ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MARITIME STUDIES

Pasay City
INTRODUCTION

Marine propulsion refers to the methods of propelling ships through the water. We have come
a long way since we first started exploring the seas through paddles and oars. Today, we have
many different types of propulsion systems.

Ship propulsion system

A marine propulsion system refers to the technology that propels any water-borne craft on the
water. All marine propulsion systems work on Newton’s third law of motion whereby any force
applied by one object to a second object results in an equal reaction force being applied on
the first object.
In the case of marine propulsion, the propulsion device applies a force on either the
surrounding water or air to create a reaction force on the craft and push it in the required
direction.
This can be seen in the case of propellers that push the water aft (or forward) and are
subjected to an equal force in the forward (or aft) direction. If this force is large enough, it
moves the craft on the water. The same is true for hovercraft fans or wind sails where the
forces are applied to the surrounding air.

Different types of Marine Propulsion System

Steam propulsion systems. Steam propulsion systems use steam turbines as prime movers.
The steam expands over turbines rotating them in the process. The turbines may then either
power the propeller directly through reduction gears (direct propulsion) or power electric
generators that power the propeller motors (turboelectric).
With the advances in marine diesel engine technology, the use of steam turbine ships has
reduced significantly in the past few decades. Further improvement in the steam turbine
engine efficiency has not made it completely obsolete though. Even today, steam vessels are
entering the market as LNG carriers, supertankers, ice breakers, cruise ships, and naval
vessels.

Diesel engines. Diesel engines are the most commonly used type of propulsion system today.
They are used as main as well as auxiliary engines and work far more efficiently than their
steam turbine counterparts. In this propulsion system, diesel engines power crankshafts that
connect directly or through reduction gears to the propeller. Diesel engines are among the
most versatile propulsion systems. They can power small outboard motors as well as large
engines.

Diesel-Electric propulsion systems. In a diesel-electric propulsion system, a diesel engine

powers electric generators that power the propeller motors. Multiple diesel engines generate
and supply electricity to the propulsion components. These components typically work on the
principle of speed-controlled AC motors and drive the propeller either directly or through
reduction gears. Diesel-electric propulsion systems find use in a wide range of vessels. Their
applications include mega yachts, research vessels, offshore vessels, heavy-lift jack-up
vessels, passenger ferries, cable-laying vessels and cruise liners.

Wind propulsion systems. Before steam propulsion, we had sails. Sails were made of fabrics
that extended over a mast to catch the wind and propel boats of varying sizes. From small
recreational vessels to large galleys, wind propulsion systems were the motive force behind
many of our navigational discoveries. As we shifted to more dependable propulsion systems
 ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MARITIME STUDIES
Pasay City
for commercial shipping, the use of wind energy in ship design took a back seat. However,
today, the wind has become predictable besides being powerful and abundant. Presently,
wind propulsion is common in sailing yachts and sailing boats. When we talk about large
vessels, wind-powered vessels are not common at all. However, many shipping companies
are taking the first step in wind-powered commercial shipping.

Nuclear propulsion systems. Nuclear-powered vessels work the same way as steam
turbine-driven vessels except that the heat for the steam generation comes from a nuclear
reactor. The steam is then passed through the main steam turbine and/or turbogenerator for
propulsion and power generation purposes. These propulsion systems provide reduced fuel
costs and superior performance. Despite the lower fuel cost, nuclear-powered vessels can be
up to 50% faster than fossil-fuel ships. Nuclear-powered vessels are commonly used in the
navy for warships, submarines, and aircraft carriers. They are also used in icebreakers. But
the commercial advantages such as faster vessels and reduced fuel costs have renewed
merchant ship owners’ interests in nuclear-powered crafts.

Gas turbine propulsion systems. Gas turbines work on the same principle as steam
turbines. The chosen fluid first enters the compressor where it is compressed and sent to the
next stage i.e., the combuster. In the combuster, the high-pressure air is mixed with fuel and
subsequently ignited. This adds a large amount of heat energy into the fluid which is then sent
through a turbine. The turbine absorbs enough energy to power the compressor and releases
the remainder gas at high pressure and high velocity into the exhaust. The exhaust causes
the gas to pass through a nozzle. This further accelerates the gas and causes it to leave the
engine at an even higher velocity. The leaving exhaust applies an equal and opposite force
on the system following Newton’s third law. This force is enough to give the system and the
craft a forward thrust. Gas turbines have been primarily used in the aerospace industry. Marine
gas turbines, on the other hand, haven’t been as popular because of disadvantages such as
high initial cost and high fuel consumption. Another disadvantage is the inability of a marine
gas turbine to generate power from the cheaper but dirtier heavy fuel oil. But changing
conditions such as reduced oil prices and profitability in specific markets have caused the ship
owners to reconsider the use of marine gas turbines as ship propulsion systems. In shipping,
the militaries and the navies have been the primary employers of marine gas turbines for many
decades. But recently fast ferries have been employing marine gas turbines because of
advantages such as a high power/weight ratio.

