Imagine making a ship's propeller look more like a whale's fin to glide through water with less effort. This project also finds a way to store hydrogen in a liquid form that takes up much less space than traditional tanks. It's like upgrading both the engine's efficiency and the fuel tank to make green shipping practical.
Hydrogen-powered ships currently suffer from massive fuel tanks that take up too much cargo space and inefficient propulsion systems that waste energy.
A system comprising bioinspired Tubercle Assisted Propulsors (TAPs), the HydroSil liquid hydrogen carrier, and a combined heat and power energy recovery system.
If you are a shipyard dealing with the massive space requirements of hydrogen tanks — this project developed the HydroSil carrier that can half the hydrogen storage demands on space and weight. This allows for more cargo capacity while maintaining zero emissions.
If you are a fleet operator dealing with high fuel costs and energy waste — this project developed Tubercle Assisted Propulsors (TAPs) and energy recovery systems. These tools aim to achieve a minimum overall 35% energy saving.
If you are an engineering firm dealing with the difficulty of converting old ships to hydrogen — this project developed standalone and combined energy saving devices for retrofits. This reduces the total energy demand and smooths out power spikes during operation.
Based on available project data, the project aims for a minimum overall 35% energy saving, which directly reduces operational fuel costs, though specific price points for the hardware are not listed.
The project is moving technology from TRL 2-3 to 5-6, including prototype development and demonstration on a target vessel for fullscale exploitation.
The consortium includes key patent holders and has established an IPAB (Intellectual Property Advisory Board) to manage the rights of the 15 partners.
The project includes a specific work package to communicate with regulatory bodies to ensure wider uptake and research the regulatory impacts for marine and inland waterway fleets.
The project period runs from 2022-09-01 to 2026-04-30, with the final stages focusing on prototype demonstration and upscaling.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 67% industry ratio, consisting of 10 industrial partners and 6 SMEs across 9 countries. This strong commercial presence, combined with 3 universities and 2 research centers, suggests a high focus on commercial viability and practical application rather than pure theoretical research.
Contact HYSILABS in France for licensing and partnership inquiries.
Contact SciTransfer to connect with the RESHIP consortium for pilot opportunities.
