Session: 14-01-02: Smart and Sustainable Maritime Systems

Submission Number: 156723

Towards Goal-Based Design of Tank Ventilation Outlets for Methanol Powered Ships 

Due to its potential for significant net emission reductions and compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure, methanol is expected to play a crucial role in the decarbonization of the shipping sector. To support the uptake of the technology, we are investigating the application of the IMO Interim Guideline for the Safety of Ships using Methyl/Ethyl Alcohol as Fuel. Specifically, we are focusing on their application to methanol tank venting systems. As the guidelines are based on the IMO goal-based standard, they comprise safety objective, functional requirements (FRs) and general provisions (GPs). The FRs define the level of safety performance that the system should provide to fulfil the safety objective, but not how this performance should be achieved. The GPs, in turn, suggest a possible way to achieve the required level of safety, but do not specify the required level of safety. As per the Guidelines, FRs can be met either by applying the GPs or by demonstrating that an alternative solution has equivalent safety. To support the use of the latter approach, we present the state-of-the-art in the design of ventilation systems for methanol tanks. On this basis, we propose a framework for developing alternative ventilation outlet solutions, including the necessary steps to evaluate their safety performance. Subsequently, we evaluate the practical applicability of the framework and identify related knowledge gaps and research needs.

Presenting Author: Florian Schmid DLR Institute of Maritime Energy Systems

Presenting Author Biography: Master of Science in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from the Hamburg University of Technology in 2022.
Researcher in the Department of Ship Integration at the Institute of Maritime Energy Systems since 2023.