Fuel cell propulsion systems. Fuel cells generate electricity using an electrochemical
reaction. There is no combustion. The main fuel is hydrogen, and the waste products consist
only of oxygen, heat, and water. This makes fuel cells a very good choice from a sustainability
perspective. In a fuel cell, the hydrogen is supplied by the fuel tank to the anode in the
electrochemical reaction. The atmospheric air reaches the cathode. At the anode, a catalyst
separates the hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons, each of which takes a different
path to the cathode. The electrons travel through an external circuit. Fuel cells in marine
propulsion are scaling new frontiers. A wide range of vessels are being developed with this
technology. Among these are research vessels, river vessels and push boats.

Solar propulsion. Solar propulsion has indeed become a reality in the past few years. In
many vessels, marine-grade solar panels are being fitted to provide supplementary propulsive
and electrical power. This means that solar-powered vessels also have alternate means of
propulsion, typically a diesel engine for days when the solar energy is not enough. Solar-
powered vessels have components such as solar panels, battery packs, MPPT charge
controllers, and a computer management and monitoring system. As with other solar-powered
systems, the energy accumulated from the solar panels is stored in batteries and used as
 ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MARITIME STUDIES
Pasay City
needed to power the vessel. These systems can be fit on vessel types such as oil tankers,
bulk carriers, car carriers, cruise ships, recreational vessels, passenger ferries, riverboats, and
coastal cargo vessels.

Biodiesel fuel propulsion. Biodiesel fuels such as FAME (fatty acid methyl aster), BTL
(biomass to liquid), and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oils) can power marine engines when
blended with marine diesel oil. These fuels are fully renewable and almost 100% carbon
neutral. Their handling, transport and storage are also quite simple. These fuels are gaining
ground in commercial shipping for several reasons, not the least among which is the IMO’s
initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Biodiesels generally have lower sulphur
content allowing them to meet IMO’s criteria. But meeting NOx limits can be a problem due to
the high oxygen content in biodiesels. When it comes to shipping applications, biodiesels are
seen in tankers, container vessels, car carriers, bulk carriers, and dredgers.

Waterjet propulsion. Water jet propulsion uses a high-pressure water jet to propel forward in
the water. As the jet leaves the vessel at a high velocity, it exerts an equal but opposite force
on the vessel and pushes it in the forward direction. The water used in the water jet propulsion
system is sourced from the surrounding seawater itself. There are many different means to
create a water jet, the simplest of which is to use a pump powered by electricity to pressurise
the water. The water jet system also has other components such as a stator, suction duct,
nozzle, etc. Bigger vessels may fit a propeller in the duct to create the water jet. At the present
moment, a water jet system cannot create enough power for large vessels such as oil tankers
and bulk carriers. However, it can propel smaller vessels such as naval ships, tugs, trawlers
and recreational vessels at very high speeds.

Gas fuel propulsion. Gas fuel propulsion systems use LNG to power ships in addition to
heavy fuel oil and diesel oil. As a result, these engines are also known as tri-fuel engines. LNG
offers various benefits such as low CO2, SOx, NOx and particulate matter emissions. It is an
excellent bridging fuel for the transition towards zero carbon emissions. Moreover, LNG is
becoming more readily available globally. However, issues such as methane slip still need
improvement. Methane slip is when unburned packets of methane in the combustion chamber
get released into the atmosphere. As methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas
compared to carbon dioxide, swapping fuel oils with LNG could actually exacerbate the climate
crisis instead of restricting it. Currently, LNG-powered engines are in use on LNG carriers,
container vessels, cruise ships, RORO ferries, bulk carriers, supply vessels, drillships,
dredgers, and tugboats.

Human-powered propulsion systems. While we are discussing propulsion systems, let’s

not forget the oldest means of propulsion for a complete picture. Before steam engines took
over, human muscle propelled all types of ships on the water. Most were assisted by windsails
but in the absence of winds, humans powered these vessels through equipment such as
paddles, oars, and so on. From fishing vessels to war galleys, human-powered vessels were
capable of a wide range of operations. Today as well, we can see human-powered vessels in
commercial shipping as well as in recreation. Examples of human-powered oared crafts today
are racing shells, dinghies, skiffs, rowboats, sculls, gondolas and so on. We also have paddle
crafts such as canoes and kayaks. Many pedal crafts are also in use.