Alternative fuel ship

Abstract

Provided is an alternative fuel ship that reduces inboard operations associated with treatment of drainage contaminated with an alternative fuel. As shown, for example, in figure 2, an alternative fuel ship 1 comprises: a first recovery tank 13 that recovers drainage that is discharged from a fuel engine (alternative fuel engine 4 and generator 5) during the use of a natural fossil fuel; and a second recovery tank 14 that recovers drainage that is discharged from the fuel engine (alternative fuel engine 4 and generator 5) during the use of an alternative fuel.

Description

alternative fuel ship

[0001] The present invention relates to an alternative fuel ship, and more particularly to an alternative fuel ship that uses fuels that can replace natural petroleum-based fuels, such as methanol, ethanol, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), and ammonia.

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of environmental conservation, zero emissions have been proposed to reduce the discharge of pollutants and waste materials. In the field of international shipping, carbon dioxide (CO ２ Alternative fuels are attracting attention as fuels that reduce or eliminate the generation of CO2, and the development of alternative fuel ships is progressing. Alternative fuels are fuels that can replace conventional natural petroleum-based fuels. Examples of alternative fuels include methanol, ethanol, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), ammonia, etc.

[0003] Ships using fuel-fired engines are generally equipped with a bilge treatment system that treats drainage discharged from the main engine and auxiliary equipment. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system including a first piping line that sends drainage via a bilge tank to an oily-water separator, where the oil is separated and discharged overboard, and a second piping line that sends the drainage to a BSO tank, from which the drainage is sent via a waste oil tank to an incinerator for incineration, where drainage with a low oil concentration is sent to the first piping line to be separated from the oily-water mixture and discharged overboard, and drainage with a high oil concentration is sent to the second piping line to be finally incinerated.

[0004] Utility Model Registration No. 3147220

[0005] In engines (main engines, generators, etc.) that use alternative fuels such as ammonia as fuel, there is a possibility that the alternative fuel may be mixed into the drain system when operating on the alternative fuel. These fuel engines have been developed as dual-fuel engines (natural fossil fuel and alternative fuel), and alternative fuels are not mixed in when natural fossil fuel is used.

[0006] Some alternative fuels, such as ammonia, are toxic, odorous, and may have adverse effects on the human body, and there are currently no clear standards for discharging drainage mixed with alternative fuels into the ocean.

[0007] Assuming that drainage mixed with alternative fuels is not discharged into the ocean, it will be necessary to treat the drainage on board and periodically unload it onto land. Furthermore, if these drainages are collected in the same tank regardless of the operating mode (natural fossil fuel operation or alternative fuel operation), it is expected that the burden of onboard treatment and the frequency of unloading will increase.

[0008] The present invention was devised in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide an alternative fuel ship that can reduce onboard operations associated with treating drainage that has been contaminated with alternative fuel.

[0009] According to the present invention, an alternative fuel ship is provided, which is characterized by comprising a fuel engine that converts natural fossil fuel or alternative fuel into power, a first recovery tank that collects drainage discharged from the fuel engine when the natural fossil fuel is used, and a second recovery tank that collects drainage discharged from the fuel engine when the alternative fuel is used.

[0010] The alternative fuel ship may be equipped with a valve that can switch the piping system so that the first recovery tank is used when the natural fossil fuel is used and the second recovery tank is used when the alternative fuel is used.

[0011] The second recovery tank may include a clean drain recovery tank that recovers drain having an oil concentration below the ocean discharge standard value, and an oil drain recovery tank that recovers drain having an oil concentration above the ocean discharge standard value.

[0012] The first recovery tank may include a plurality of recovery tanks according to the oil concentration, and the second recovery tank may include a plurality of recovery tanks according to the oil concentration, and the number of the second recovery tanks may be less than the number of the first recovery tanks.

[0013] The alternative fuel ship may be equipped with a valve capable of switching the piping system between the clean drain recovery tank and the oil drain recovery tank.

[0014] The vent outlet of the second recovery tank may be located on the open deck, aft of the chimney or at the top of the chimney.

