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Solar Powered Emergency System Of A Tugboat

Electrical Electronics Engineering | Engineering

A solar-powered emergency system for a tugboat represents an innovative and resilient solution to ensure safety and operational continuity in unforeseen circumstances. Integrating solar panels into the tugboat’s infrastructure harnesses renewable energy, bolstering its sustainability profile while mitigating reliance on traditional power sources. This system encompasses diverse components such as solar panels, energy storage units, and backup mechanisms, ensuring uninterrupted power supply for critical operations during emergencies. Solar panels, strategically positioned on the vessel’s deck or superstructure, capture sunlight to generate electricity, which is then stored in onboard batteries or capacitors. These stored reserves power essential systems such as navigation lights, communication devices, emergency pumps, and auxiliary equipment, thereby enhancing the tugboat’s autonomy and resilience in remote or crisis situations. Furthermore, incorporating intelligent monitoring and control systems optimizes energy usage and facilitates swift responses to emergent scenarios, enhancing operational efficiency and crew safety. By embracing solar technology, tugboats can navigate unpredictable conditions with confidence, embodying sustainability and preparedness in maritime operations while reducing environmental impact and operational costs.

ABSTRACT

This study proposes a Solar PV backup emergency system for a marine tugboat. Tugs are an important kind of vessel that should be able to maneuver continuously without any interruption of their electrical energy system. New power management integrating a solar energy aims to ensure a long period of continuous safe operation in case of a total blackout and also to replace the perturbed power grid of the port for a partial time. During this problem of power failure, the tug can’t reach safely the harbor and hence immediate assistance is needed. To avoid this scenario, the idea is why not extend this period of emergency operation, and also try to supply the vessel inside the port only with clean energy. First, the electrical distribution system is presented and detailed including the power demand study of installed loads. The proposed energy source is also discussed for its many benefits especially in the case of favorable maritime climatic conditions. The results confirm that the combined Diesel/PV system appears to be very interesting, it reduces CO₂ emissions from diesel generators and annual fuel costs can be saved

Keywords

Emergency blackout, photovoltaic PV, solar powered tugboat, battery energy storage, diesel tugboat.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
PROBLEM STATEMENT
AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT
LIMITATION OF THE PROJECT
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 REVIEW OF THE STUDY

2.2 RELEVANCE OF TUGBOATS IN THE SHIPPING SECTOR

2.3 CLASSIFICATION OF TUGS

2.4 TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS IN TUGS

2.5 OVERVIEW OF SOLAR ENERGY

2.6 SOLAR PANEL

2.7 PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER GENERATION

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 METHODOLOGY

3.1 SOLAR POWER GENERATION CONCEPT

3.2 SYSTEM BLOCK DIAGRAM

3.3 SYSTEM ARCHTECTURE

3.5 INSTALLATION CALCULATION

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1 TESTING OF SOLAR PANELS

4.2 SOLAR PANEL MAINTENANCE

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 CONCLUSION AND RCOMMENDATION

CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATION

5.3 REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Tugboat, small, powerful watercraft designed to perform a variety of functions, especially to tow or push barges and large ships. In 1736 Jonathan Hulls of Gloucestershire, Eng. patented a boat to be powered by a Newcomen steam engine to move large vessels in and out of harbours. The first tugboat actually built was the Charlotte Dundas, powered by a Watt engine and paddle wheel and used on the Forth and Clyde Canal in Scotland. Screw propulsion for tugboats was introduced in the United States about 1850, the diesel engine about 50 years later.

Tugs are still indispensable in berthing large ships. Oceangoing tugs are used for salvage missions. Also, moving a ship without the chance of colliding with underwater stones and leftover debris in some ports can be complicated process also, there may not be large spaces for ships to move easily and move around. All these difficulties can be avoided by tugboat transportation.

A tugboat is a boat or ship that manoeuvres vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move by themselves such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal, or those that could not move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, log rafts, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for their size and strongly built, and some are ocean going. Some tugboats serve as icebreakers or salvage boats. Early tugboats had steam engines, but today most have diesel engines.

One of the major challenges of tugboat is the lack of provision of taking care of emergences when engine failure occurs which can stop the propeller. For this purpose, ABB supplied the end-to-end electric propulsion system to sustain emissions-free operations in waters off the eighth most populous city in the United States. The solution will include a six-megawatt-hour energy storage system (ESS), allowing Crowley’s eWolf tug to achieve 70 short-tons of bollard pull emissions-free. The battery allows the tug to complete a full day of typical work before there is a need to charge.

Tug operations can be demanding and often need to adapt to fast-changing load requirements. Renewable energy (solar) with batteries provide power to the propulsion system almost instantaneously, making ship-assist operations more efficient with no emissions while delivering reliable ship assist and harbor escort services.

The tug’s engines will leverage the Onboard DC Grid to operate at variable speeds, thereby helping to reduce fuel consumption.

The batteries can provide power to the tug’s propulsion system instantly, while Power and Energy Management System (PEMS) will control the overall power distribution.

This work is aimed at studying interfacing of renewable energy to a tugboat in other to take care of emergencies which may occur during operation.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

One cannot fully rely on everyday 24hrs of operation of a diesel tugboat whence it is a man-made. There are many factors that can cause a diesel Tugboat to fail such as when the diesel is exhausted or due to some mechanical problem. Solar powered emergency system of a marine tugboat was made to overcome challenges mentioned above. With the integration of renewable energy, tugboat can work uninterruptedly.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Aim of the study

The main aim of this work is to study the solar powered emergency system of a tugboat as a means of providing uninterruptible power supply to a marine tugboat

Objectives of the study:

To provide an alternative power supply thereby providing uninterruptible power supply to the a marine tugboat
To ensure a steady working condition of a marine tugboat

To ensure safe arrival of the operators of a marine tugboat

To provide a sustainable ship assist solution with increased safety and capabilities

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJCET

The research contributes to the industries sector by constructing tugboats natively using solar energy which can reduce the cost taking in consideration ordering them from foreign companies. This study will also enhance the river transportation process and increase the maximum capacity of a ship to be towed using a tugboat.

Interfacing solar energy will helped in reducing global warming, greenhouse effect and annual fuel costs can be saved

1.5 LIMITATION OF THE PROJECT

Initially one needs to shell out a lot of money for buying a solar panel, battery and fan.
The charging system of the tugboat will work effectively and produce direct current only when the Sunlight is strong.
The solar panels that are used to attract Sunlight requires lots of space in the boat.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this work covers setting up a solar generating device using solar panel, solar charge controller and 24v rechargeable battery – which shall be able to control 24v marine tugboat propeller.

1.7 PROJECT ORGANISATION

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuss the introductory part of the work, chapter two presents the literature review of the study, chapter three describes the methods applied, chapter four discusses the results of the work, chapter five summarizes the research outcomes and the recommendations.