In the Horizon2020 TrAM project 14 project partners work together to develop a zero-emission fast going passenger vessel through advanced modular production. “Trying to change the industry’s perception of modular and more standardized vessels has been the biggest challenge,” say modular experts Tobias Seidenberg and Christoph Jürgenhake of the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechatronic Systems Design IEM.
In addition to developing and building a zero-emission
demonstrator fast ferry, the TrAM project
aims to develop never-before seen modular design and production methods for
such vessels. The project is revolutionary both in terms of zero emission
technology and manufacturing methods, and will contribute to making
electric-powered high-speed vessels competitive in terms of both cost and the
environment. The project, was
awarded 12M Euros back in 2018 from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research program.
From cars to ships
“Today ships are most often designed as a one-off, even
though many of them are built according to almost exactly the same
specifications. We are examining the opportunities for creating modules that
can be reused across application cases. By combining advanced modular production
principles with ship design and construction methods, the TrAM project will develop
a more efficient modular system integration than the currently favoured function
orientated modularity systems,” says M.Eng. Tobias Seidenberg of project
partner Fraunhofer IEM.
The German institute has worked on modular architectures for
cars for major customers such as the Volkswagen Group, and leads TrAM’s work on
adapting modularity models from the automotive and aviation industry to the
needs of the maritime industry. The proposed modular concept will be validated
and refined through one physical demonstrator and two replicators. The
demonstrator will be a zero-emissions passenger ferry that will service a
multi-stop commuter route into the Norwegian city of Stavanger from January
2022. The replicators will be developed for the rivers and channels in London
and Belgium.
Beyond Lego
“In essence, the project is about how to build the same ship
for different purposes – creating one ship family for three different routes.
Our goal is to develop a modularisation methodology that allows all three
vessels to have the same systems and interfaces inside the hull and the same
rough structures – maybe with a partly different hull shape for each vessel,”
elaborates Dr. Ing. Christoph Jürgenhake at Fraunhofer IEM. He brings several
years’ experience with modularisation from Airbus to the TrAM project.
Modularisation is often explained as using the “Lego principle”
in design and construction. But Fraunhofer’s function first approach is noteably
different from that of the traditional mechanical designer.
“While a mechanical designer normally has a geometrical
point of view and starts with the shape, we start with a functional point of
view – asking where we can imbed which functions. Then we try to identify which
functions belong together, before deriving some sort of shape from that,” Jürgenhake
explains.
It’s what’s inside that counts
Initially, the two colleagues were concerned that the project
would only lead to very abstract modularisation models, like general design and
production guidelines. But during the first year and a half of their research,
ideas for specific TrAM modules have emerged.
“Together with colleagues from the Strathclyde University in
Scotland we are thinking about modularising different sections of the hull, allowing the hull to be more easily adapted to
each use case. But the essence of the TrAM modularisation effort is to have the
complete inside and the interfaces of the vessel in easily adaptable modules,” Jürgenhake
says.
One proposal includes a modular bridge arrangement. “It
became obvious to us that there’s no reason to build a different bridge for each
of the three TrAM vessels. We are currently thinking of a bridge module that
can be equipped completely by the supplier and adapted to each use case. This
is a huge benefit for the shipbuilder, allowing plug and play during construction
of the next vessels in the family.”
Modular power supply
They also have ideas for a modular power module in which all
the batteries and power electronics are stored on the upper level of the vessel
instead of inside the hull.
“This is an advantage for the future. We know that battery
technology will develop rapidly in the coming years, and to have the power
module as an easily accessible unit on top of the vessel will benefit future
retrofitting, allowing easier battery replacement or integration of new power
sources like fuel cells,” Seidenberg says.
Interior modules like cafeterias are also being looked into.
“For example, in London, buying snacks and beverages on board constitutes a
substantial part of the customer experience. We would like to see a modularised
cafeteria on the TrAM vessels. If there is enough space, this can be a manned
cafeteria, but the module could also consist of self-service vending machines.
Regardless of size, the key is to have all the interfaces for cafeteria
services planned into your hull, including freshwater supply, energy supply,
and more.” This feature will also afford future owners increased flexibility to
modify the cafeteria area, Seidenberg explains.
Establishing a new mindset
Jürgenhake and Seidenberg are clear on the biggest challenge
in the project so far. “In general, the main challenge has been to convince the
transportation and maritime industries that modularisation is a good approach
in ship design, to open their eyes to a new mindset,” says Jürgenhake.
Both he and Seidenberg believe modularisation can and should
change the way ships are ordered. “There is a dominant belief that complete
optimisation is the only way to design a ship. This is a result of today’s extremely
specified tender processes, which lead to one-off ships due to all the
requirements vessel owners include in their tenders.” He cites a common
example: “Why specify a rigorous top speed if a vessel only uses that speed
10-15 percent of the time, and still keeps to its timetable?” Jürgenhake asks.
“The maritime industry also has a strong focus on initial
price,” Seidenberg adds. “We believe the industry needs to look more at
lifetime costs, like the aviation industry does. We are now in the process of
validating estimates showing that the lifetime cost of a cheaper, more
standardised modular vessel actually can be lower than an individually designed
ship operating on the same route. If our numbers are correct, I believe this will
be an eye-opener,” he says.
Completing the last leg
As the demonstrator vessel moves into the detailed design
phase, Fraunhofer IEM’s task is to document all their findings. They expect to
finish up in September or October. “Our scope of delivery to the project will
be the methods used to modularise the vessel, accompanied by examples and
suggestions. We would also like to include some sort of configurator tool,
visualising the methodology for the shipbuilder through examples from the three
TrAM use cases and showing what you can achieve by modularisation,” Seidenberg concludes.
Construction of the demonstrator vessel will commence in
early 2021. The fully electric fast ferry is scheduled to enter commercial
operation for Kolumbus in Stavanger on January 1st, 2022.
