Design and Evaluation of Ballast Water Management Systems using Modified and Hybridised Axiomatic Design Principles

There are two major motivations to this research. The first is based on the concerns raised at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) MEPC 67 and 68 meetings regarding the capacity of some type-approved Ballast Water Management (BWM) Systems to meet the performance standard (D-2) of the BWM Convention at-all-times and in all conditions. The second is based on the reluctance expressed by some ship- owners to install the system onboard their ships as a Lloyd\u27s list survey suggested. In this work, an attempt was made to address these issues and concerns using a set of criteria stipulated in Regulation D-5.2 of the BWM Convention which provides the framework for reviewing and evaluating the practical concepts of managing ballast water, developing a conceptual model for managing ballast water and minimizing the contributions of human-error to BWM System performance by analyzing the associated operational human factors. Firstly, the design of a conceptual model of managing ballast water and the evaluation of some established practical concepts of BWM were achieved by using a suitable technique (Axiomatic Design or AD) which was selected via a robust procedure. The two axioms of Axiomatic Design (information and independence) were used to evaluate four different concepts of managing ballast water as well as develop a BWM Convention-compliant conceptual design matrix model respectively. Based on data collected from ballast water management experts, Post-loading Onshore Ballast Water Management System was shown to be the most appropriate ballast water management concept with respect to the Regulation D-5.2 set of criteria. This presents a paradigm shift in expert preference from traditional shipboard systems to onshore systems with respect to the IMO-criteria. The pathway for improved performance of the Convention-compliant design matrix was subsequently determined and prioritised using Sufield model of Altshuler\u27s theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ). Lastly, a 5-step algorithm was developed to minimise operator errors in the BWM System’s operation. Fatigue and training were found to have the greatest impact on operator performance

The potential of elephant grass (Pennisetum Purpureum Schum), an African indigenous grass, in bioethanol production: A decarbonization alternative for the shipping industry

While it is true that fossil fuel based energy which is non-renewable has contributed immensely to global economic growth, it has brought with its usage the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), a principal greenhouse gas. Studies using business as usual (BAU) model has predicted that the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere will increase by 50 to 250% by the year 2050 with perhaps a commensurate increase in the global carbon footprint. The shipping industry has remained a major contributor to this global carbonization. Concern over this increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, has intensified interests in developing biomass crops as resources for alternative/renewable energy purposes. Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum schum), an African indigenous grass, is an abundant, fast growing plant. It was investigated in this study for its potential as a renewable energy source and conversion to bioethanol. This biofuel enhances environmental air quality in its different forms of usage with minimal carbon emissions. Result from the proximate composition analysis of the feedstock gave total carbohydrate content (soluble and insoluble carbohydrate) of 74.21%. From the foregoing, elephant grass has the potential to serve as a future biomass energy source for some auxiliary functions of ships if not the major one

Onshore ballast water treatment stations : a harbour specific vector management proposition

The discharge of Harmful Aquatic Organisms and Pathogens (HAOP) found in ships ballast water from one port environment to another can have severe ecological, environmental and economic consequences, especially when they transform into marine pests. This informs the necessity to investigate treatment options that could curtail the transfer of these organisms from a source harbour. An alternative to the conventional Ballast Water Treatment Systems is investigated and proposed in this study- it entails the onshore treatment of host port water before it is loaded as ballast water into ships. The study covered sampling of Port Harcourt Harbour water in Nigeria. The field samples were subjected to laboratory analysis. Inferential statistics was employed to determine the relationships between the physicochemical properties of sampling stations and organisms’ density. Literature on ballast water treatment research were reviewed, and the most viable treatment options for Port Harcourt Harbour based on the field results obtained were discovered to be treatment combinations that could remove most of the species found in the study area, especially; Alexandrium minutum, Acartia clausi, Pseudocalanus elongatus, Tortanus sp., and Oncaea sp., which are non-indigenous to North America; one of the Harbour’s leading trading regions in the world. A three stage shore treatment combination process was therefore, proposed by the study for employment in the Harbour. The first stage involves filtration of the harbour’s sea water to remove the larger organisms, mainly zooplankton. It is followed by a stage of heating of the harbour’s water (\u3e38oC) to remove larger zooplanktons that have escaped the filtration process. The third stage shall involve the use of biocides-this entails the application of chemicals like ozone (which has a strong lethal effect on a lot of phytoplankton and bacteria). And finally, the treated sea water is pumped into the visiting ship as treated ballast water

Costs and benefits of LNG economic development in the Baltic and Arctic Regions

Global warming is becoming increasingly evident. However, rising temperatures also offer new economic opportunities, such as new maritime routes in previously ice-locked waters. Valuable minerals in the Arctic region are also becoming more accessible. Maritime stakeholders are therefore seeking to operate in this remote region safely and efficiently. Accommodating these developments from a regulatory standpoint, IMO has amended the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) to include Chapter 9 of Annex I, prohibiting the use of heavy-grade marine fuels as well as heavy-duty oils as cargo carriage in the seas beyond 60th parallel south. In addition, IMO recently adopted the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (PCD). This paper seeks to analyse the economic impact of the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative marine fuel to reduce exhaust emissions and the risk of oil spill in the Arctic habitats. The paper focuses on the macroeconomic benefits of using LNG in Arctic shipping, including those related to supply security, external health benefits and environmental impacts. The paper offers a cost benefit analyse and a set of recommendations in relation to the use of LNG in the Arctic shipping