Ecobuq, the new simulator that optimizes ship energy and environmental efficiency parameters
The tool has been developed by Foro Marítimo Vasco, Cotenaval, Siport21 and Naviera Murueta, with Gasnam coordination.
The dual economic and environmental efficiency of a ship has become a key factor in ship design. Now, a new simulator will help engineers and shipyards to define what the starting point should be to achieve an optimal ship in terms of profitability of its operation or compliance with environmental regulations. The simulator, under the name "Ecobuq" is an initiative developed by the Basque Maritime Cluster, Cotenaval, Siport21 and Naviera Murueta, coordinated by Gasnam, the Iberian Association of natural gas, hydrogen and renewable gas for mobility.
The project has been funded by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism within the support program for Innovative Business Groups to help improve Spanish industry competitiveness and has public access on the Gasnam website.
Through knowledge models of industry 4.0, the simulator allows determining the economic and environmental return of the measures carried out to advance in the decarbonization of transport for different types of ships. The simulator will analyse the necessary transformations for the use of ecological fuels, as well as the implementation of different alternatives to improve energy efficiency, it will allow specifying the economic and environmental profitability, as well as determining an index that relates both concepts. This new analysis tool allows the study of proposed alternatives based on the data and information collected in previous tasks.
The PC Application allows carrying out the necessary calculations for the evaluation of the different proposed alternatives, showing as output some indicators that allow them to be evaluated and compared. These indicators will consider economic and energy efficiency factors in order to evaluate alternatives. For each of the measures, after introducing the input variables (alternative fuels, air lubrication systems, wind-assisted propulsion system, solar panels, residual energy recovery systems, high performance propellers, low resistance paints, power limitation), and once the tool is applied, the eco-efficiency index and the carbon intensity operational index (CII) will be obtained.
(Source: Industrias Pesqueras)