7.0 CONCLUSIONS
5.2.4 Advanced Anti-Fouling Paints Ship design plays a pivotal role in improving the sustainability
during construction, operation, maintenance, and recycling of
There are numerous research and developments happening on ships.
the under-water anti fouling paints. In principle all them use
various methods to reduce the roughness and hence the This paper has briefly described the factors that necessitate
frictional resistance of the vessel. There are various products sustainable ship designs, the measures in place to ensure
which claim 5 to 18% gain in fuel consumptions during their life sustainability of designs, a designer’s approach towards such
time. designs, and the need for consideration of recycling during ship
design.
5.3 Production Design Stage

At this stage, the design has to be made suitable for ‘Green

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This increased attention has given rise to the philosophy of

design for re-cycling. In this, the designer gives sufficient
attention to the general arrangement and hull structural design,

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