Containerized compressed natural gas shipping

Abstract

In the last decades, the demand for energy is increasing. It is necessary to develop new ways to distribute the energy using economically feasible solutions. In this project an Ultra Large Container Ship is used that can carry more than 12,000 TEUs. Inside each TEU, four cylinders are installed that can store compressed natural gas at 250 bar. Two types of cylinders are tested: cylinders made of steel and cylinders made of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber cylinders were chosen because they are lighter. In addition, two types of compressors are used: centrifugal and reciprocating compressors. Centrifugal compressors are used to increase the initial pressure from 10 bar to 50 bar. Reciprocating compressors are used to increase the pressure from 50 bar to 250 bar. A model is developed using thermodynamics and MATLAB, in order to determine the total power required for a compressor to fill the entire vessel in one or more days. Furthermore, by using valuation metrics, a model is created to find the value of the project and to generate sensitivity analyses. It is concluded that leasing the ships is more profitable than buying them.