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  • Review of propulsion system...
    Fernández, Ignacio Arias; Gómez, Manuel Romero; Gómez, Javier Romero; Insua, Álvaro Baaliña

    Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, January 2017, 2017-01-00, Volume: 67
    Journal Article

    Vessel ozone depleting emission regulations are regulated in Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention, wherein the maximum levels of NOx, SOx and suspended particles are established. These increasingly strict regulations, together with the increase in natural gas consumption and its price, have conditioned propulsion systems implemented on board vessels. This article reviews the different propulsion systems used on board vessels for the transport of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The study describes the main characteristics of the propulsion systems, and the advantages and drawbacks that come along with these, from its very beginnings up to the systems installed to date. The described propulsion systems include both gas and steam turbines, combined cycles, 2 and 4 stroke internal combustion engines, as well as reliquefaction plants, while encompassing mechanical, electric and Dual Fuel (DF) technology systems. The propulsion systems implemented have undergone continual alteration in order to adjust to market needs, which were always governed by both efficiency and the possibility of consuming boil-off gas (BOG), always in compliance with the strict antipollution regulations in force. The current direction of LNG vessel propulsion systems is the installation of 2-stroke DF low pressure engines due to their high efficiency and their possibility of installing a BOG reliquefaction plant. Another great advantage of this propulsion system is its compliance with the IMO TIER III emission regulations, without the need to install any supplementary gas treatment system.