Campfire CF08_2: NH3 marine engine

On the road to implementing the energy transition, shipping must also be converted to an emission-free and climate-neutral form of mobility. The use of ‘green’ ammonia as a carbon-free fuel offers the potential to contribute to achieving this goal for future shipping. Against this background, the sub-project focuses on the systematic analysis and experimental testing of a novel ammonia cracker gas engine system suitable for operation on inland waterway vessels.

In addition to developing an ammonia-hydrogen combustion concept, the project will also develop and verify an ammonia cracker for producing hydrogen from ammonia for marine applications. Based on experimental investigations on a single-cylinder research engine, a suitable process for energy conversion in the propulsion engine will be derived and optimised through accompanying simulation. On this basis, a complete engine concept will be developed, which will be transferred to a test plant in conjunction with the developed ammonia cracker and investigated for operation in an inland waterway vessel. In addition to optimising plant operation and determining operating limits, another focus is on simulation-based optimisation of the overall energy system through thermal coupling of the drive engine and ammonia cracker. Based on the process simulation models provided and the experimental data from the individual systems and the overall plant, the proposed new drive concept will be evaluated in terms of its technical and economic viability. The project will lay the foundation for the use of ‘green’ ammonia in climate-neutral shipping.

https://wir-campfire.de/en/cf08_2-nh3-marine-engine/

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