The world’s first flying hydrogen boat is a fact! TU Delft students on to world championships

Thursday, 1st July 2021

The TU Delft Solar Boat Team has spent a year working towards their dream: realizing the first flying hydrogen boat with their project Hydro Motion. The 20 students have pulled it off: a seaworthy boat, fully equipped with a hydrogen system and super strong hydrofoils under the boat.

At a speed of 22 kilometers per hour, the hydrofoils make the boat, a trimaran weighing over 1000 kilograms, fly above the water. After the design, production and testing period, it is time for the final phase of this project: it is time to race! The team will compete in the World Championship next week on the open sea in Monaco, which takes place from July 8 to 10.

The students will be going for the win of the challenging long-distance race, competing against other sustainably powered boats. The Hydro Motion flying hydrogen boat is an impressive inspiration for the maritime sector.

Sailing and flying on the long-distance race

Full of courage, the 20 students began the exciting year. It would be a huge job to realize the boat within one year. Rick van Wilsem, Chief Engineer, says enthusiastically, “We succeeded, we can say that with certainty. The entire boat has come out of the water. We are proud to announce with the team that we have made the world’s first foiling hydrogen boat!” From July 8 to 10, the student team will compete for the world title in Monaco. This is because the students are competing in the Open Sea Class of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. They strive to win the long-distance race with the innovative boat. With this, they want to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen-powered boats.

It will be a hugely exciting race where the team will compete against formidable opponents from around the world, students but also companies. Electric and hydrogen-powered boats will compete against each other in three parts: manoeuvrability, the sprint and as the most important race, the long-distance race. The team has set its sights on the latter race. The hydrogen boat has been optimized to take on this challenge: sailing for 6 hours straight on the open sea without refueling. The team that covers the most distance is the winner. The race can be followed through the website and the social media channels of the TU Delft Solar Boat Team. The team is now busy with the final preparations for the world championships in Monaco. For example, a race simulation is being performed, in which everyone can prepare his or her role for the race. The team is really looking forward to it!

The Hydro Motion hydrogen boat

The boat the team has been working on this year is an impressive sight: a seaworthy, over 8-meter-long trimaran equipped with a complete hydrogen system, the most competent electronics, all the components to propel the boat powerfully, and the strongest hydrofoils. Three pilots operate the boat, and it reach speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour. In the students’ boat, hydrogen gas is stored under high pressure in an on-board tank. The fuel cell combines this hydrogen with oxygen from the air to generate electricity. This powers the engine and sails the boat.

But how does this huge hydrogen boat get into the air? Attached underneath the boat are three super strong hydrofoils. These operate below the surface of the water in a similar way to the wings of an aeroplane. At the take-off speed of 22 kilometres per hour, they elevator the weight some 40 centimetres above the waves, a spectacular sight. When the boat’s hulls fly above the water, they experience drastically less resistance than in the water. In this way, the boat uses very little energy. Efficiency is important during the challenging long-distance race that awaits the team in Monaco.

The flying hydrogen boat team’s mission

The TU Delft Solar Boat Team is a multidisciplinary team consisting of 20 students. They all put their studies aside for a year for the Hydro Motion project. Last summer, a close-knit team was formed with whom they work closely together day in and day out, learning a lot and making progress. The students are working on this cool project with an important mission. They want to inspire the maritime industry, currently a large consumer of fossil fuels, towards a green future.

Previously, the team made solar boats, as the name implies. After 15 years, a big step was taken with the transition to hydrogen. With the help of alumni and partner companies, the students took on the new challenge. They switched from generating green energy to storing it. Being able to store green energy on board is an essential step to greening shipping. Especially for larger ships and long distances, there is a need for a medium that can store a lot of green energy in little volume. Hydrogen is a good option for this.

High Speed Transfers awards triple vessel order to Diverse Marine

Thursday, 1st July 2021

HST places order with UK shipyard for two BARTech 30 CTVs and an additional Chartwell 24 in high-tech boost for offshore wind.

High Speed Transfers (HST), an innovative crew transfer vessel (CTV) operator that supports the offshore wind energy and oil and gas industries worldwide, has confirmed its order to Diverse Marine for two BARTech 30 CTVs from marine engineering consultancy BAR Technologies, and an additional hybrid Chartwell 24, with BAR Technologies’ Foil Optimised Stability System (FOSS) from Chartwell Marine.

