i am tied up alongside another of the chinese built Seacor boats as i type this. the hulls look pretty dodgey but the crews say they are having no trouble with them, YET… the bigger thing, and what Exxon likes about them is the lithium battery hybrid feature that saves a bunch of fuel once they are off the dock and steaming any real distance. i am on one of the crewboats down here for exxon in guyana and fuel use has become a big factor they are interested in lately. they have 2 more hybrid boats on the way as soon as they come off contract wherever they are working now.
how do you save fuel with a battery when steaming?
ok you dont.
I like the idea of a battery in a DP vessel as instant standby and that should become a std one day but trying to split hairs that the gain in operating at the best bsfc to convert to battery (DC) then back to (AC) is better is stretching the laws of physics when a shaft drive engine at best bsfc will beat the DE any day.
On a DP job I would agree it works as the battery siting there doing nothing is your other gen set if needed and as its instant it can allow much higher load on existing gen sets without risk.
DC grid are now the norm on newer hybrid vessels.to avoid that step.
Are you suggesting that all those people that is involved in developing new technology to reduce fuel consumption don’t have the foggiest idea what they are doing?
Not to mention those who spend money by order such systems, idiots all of them.
They should listen to the experts, sitting at the Marina drinking Tiger beer.
read the words
WHILE STEAMING
show me how you save fuel while steaming with a DE?
I explained why they build hybrid, its all about being in DP
Lets see the first hybrid box ship they burn more fuel that anything else so a major saving there if what you think is true…
Dont worry those experts have conned owners and built some major DE stuff ups claiming operating cost savings.
I went on one of several built in Norway ( vard) that had 4 main get sets in large PSV, but they forgot the house gen sets, so when on anchor or alongside 1.7MW gen set chugging away for about 250kw load.
The vessel design was such that all the DP components were hidden in many areas on the vessel and the mast design was so bad it had multiple dead spots for the DGPS receivers.
The the aft bridge had one DP console on each outside table so you had to move your chair and walk around to get to the other console.
How does a vessel like that get class?
Just gob smacked people can make such fundamental cock ups.
If anyone has worked on one they will know what vessels I am talking about…
( the DP printer was inside a locked cabinet…)
You mean you can judge the quality of a ship/boat by looking at them from the outside?
What is “dodgy” with the hull of these boats anyhow, other then that you know they are built in China? (Not in good ol’ USA)
The crew that operate them don’t have any trouble with them, so could it be that they are not that bad afterall?
FYI: These vessels are of UT 771 CDL design, with machinery and equipment from Rolls Royce Marine (Now Kongsberg Marine):
I’m no Engineer, so a bit above my heads. Here is a detailed article about DC systems for ships and other application:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/25725084.2018.1490239
Another article that describe the power and propulsion system on a SOV:
Ørsted recently ordered some hybrid CTVs for windfarms capable of working in all-electric mode, maybe it could save Exxon some money to have some all electric ones too.
Bug
they are all trying to sell them as there are pollution issues that clients and charters and sea areas are pushing for it, so there is demand.
The technology is being designed as its begin installed in many cases, the DC or AC or and conversions back and forth due to technology are changing every day sometimes to space reduction or a tech breakthough and even the drive motors switching dc to ac which seems to happen in 10 yr cycles
Lots of clever people working on it but I cant see any mature systems yet.
This is all aside from battery powered things doing short hops to remove an IC engines
Of course this is a developing system and technology is changing as things develop.
Even you and your Buddies around the table weren’t born fully developed and mature.
i believe its just about power management. they are running gens all the time as they are diesel electric driven, but they can store excess power in container full of lithium batteries on deck and then when steaming with a constant load they use it accordingly, i have not had a chance to do a full tour with an engineer on there yet because of current events, but i am very much looking forward to it…
i said it LOOKS, pretty dodgey, the thin skinned hull starts about 20’ above the waterline, maybe it doesnt need to be as strong up there, and certainly saves in weight, but it looks like ass… the crew dont seem to be bitching much the little i talk to them. and the client is happy.
wait till they show you how big a 3mw battery is and then how long it lasts with a load…versus mgo or any other fuel…minutes not hours.
the laws of todays physics and power density
Sorry folks, the purr of a smooth diesel engine always makes my day. I worshipped the ground my most excellent engineers walked on. I didn’t go out of my way to show it, but think they all knew we walked on the same deck. Electric anything just doesn’t work for me over pure, oil fed horsepower.
Maybe you are looking at this type: UT777 WP design:
There are no “hull structure” 20’ above waterline. That is “superstructure” and is usually built lighter.
The UT designs are based on knowledge and experience from building boats for the North Atlantic and Barents Sea fisheries and later OSVs for the North Sea. That doesn’t change because these vessels are built at a yard in China.
3mwh 23 tons just bigger than a 20’ container so 3mw for 1 hr
More than enough to take peak loads.
the battery bank they have on deck is about the size of a standard shipping container, no idea any technical specs or capacity, i thought at first its gotta be just a green gimmick to placate some green folks, but Exxon wouldnt be all over these new designs if there were not real savings… MAYBE… i am just a simple boat driver with a curiosity for these kinds of things… it does interest me and my buddy who is chief over there says it really does cut fuel use…
the hull above the water is what i meant being “oilcanned” or beat in looking above the waterline is all. i understand weight and cost cutting, it just looks bad, painted well and new looking, but beat in as if with a giant hammer… bottom line is the client is happy. my company Seacor doesnt do anything investment wise if its not a pretty sure thing. i think they will have 7 of these boats working this project in guyana when the other 2 get here…
yes its the sisterships to the pictured boat i am speaking of, you can see the dimpling in the hull in the picture if you look close enough, its just aesthetics, no big deal, but it looks wrong on a newer boat, no big deal. i am pretty interested in working life,cycles, whatever you want to call it of the giant battery system, i bet 20 tons of lithium batteries dont come cheap… time will tell. the boat pictured is on its way as soon as current contract is up.