Power Plant Configurations and Operational Analysis for a Liquid Hydrogen Carrier Concept

A liquid hydrogen carrier vessel utilizes the boil-off gas (BoR) from its cargo to power the propulsion and cargo handling systems. The vessel’s speed, power system performance, and tank insulation all affect transport efficiency. On the other hand, a hydrogen-based power system offers varying fuel efficiency, transient capabilities, installation requirements, and operational costs. Indeed, the internal coupling of the cargo system and fuel supply provides new challenges compared to the conventional power plant with separated fuel tank. A system-level analysis of power plant candidates for an LH2 carrier concept, using a design sensitivity approach, provides a comprehensive overview of the alternatives. In this study, a system-level modeling approach is used to analyze transportation efficiency by considering the effects of power plant configuration, BoR, and transit speed for two voyages. Three power system configurations PEMFC, SOFC, and diesel genset are considered. Two voyages, one from Norway and the other from Australia to South Korea, are assumed for the transportation analysis.