As offshore wind technology continues to evolve and projects are developed further out to sea, the operational profiles that wind farm operators require have become diversified. Versatile fleets have become increasingly prized in the race to scale the sector in new markets. Equally, as decarbonising the vessel supply chain becomes a key imperative for wind farm owners and operators, BAR Technologies’ CTV is set to provide HST with fuel – and therefore emissions – savings of up to 30%.

Additionally, to ensure that new projects can be safely and efficiently maintained, vessel designers have risen to the challenge to deliver the next wave of innovation in offshore wind’s maritime supply chain – without sacrificing the proven characteristics that have underpinned the sector’s success to date. The two BARTech 30 vessels will offer HST the flexibility to operate year-round, benefiting from a significant reduction in vertical acceleration to ensure optimal performance.

Crucially, the vessels will all have the same console layout, seating and bridge, adhering to HST’s strict safety specifications and ensuring operational familiarity for crew and passengers.

Tom Nevin, CEO of High-Speed Transfers, said: “Offshore wind owners and operators have shown a real appetite for efficient, low-carbon vessel platforms. It is exciting to work with Diverse Marine and vessel designers such as BAR Technologies and Chartwell Marine. They understand what the industry needs and have the expertise to deliver next-generation designs without overcomplicating the vessels.”

Ben Colman, Diverse Marine, said: “Diverse Marine is delighted to be awarded this further significant order from HST and to work again with HST, Chartwell Marine and BAR Technologies to deliver industry-leading next-generation designs. Construction of the hybrid, controllable pitch propeller HST Ella is progressing well for delivery this summer as work will commence on these new builds. Orders such as this demonstrate that the UK are the global leader in designing and constructing offshore wind crew transfer vessels.”

Just another day at the office with Air Force One

Tuesday, 29th June 2021

Lee Davis, Branch Manager and Rob Roseveare, Mobile Hose Technician from our Bodmin branch, were honoured to be on-site at Newquay airport, providing mobile hose repair support at the G7 Summit.

Lee said: “We were there as support for AFS Aviation ground vehicles for the event such as tugs, generators, luggage handlers, aircraft steps, forklifts and various other pieces of equipment.”

Both Lee and Rob were situated just outside the main entrance into the airfield. They had a spectacular viewing position adjacent to where Air Force One and the smaller presidential C-32 Boeing 757 plane were parked, awaiting the departure of President Biden, just on the other side of the fence about 100m away.

Lee said: “At one stage, our mobile hose van was flanked by armed police on one side and the Korean military personnel on the other side awaiting departure.”

“The highlight of the day was President Biden’s two Osprey helicopters, accompanying his Marine One and Two Sea King helicopters landing, and watching him exiting Marine One and being driven away in his motorcade.

“He then returned from his press meeting and passed us into the airfield to depart in his motorcade. The motorcade consisted of his armour-plated Chevrolet Suburban; his electronic countermeasure Ford truck that counters IED; anti-tank guided missile and rocket-propelled grenades; his private ambulance at the rear; and various other vehicles filled with secret service personnel. He then boarded Air Force One and departed to meet the Queen at Windsor.”

Lee and Rob were fortunate to witness most VIPs and their entourage depart in planes varying from Boeing 747 to private jets and helicopters. They witnessed the American C-17 Globemaster aircraft landing and loading up the President’s motorcade vehicles and fuel tankers to be flown back to the USA. Lee said: “This was an awe-inspiring aircraft indeed.”

Lee said: “The five days we were present at Newquay airport went without any major issues. We were there to cover in case of any hydraulic or hose problems.

“I live across the bay from the G7 summit in Carbis Bay. Seeing the Red Arrow Air Display over St Ives Bay on Saturday evening from home with my family was brilliant. This was a very special moment.”

“I consider Hydroscand, myself and Rob to be very privileged to be part of

KENC Wins Contract for Design Noise Mitigation Deployment System

Thursday, 24th June 2021

On the 9th of April 2021, KENC Engineering got awarded a contract to design a Hydrosound Damper Deployment System (HSDDS).

To install monopiles at an offshore wind farm, the clients’ heavy lift vessels will be equipped with a hydrosound damper system to minimize underwater piling noise.

Offshore industry leader KENC will design the HSDDS to enable a safe and quick deployment cycle of the hydro sound damper system. The project is well underway and the client – a Dutch offshore wind contractor – stated KENC showed a solid performance.