[0015] The vent outlet of the clean drain recovery tank may be located on the open deck, and the vent outlet of the oil drain recovery tank may be located behind the chimney or at the top of the chimney.

[0016] The alternative fuel is, for example, methanol, ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas or ammonia.

[0017] According to the alternative fuel ship of the present invention described above, the first recovery tank 13 for recovering drainage when natural fossil fuel is used and the second recovery tank 14 for recovering drainage when alternative fuel is used are installed separately and switchably, so that the drainage recovered when natural fossil fuel is used can be disposed of in the same manner as before (discharge into the ocean, incineration on board, landing on land, etc.), and only the drainage recovered when alternative fuel is used can be disposed of according to its nature (incineration on board, landing on land, etc.). Therefore, the alternative fuel ship of the present invention can reduce onboard operations associated with the treatment of drainage that has been mixed with alternative fuel.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a first embodiment; Fig. 2 is a drain system diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a first embodiment; Fig. 3 is a drain system diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a second embodiment; Fig. 4 is a drain system diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a third embodiment; Fig. 5 is a drain system diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a fourth embodiment.

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a first embodiment. Figure 2 is a drain system diagram of the alternative fuel ship according to the first embodiment. In Figure 1, the length of the ship is defined as the X axis, the width of the ship as the Y axis, and the height of the ship as the Z axis.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the alternative fuel ship 1 includes, for example, an alternative fuel tank 2 for storing the alternative fuel, a reliquefaction device 3 for reliquefying the vaporized gas generated from the alternative fuel tank 2, an alternative fuel engine 4 that uses the alternative fuel as fuel, a generator 5 that also uses the alternative fuel as fuel, a fuel supply device 6 that supplies alternative fuel from the alternative fuel tank 2 to the alternative fuel engine 4 and the generator 5, and a bunker station 7 that supplies alternative fuel to the alternative fuel tank 2.

[0021] The alternative fuel ship 1 also includes an accommodation area 8 that provides work areas and living space for the crew, and an engine room 9 in which internal combustion engines such as the alternative fuel engines 4 and generators 5 are installed. The accommodation area 8 is located, for example, on an upper deck 10. The engine room 9 also includes, for example, a lower space located below the upper deck 10 and an upper space located above the upper deck 10. A chimney 11 is also located above the engine room 9 to exhaust exhaust gases from the internal combustion engine.

[0022] The configuration of the alternative fuel ship 1 shown in Figure 1 is merely an example, and is not limited to the configuration and arrangement shown. For example, the reliquefaction device 3 can be omitted as needed, and the alternative fuel tank 2 may be a cargo tank.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, if the alternative fuel ship 1 is also an alternative fuel cargo transport ship, the alternative fuel tank 2 may be a tank that can also be used as an alternative fuel cargo, and the bunker station 7 may be a cargo manifold.

[0024] The alternative fuel engine 4 and generator 5 are fuel engines that convert alternative fuel into power. The fuel engine of the alternative fuel ship 1 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to convert conventional natural fossil fuels (heavy oil, light oil, etc.) into power. In other words, the fuel engine of the alternative fuel ship 1 is a dual-fuel engine. The alternative fuel ship 1 is equipped with an FO tank 12 that supplies natural fossil fuel to the fuel engine (alternative fuel engine 4 and generator). "FO" is an abbreviation for "Fuel Oil."

[0025] In this embodiment, the fuel engine is described as a dual-fuel engine, but the engine may be a multi-fuel engine that uses three or more types of fuel.

[0026] The alternative fuel is, for example, ammonia, but may also be other alternative fuels (methanol, ethanol, LPG, etc.) If the alternative fuel is highly toxic, such as ammonia gas, and if the alternative fuel is contained in drainage discharged from the fuel engine, the standards for discharge into the ocean are not clear, and the alternative fuel must be treated on board or unloaded on land.

[0027] Therefore, if the drain discharged from the fuel engine when natural fossil fuel is used and the drain discharged from the fuel engine when alternative fuel is used are mixed, it is predicted that the crane drain, which could previously be discharged into the ocean, will no longer be able to be discharged into the ocean, which will place a greater burden on onboard operations.

