Research paper focused on the analysis of solar power trials on-board the high speed RoRo vessel Blue Star Delos. This paper as published in the Journal of Marine Engineering and Technology is now available via open access via this link:
Analysis of marine solar power trials on Blue Star Delos
The author of the paper, Greg Atkinson, is the Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Eco Marine Power.
An extract of the conclusions noted in the paper is as follows:
The trials on Blue Star Delos demonstrated that under operational conditions at sea, a low-voltage marine solar power system using thin panel PV technology and energy storage could provide a continuous stable supply of power to a DC load. The power output of the system met or exceeded design expectations and the performance of the PV panels did not appear to be significantly impacted due to the build-up of dirt and salt. However, analysis of data over a longer period needs to be undertaken and the possibility to improve the power yield by adjusting system parameters requires investigation. Additionally the impact of the marine environment on the solar panels and aluminium frames requires further study including determining how frequently the marine solar panel array should be washed and maintained.
The full results from these trials have been analysed by Eco Marine Power and several improvements were incorporated into its Aquarius Marine Solar Power solution. These improvements include the addition of hybrid VRLA batteries manufactured by The Furukawa Battery Company, the development of specialized mounting frames for ship mounted photovoltaic (PV) panels and additional features added to the Aquarius Management & Automation System (Aquarius MAS).
During 2019, further selected research and technical papers will be released and made available via EMP’s Research & Development webpage. More detailed analysis including ship renewable energy surveys & system designs will also be available via EMP’s design and consulting services and/or discussed with ship owners during ship renewable energy projects.
Source: Eco Marine Power