Eric Buining, managing director at KENC: “The challenge here was to develop an HSDDS in such a way that it can be fitted into the existing monopile handling system gripper design with a minimum of interfaces and within a very short timeframe. We’re very proud to contribute to the construction of the offshore wind farm and look forward to bring the project to a successful end!”.

Instrument manufacturer expands undeterred by the pandemic

Wednesday, 23rd June 2021

Leading oceanographic and hydrographic instrument manufacturer, Valeport has continued to innovate and expand by launching a new company dedicated to providing highly accurate, innovative instruments to the Water industry.

The new company, Valeport Water Ltd, will leverage the expertise and manufacturing capabilities of its sister company, Valeport.

Although this expansion of the Valeport brand was born out of the pandemic, the marine tech firm, which has served the subsea market for decades, also has a long history of serving the hydrometry and hydrology markets. Indeed, the first Valeport product was a Braystoke Impeller Flow Metre, which was used for the Thames Barrier project in 1969.

“No doubt 2020 was one of the strangest years ever, but it has also been one of our busiest. We had planned to expand the company brand to serve the water market before the pandemic, ” Matt Quartley, Valeport Group managing director, commented.

“Although Valeport has worked in the Water industry for many years, it has been pretty much under the radar. We do have a long-standing relationship with an international water cycle management company, developing insertion flow technology for water distribution networks and acoustic Doppler technology for sewer flow.

“However, as our marine product portfolio grew with our expertise in optical measurements and environmental monitoring, we saw opportunities for using this technology with the inland water sectors. Hydrometry and hydrology, where we already had a presence and the drinking water and water treatment sectors. The pandemic has allowed us to push ahead with this expansion and launch a dedicated new offer”, added Matt.

The launch of Valeport Water, which will sit alongside the original marine instrument business and a third company, Valeport Service, is part of the firm’s ambitious growth strategy as it targets market leadership in the environmental sensors sector.

The company is drawing on the manufacturing capabilities of the original Valeport company, and the firm has restructured and expanded its HQ base to facilitate the growth of Valeport Water.

Products in the Valeport Water portfolio, including flow metres, fluorometers and turbidity sensors, loggers and telemetry systems, are designed and manufactured at the firm’s riverside HQ in Devon, UK. All of our Water products, like marine technology, come with a three-year limited warranty, extendable perpetually with regular servicing.

“Valeport Water will bring highly accurate, reliable and easily accessible data to new audiences in the drinking water, surface water, wastewater, irrigation water and industrial water industries, as well as strengthen our presence in the hydrological and hydrogeological communities”, concluded Matt.

Ocean ICT at Oceanology International set to grow

Wednesday, 23rd June 2021

The amount of data being acquired from within the ocean space is leading to a growth in interoperable systems for ocean data acquisition, transfer, storage and analysis.

The Global ocean technology sector has advanced exponentially over the last decade due to technological advances, the need for more detailed data, the associated analysis of the data, and the advancement of the AUV and ROV sectors.

ROV and AUV platforms are loaded with sensors and instrumentation designed for specific jobs, whether monitoring, surveying or as part of ocean defence systems.

Further examples include robotics, sensors, ocean modelling and forecasting, hydrographic services and digital chart production, vessel and platform engineering, navigation systems, marine ICT and simulation technologies. Ocean ICT is part of the ocean economy and serves various ocean industries including, Marine transportation; Defence and security; Coastal and ocean management; Fisheries and aquaculture; Offshore oil and gas exploration, development and production; Seabed mining & Ocean renewable energy.

The Ocean ICT zone sits within Oceanology International and is built to meet the growing demand and interest in cutting-edge marine, ocean IT, communications, satellite and data solutions. This year, Ocean ICT will feature 30 companies that serve this sector.

Oi22 is set to bring together 8000 attendees within the Marine Science, Offshore Oil & Gas, Marine Renewables, Aquaculture & more looking for the latest solutions within automation, connectivity, data and communications.

Amphibious Energy and Corrossion join forces to launch the ICCP-POD

Thursday, 17th June 2021

Combination of 2 technologies makes wind power more sustainable

Today, corrosion and Amphibious Energy announced the launch of the new ICCP-POD, an environmentally friendly alternative to diesel generators to supply energy during the construction phase of wind turbines and sacrificial anodes to protect turbine foundations against corrosion.

