Binary cycle power generation system for ships

In the past, exhaust heat from the turbocharger attached to the ship engine has not been used, but simply disposed. The electricity produced by the new system serves as auxiliary power for the ship and contributes to the efficient utilisation of energy.

The new system passed sea trials onboard a ship in December 2016, has recently received approval from Japan’s ship classification society ClassNK.

During the sea trials, Kobe Steel confirmed that an engine output of 7,500 kW per hour generated 125 kW of electricity. This is equivalent to about 20 to 25% of the fuel used in marine generators, depending on the conditions, and is the largest scale of power generation from exhaust heat on a ship.

The joint development of the new system was begun in April 2014 by Kobe Steel, ASAHI SHIPPING Co Ltd and MIURA Co Ltd and land-based testing of the system was successfully completed in September 2015.

This project to develop the binary cycle power generation system was adopted as a joint research theme by the next-generation marine environment-related technology development support programme of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and ClassNK and was undertaken with their cooperation.