[0028] Therefore, the alternative fuel ship 1 of this embodiment is equipped with, for example, as shown in Figure 2, a first recovery tank 13 that recovers drainage discharged from the fuel engine (alternative fuel engine 4 and generator 5) when natural fossil fuel is used, and a second recovery tank 14 that recovers drainage discharged from the fuel engine (alternative fuel engine 4 and generator 5) when alternative fuel is used.

[0029] The first recovery tank 13 may be separated into multiple tanks based on the oil concentration. For example, clean drain whose oil concentration is equal to or less than the ocean discharge standard value is collected in the clean drain tank 13a, drain whose oil concentration is higher than the ocean discharge standard value and contains a relatively low concentration of oil is collected in the bilge tank 13b, and drain whose oil concentration is higher than the ocean discharge standard value and contains a relatively high concentration of oil is collected in the BSO tank 13c. "BSO" is an abbreviation for "Bilge Separated Oil."

[0030] The second recovery tanks 14 are classified into clean drain recovery tanks 14a that recover drain with an oil concentration below the ocean discharge standard value, and oil drain recovery tanks 14b that recover drain with an oil concentration above the ocean discharge standard value. When alternative fuel is used, the same onboard treatment (incineration, landing, etc.) is performed regardless of the oil concentration, so there is little need to classify the recovery tanks according to oil concentration. Therefore, the number of second recovery tanks 14 is set to be fewer than the number of first recovery tanks 13.

[0031] Furthermore, since the drain collected in the clean drain collection tank 14a has an oil concentration below the ocean discharge standard, if a storage tank for storing water containing alternative fuel is installed on board the ship, the drain collected in the clean drain collection tank 14a may be transferred to the storage tank. Therefore, the second collection tank 14 of this embodiment is installed in two systems: a system for collecting drain whose oil concentration is below the ocean discharge standard, and a system for collecting drain whose oil concentration exceeds the ocean discharge standard.

[0032] Although not shown, if the onboard treatment (incineration, landing, etc.) differs depending on the oil concentration or if the amount of drain discharged with an oil concentration exceeding the marine discharge standard value is large, the oil drain recovery tank 14b may be divided into multiple tanks.

[0033] In this specification, drain with an oil concentration below the ocean discharge standard value will be referred to as clean drain 15, drain with an oil concentration above the ocean discharge standard value and containing a relatively low concentration of oil will be referred to as low-concentration oil-containing drain 16, and drain with an oil concentration above the ocean discharge standard value and containing a relatively high concentration of oil will be referred to as high-concentration oil-containing drain 17.

[0034] The clean drain 15 is, for example, a main engine air cooler drain, a main engine jacket cooling water, a generator jacket cooling water, etc. The low-concentration oil-containing drain 16 is, for example, a main engine scavenging trunk primary chamber drain, etc. The high-concentration oil-containing drain 17 is, for example, a main engine piston lower drain, a main engine stuffing box drain, etc. Note that these drains are merely examples and are not limited to these drains.

[0035] The alternative fuel ship 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a valve 18a that can switch between a piping system L1 that discharges the clean drain 15 when natural fossil fuel is used and a piping system L2 that discharges the clean drain 15 when alternative fuel is used. For ease of explanation, in Figure 2, the piping system L1 is shown by a solid line and the piping system L2 is shown by a dashed line.

[0036] The piping system L1 may be provided with a valve 18b that can switch the discharge destination of the clean drain 15 from the clean drain tank 13a to the bilge tank 13b, for example, in case the clean drain tank 13a becomes full.

[0037] The alternative fuel ship 1 according to this embodiment may also include a valve 18c that can switch between a piping system L21 that discharges the clean drain 15 discharged when using alternative fuel into the clean drain recovery tank 14a and a piping system L22 that discharges the clean drain 15 into the oil drain recovery tank 14b. For example, if the clean drain recovery tank 14a becomes full or if the concentration of the alternative fuel contained in the drain changes, the discharge destination of the clean drain 15 can be switched to the oil drain recovery tank 14b.