The ICCP-POD combines two advanced technologies. The EnergyPod, developed by Amphibious Energy, is an easy-to-transport autonomous energy plant that uses sun, wind, batteries and intelligent electronics to provide sustainable energy during the 18-month construction of wind turbines, meaning that costly and environmentally unfriendly diesel generators are no longer required.

To protect against corrosion during this construction phase, Corrosion developed compact ICCP (Impressed Current Cathodic Protection) units. Using an electronic current supplied by the EnergyPod represents an innovative eco-friendly alternative to sacrificial anodes, which discharge large quantities of metals and heavy metals into the water. When the wind turbines are installed and grid-connected, the energy supply for the ICCP system is switched from the EnergyPod to the wind turbine itself.

“CORROSION was the first company in the world to develop a cost-effective, easy-to-maintain and environmentally friendly anti-corrosion solution for wind turbine foundations,” said Niels Ros, Manager of Offshore Wind at CORROSION. “We are delighted that through this partnership with Amphibious Energy, we are also able to offer the same sustainable protection solutions during the construction phase of wind turbines.”

“By partnering with CORROSION, we are able to bring two unique technologies together, which will drive down the costs for the offshore industry to protect their installations from corrosion in a 100% green way. This represents a big step forward in achieving net-zero operations for the offshore industry,” said Willem van der Merwe, Director at Amphibious Energy.

The ICCP-POD delivers substantial cost savings compared to a diesel generator. In addition, further savings can be realized in other ways. For instance, uncoated foundations can be installed with a single base coat or utilizing less carbon steel (corrosion allowance), depending on customer needs and design boundaries.

In terms of environmental performance, CORROSION’s ICCP unit provides major benefits. Over a 25-year period, CORROSION’s systems discharge approximately 1.5 million times less aluminum into the sea than traditional sacrificial anodes. Furthermore, the EnergyPod is also completely recyclable and can be re-used several times over a period of 5 to 10 years, so that the costs will decrease even further.

SIRE Inspections Live Stream Video Representation

Thursday, 10th June 2021

If you have worked on Tanker Ships or are remotely associated with them, you would know about the highly challenging ship inspections known as SIRE Inspections. These inspections are usually conducted by an inspector called the SIRE Vetting Inspector.

Due to COVID travel restrictions, SIRE inspectors are restricted from overseas travel; vessels are required to remain compliant and therefore, SIRE inspections can now be conducted with the latest technology, “Live Streaming” VIDEO representation of vessel safety requirements and Tanker Risk Assessment procedure – providing SIRE Vetting Inspectors a digital live streamed video overview direct from vessel operations for SIRE Inspectors to report on vessels or operational deficiencies (rating them from High to Low risks) provided to the vessel Master at the end of every inspection.

“Live streaming” VIDEO reports utilizing the very latest E-commerce intrinsically safe smartphones, tablets and cameras by vessel masters and Captain are now widely accepted for SIRE inspector’s report submissions. Items available within the E-com intrinsically safe range include:

Smart Phones
Tablets
Cameras
Headsets

IM&M Ltd are an approved supplier of E-com intrinsically safe communication products, if we can assist with your requirements, please contact us. Email: sales@im-m.co.uk, Tel: +44 (0114) 2853040, www.im-m.co.uk

An innovative anchor technology that was recognised at the Seawork Innovation Showcase back in 2017 is now seeking funding to help take it to market.

Wednesday, 9th June 2021

It is well known that Inventors of brilliant ideas such as new anchor technology generally do not benefit from their inventions, usually due to a lack of funding that would enable them to progress the invention to market.

The Tidal Anchor® is an omnidirectional marine anchor developed to solve the problem of conventional anchors needing to be reset when the tide or wind changes direction.

This involves retrieving and redeploying the anchor, during which time the vessel will move off station. Due to the dragging length, considerable damage can occur to a fragile seabed environment before the traditional anchor becomes secure again and perhaps does not even set at all.

However, when deployed, the Tidal Anchor’s environmentally friendly, innovative design sets within its length and remains safely in position with a high holding capability, thus protecting a fragile seabed. Cardiff University carried out CAD modelling and FEA. After extensive tank, beach, and sea trials were undertaken (with support given by Swansea University through their Survey Vessel R.V.Noctiluca), the anchor has been developed into a secure, safe mooring solution for both leisure and working craft.

