Mid-February
2007
Table
of Contents:
Greek Section |
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New England Section |
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Mid-February
2007
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Greek
Section January 18, 2007 “Fuel Cells and Prospects of their Applications on Commercial Ships” On January 18, the Greek Section had its fourth technical meeting for the 2006-07 fiscal year. Prof. Christos Frangopoulos, of the National Technical University of Athens provided an excellent presentation on the title subject in front of 60 members and visitors. He pointed out that the continuously increasing cost of fuels, more stringent regulations on emission of pollutants often accompanied with economic measures, such as environmental taxes and port fees. This puts a pressure on the shipping industry to improvement and investigation of available and alternative technologies and fuels that could cover the energy needs of vessels (propulsion and other mechanical, electrical and thermal loads). Fuel cells and (the direct or indirect use of) hydrogen are strong candidates among the alternatives. The basic operating principle and the types of fuel cells were presented first, followed by a brief historical overview of their invention, development, and applications. The types of ships that have good prospects for application of fuel cells and the technically and economically feasible type of application (propulsion or electricity generation for loads other than propulsion) were pinpointed. The particular requirements in order for fuel cells to be applicable on ships were examined and compared to the specifications of the currently available fuel cells. Thus, conclusions were drawn regarding the effort required for the development of fuel cells and the necessary infrastructure that will make the applications of fuel cells in the marine environment feasible. Current research and development activity was described in brief, including European initiatives and programs and hints were given about how the future might look like and the active role that the shipping industry and, in particular, the shipping companies can play in the field. Many questions and answers followed this timely and informative presentation, followed with the traditional New Year’s Greek Vassilopita cut by the chairman Harilaos Psaraftis before the reception. SNAME Member, Andreas Spertos found the lucky coin, and was given the Greek Section’s commemorative gift.
New
England Section January 18, 2007 SNAME New England Section gathered in the Submarine Capital of the World, Groton, CT, at the Groton Inn and Suites for their January meeting. Our presenter, Mr. John Leadmon, is the Director of Submarine/Submersible Design and Systems Engineering Group for the Naval Sea Systems Command. He is responsible for the technical management and design oversight of the SSGN Conversions, SEAWOLF Class SSNs, USS JIMMY CARTER, VIRGINIA Class SSNs, TRIDENT Class SSBNs, ASDS, ADS, SRDRS, SUBSAFE technical requirements, Deep Submergence Systems Scope of Certification requirements as well as charting the future of research and development for advanced submarine designs including future SSBNs. As the Navy’s technical authority for submarines and submersibles, he is also responsible for the technical policy, standards, and tools used for submarine and submersible systems engineering and design, certification and validation of related technology and products, and stewardship of the Navy and commercial capabilities essential to submarines and submersibles. Mr. Leadmon gave an excellent presentation, covering the following : Submarine Acquisition Challenges, Requirements Development, Design Phases, Design Processes (People, Risk Management for Improved Reliability, Government Role, Technical Authority and Computer Aided Design), Modular Construction, Testing, and what the future of submarine design could look like. At the conclusion of his presentation, we presented Mr. Leadmon with a SNAME logo coffee mug.
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