[0038] The alternative fuel ship 1 according to this embodiment is also equipped with a valve 18d that can switch between a piping system L3 that discharges low-concentration oil-containing drain 16 when natural fossil fuel is used and a piping system L4 that discharges low-concentration oil-containing drain 16 when alternative fuel is used. For ease of explanation, in Figure 2, the piping system L3 is shown by a solid line, and the piping system L4 is shown by a dashed line.

[0039] The piping system L3 may be provided with a valve 18e that can switch the discharge destination of the low-concentration oil-containing drain 16 from the bilge tank 13b to the BSO tank 13c, for example, in case the bilge tank 13b becomes full or the oil concentration of the drain changes.

[0040] The alternative fuel ship 1 according to this embodiment is also equipped with a valve 18f that can switch between a piping system L5 that discharges high-concentration oil-containing drain 17 when natural fossil fuel is used and a piping system L6 that discharges high-concentration oil-containing drain 17 when alternative fuel is used. For ease of explanation, in Figure 2, the piping system L5 is shown by a solid line, and the piping system L6 is shown by a dashed line.

[0041] According to the alternative fuel ship 1 of this embodiment described above, the first recovery tank 13 that recovers drainage when natural fossil fuel is used and the second recovery tank 14 that recovers drainage when alternative fuel is used are installed separately and switchably, so that the drainage recovered when natural fossil fuel is used can be disposed of in the same manner as before (discharge into the ocean, incineration on board, landing on land, etc.), and only the drainage recovered when alternative fuel is used can be disposed of according to its nature (incineration on board, landing on land, etc.). Therefore, the alternative fuel ship 1 of this embodiment can reduce onboard operations associated with the treatment of drainage that has been contaminated with alternative fuel.

[0042] In the case of a highly toxic alternative fuel such as ammonia, it is preferable to guide the outlet of the vent piping of the second recovery tank 14 to a safe location. Here, the "vent piping" refers to a piping system that discharges vent gas to the outside for adjusting the internal pressure of the second recovery tank 14 and for ventilation.

[0043] In the alternative fuel ship 1 according to this embodiment, the drain mixed with the alternative fuel can be separated and collected in the second collection tank 14, and the drain tank into which the alternative fuel is mixed can be limited. Therefore, the outlet of the vent piping can be guided and installed in a safe location.

[0044] The outlet of the vent pipe of the second recovery tank 14, which contains a relatively low concentration of alternative fuel, is installed, for example, on the open deck. The outlet of the vent pipe of the second recovery tank 14, which contains a relatively high concentration of alternative fuel, is located, for example, behind the chimney 11 or at the top of the chimney 11. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the outlet of the vent pipe 14c of the clean drain recovery tank 14a is located on the upper deck 10, and the outlet of the vent pipe 14d of the oil drain recovery tank 14b is located near the top of the chimney 11.

[0045] For ease of explanation, in Figure 1, the piping system that recovers the drain from the alternative fuel engine 4 in the second recovery tank 14 (clean drain recovery tank 14a and oil drain recovery tank 14b) is shown by dashed lines, and the illustration of the piping system that recovers the drain from the generator 5 in the second recovery tank 14 (clean drain recovery tank 14a and oil drain recovery tank 14b) is omitted.

[0046] Furthermore, although not shown, if there is a drain other than the drains mentioned above into which alternative fuels may be mixed, the piping system may be configured to be switchable between one that discharges drains when natural fossil fuels are used and one that discharges drains when alternative fuels are used.

[0047] Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Here, Figure 3 is a drain system diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a second embodiment. Figure 4 is a drain system diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a third embodiment. Figure 5 is a drain system diagram of an alternative fuel ship according to a fourth embodiment. In each figure, components that are the same as those in the alternative fuel ship according to the first embodiment described above are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0048] The alternative-fuel ship 1 according to the second embodiment shown in Figure 3 does not include the valve 18c of the first embodiment. For example, if the clean drain recovery tank 14a has a sufficient capacity or if the clean drain recovery tank 14a can be transferred to another storage tank, a valve for switching the piping system to the oil drain recovery tank 14b is not required.

