Marinization and Installation of PCB Hydrogen Fuel Cell into Unmanned Surface Vessel for Demonstration

SEA-KIT的拟议项目-清洁海事示范比赛-斯特兰德2是设计，由Bramble Energy设计的新型氢燃料电池的建造和测试，以及对现有无人水面舰艇（USV）的改造使燃料电池的安装作为现有柴油发动机的替代品，并展示了一种实现英国清洁海事计划战略承诺的途径，即减少排放与2008年相比，到2050年航运产生的温室气体至少减少50%。SEA-KIT（SK）为海上工业提供长寿命、高性能的USV，用于测量和施工支持工作。该船具有双柴油-电力混合动力驱动。推进力来自电动机，电动机由电池组供电，电池组由现场柴油发电机充电。该项目将使用Bramble Energy的印刷电路板燃料电池（PCBFC），PCBFC将围绕SK的USV进行海洋化和设计。BE的PCBFC技术使用PCB而不是金属或石墨端板，更适合于恶劣的海洋环境。多氯联苯燃料电池系统将被设计在USV内的一个外壳中，以防止海水进入和由此产生的海水腐蚀。该项目提供了一条用氢燃料电池取代其中一台柴油发电机的路线，并展示了零碳排放的海上作业。保留其中一台柴油发电机（在演示过程中不会使用）可以大大降低该计划的风险。使用这台现有车辆作为演示器的基础的好处是，可以使用大部分现有的推进硬件，只需很少或根本不需要修改。这将使项目团队能够专注于创新的动力系统，而不是已经证明的燃料电池操作所需的技术。该项目后不久的开发计划的一部分是将燃料电池安装到USV中，并在海洋盐水环境中演示零排放USV操作，以展示燃料电池的能力。Bramble Energy开发计划的一部分是继续进行监管认证，将FC作为标准产品销售到海运业。

SEA-KIT's proposed project - Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition – Strand 2 is the design, build and testing of a new and novel hydrogen fuel cell engineered by Bramble Energy and modification of an existing Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) to enable installation of the fuel cell as a replacement to the existing diesel engine and demonstrate a route to fulfilling the UK's Clean Maritime Plan Strategy commitment of reducing emissions of GHGs from shipping by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008. SEA-KIT (SK) supply long endurance highly capable USV's to the offshore industry for survey and construction support work. The vessel has a dual diesel-electric hybrid drive. Propulsion comes from electric motors powered from battery banks that are charged by in-situ diesel generators. The project will use Bramble Energy's (BE) printed circuit board fuel cell (PCBFC), the PCBFC will be marinized and designed around SK's USV. Utilising PCBs, rather than metallic or graphite end plates, BE's PCBFC technology is more suited to rugged, marinized environments. The PCBFC system will be designed in an enclosure within the USV to prevent sea water ingress and resulting corrosion from sea water. The project provides a route to replace one of the diesel generators with a hydrogen fuel cell and demonstrate an offshore operation with zero carbon emissions. The retention of one of the diesel generators, which will not be used during the demonstration, significantly de-risks the programme.The benefit of using this existing vehicle as a basis for a demonstrator is that much of the existing propulsion hardware can be used, with little to no modification. This will allow the project team to focus on the innovative power system and not the already proven technology required for the fuel cell operation.Part of the exploitation plan soon after this project is to install the fuel cell into the USV and demonstrate zero emissions USV operations in a marine, saltwater environment to demonstrate the fuel cell capabilities. Part of Bramble Energy’s exploitation plan is to proceed with regulatory certification for selling the FC as a standard product into maritime industry.