Once deployed, the anchor settles on the seabed attached to the vessel via a shackle through the Bucket Handle. The Flukes are free to rotate within the cut-outs in the Side Panels and hence move under their weight to rest with their tips on the seabed – the engagement angle is initially 16°. Loading the Bucket Handle (e.g. due to tidal/wind loading on the attached vessel) causes the front-facing Fluke to dig into the seabed – this is promoted by a funnelling effect caused by the claws in the Side Panel. Hence, the anchor buries itself into the sand, with the loading on the Fluke causing it to rotate into the maximum allowable position set by the Side Panel cutouts. The rear Fluke is also loaded and, therefore, contributes to the anchor’s holding power. Changing tides or wind conditions can vary the loading position, which causes the Bucket Handle to slide along the Slider Bars and re-engage on the opposing end – thus causing the rear-facing Fluke to engage.

This totally unique, innovative anchor technology design does not require structural welding during manufacture and is easily assembled.

To establish the novel design’s market potential, a demonstration model was entered and exhibited in the Innovation Showcase at Seawork International Exhibition 2017 in Southampton. It received a European Commercial Marine Innovation Award in the category of Marine Engineering and Construction.

Cardiff University is conducting a feasibility study into the viability of manufacturing the Tidal Anchor® in different material composites, e.g., carbon fibre, as a lightweight, non-reflective alternative for small inflatable craft. Patent Protection has now been granted in the UK, Hong Kong, U.S.A, Australia, China, Germany, and France.

Although the Tidal Anchor has shown great early potential, there is still a requirement for the project to go forward to market, where it’s anticipated there will be a strong demand. Funding to assist with this next stage is sought, and interested parties can find out more at www.tidalanchors.com

DLMs Custom Built Saddleback Holdback Tensioner for Subsea Cable

Monday, 7th June 2021

Dynamic Load Monitoring (UK) Ltd. (DLM), of Southampton, UK has expanded its already extensive range of line tension measurement technology, with a new device for measuring tension and creating holdback force on a single piece of subsea cable.

The product, which combines the established Saddleback product from DLM’s catalogue with an additional Hold Back Tension element, is being primarily used by the vessel NKT Victoria, with further devices in the pipeline for several customers.

When consulted about a solution for measuring line tension and creating a holdback force for a cable lay project, DLM, a specialist in the design, manufacture, repair and calibration of load cells and load monitoring equipment, devised the Saddleback Holdback Tensioner (SB-HBT).

The SB-HBT (it weighs 450kg) works by creating additional line tension on the subsea cable running through it, specifically for bundled cable lays. A Saddleback can measure line tension from 0 to 5,000kg and is suited for more delicate cables, including telecommunication or large subsea cables where a Running Line Monitor is unsuitable.

Moreover, a twin pair of Dunlop 18 x 7 SMO LCE tyres is connected to a hydraulic cylinder to clamp the two wheels together, and a disc braking system controls the rotational speed of the wheels on the SB-HBT. The device can create 750kg of clamping force between the wheels and holdback 500kg of line tension. On the top wheel, there is an encoder to measure speed and distance.

Chris Scrutton, technical manager at DLM, said: “This is the first requirement we have had [for the SB-HBT] but we have discussed it with other potential customers; this seems to be a reoccurring problem aboard vessels. It can be used when a cable laying vessel is completing a new lay project and needs to control the departure speed to small diameter cables being bundled alongside larger cable diameters. The reason for doing this is that the small diameter cable often does not bundle tightly enough with the larger diameter cables and can run free of the bundle when departing off of the vessel.”

In this instance, NKT, a provider of turnkey cable solutions that meet the ever-growing demand for power, is using the SB-HBT on a 22mm-diameter fibre optic cable. The ‘holdback’ (holdback force is essentially a term for adding line tension to a cable) element of the device creates additional tension to control the departure speed of the cable for bundling with DC power cable before being laid subsea.
An Enerpac cylinder compresses the top and bottom wheel together to create grip pressure onto the cable before the brakes are employed to rotate the wheels slowly. Without clamping the two wheels together, the cable would run free. The (orange) HBT element houses all of the components, while the Saddleback is bolted to the frame’s front.

Scrutton said: “This was another project where a client approached us with a design brief to develop a product for their application. NKT had a specific requirement for a device to measure the line tension and create the holdback force. The concept went from a design discussion to a delivered product in less than six months.”

Author: CGTeam

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