[0049] 4 is an alternative fuel ship 1 according to a third embodiment in which the clean drain recovery tank 14a and the oil drain recovery tank 14b of the first embodiment are combined into a single second recovery tank 14. For example, if the onboard treatment (incineration, landing, etc.) of drain containing alternative fuel is not related to the oil concentration, the recovery tanks for drain containing alternative fuel can be combined into a single second recovery tank 14.

[0050] In addition, in the alternative fuel ship 1 of the third embodiment shown in Figure 4, if the clean drain 15 does not contain alternative fuel or if the clean drain 15 contains alternative fuel at a concentration so small that it can be discharged into the ocean, the piping system L2 and the valve 18a may be omitted.

[0051] 5, the alternative-fuel ship 1 according to the fourth embodiment has the clean drain recovery tank 14a of the first embodiment remaining as the second recovery tank 14, and has omitted the oil drain recovery tank 14b. Since the clean drain 15 when using natural fossil fuels is assumed to be discharged into the ocean, it is preferable to recover the clean drain 15 when using alternative fuels, which may contain alternative fuels, in a separate system.

[0052] On the other hand, there are cases where the low-concentration oil-containing drain 16 and the high-concentration oil-containing drain 17 can be treated on board in the same way as the drain collected when natural fossil fuels are used (incineration, landing, etc.). In this case, the low-concentration oil-containing drain 16 when alternative fuels are used is collected in the bilge tank 13b or the BSO tank 13c, and the high-concentration oil-containing drain 17 when alternative fuels are used is collected in the BSO tank 13c.

[0053] Furthermore, in the illustrated fourth embodiment, a valve 18c may be provided that can switch the discharge destination of the clean drain 15 from the second recovery tank 14 to the BSO tank 13c in case the second recovery tank 14 becomes full, the oil concentration of the drain changes, or the concentration of the alternative fuel contained in the drain changes.

[0054] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0055] 1 Alternative fuel ship, 2 Alternative fuel tank, 3 Reliquefaction unit, 4 Alternative fuel engine, 5 Generator, 6 Fuel supply equipment, 7 Bunker station, 8 Accommodation space, 9 Engine room, 10 Upper deck, 11 Funnel, 12 FO tank, 13 First recovery tank, 13a Clean drain tank, 13b Bilge tank, 13c BSO tank, 14 Second recovery tank, 14a Clean drain recovery tank, 14b Oil drain recovery tank, 14c, 14d Vent piping, 15 Clean drain, 16 Low concentration oil-containing drain, 17 High concentration oil-containing drain, 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, 18f Valves

Claims

1. An alternative fuel ship comprising: a fuel engine that converts natural fossil fuel or alternative fuel into power; a first recovery tank that collects drainage discharged from the fuel engine when the natural fossil fuel is used; and a second recovery tank that collects drainage discharged from the fuel engine when the alternative fuel is used.

2. An alternative fuel ship as described in claim 1, which is equipped with a valve that can switch the piping system so that the first recovery tank is used when the natural fossil fuel is used and the second recovery tank is used when the alternative fuel is used.

3. The alternative fuel ship described in claim 1, wherein the second recovery tank includes a clean drain recovery tank that recovers drain whose oil concentration is below the marine discharge standard value, and an oil drain recovery tank that recovers drain whose oil concentration exceeds the marine discharge standard value.

4. An alternative fuel ship as described in claim 1, wherein the first recovery tank includes multiple recovery tanks according to oil concentration, the second recovery tank includes multiple recovery tanks according to oil concentration, and the number of the second recovery tanks is less than the number of the first recovery tanks.

5. An alternative fuel ship as described in claim 3, comprising a valve that can switch the piping system between the clean drain recovery tank and the oil drain recovery tank.

6. The alternative fuel ship according to claim 1, wherein the vent outlet of the second recovery tank is located on the open deck, behind the funnel, or at the top of the funnel.

7. The alternative fuel ship according to claim 3, wherein the vent outlet of the clean drain recovery tank is located on the open deck, and the vent outlet of the oil drain recovery tank is located behind the funnel or at the top of the funnel.

8. The alternative fuel vessel of claim 1, wherein the alternative fuel is methanol, ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas, or ammonia.

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