Ship-shape hydrogen power for Inventor of the Month
Published Mon 2 Nov 2009
Autodesk Inventor key to development of hydrogen-powered vessel.
An on-board hydrogen energy system for one of Iceland’s largest whale-watching vessels, that enables it to generate the electricity on board with clean, sustainable energy rather than oil, is the winner of Inventor of the Month for October.
While most shipping vessels are propelled exclusively by oil, the Elding, a 130-ton, 150-passenger ship. Since hydrogen can be made from water alone — and water vapour is its only by-product when burned — hydrogen fuel cells represent a more environmentally friendly option than traditional combustion engines.
“Inventor software was invaluable for testing the strength of the various parts to make sure that they could safely withstand the pressure that would be put on them,” said Hallmar Halldors, chief executive officer of Icelandic Hydrogen. “Digital Prototyping enabled us to fine-tune an accurate 3D model of the energy system before incurring any production costs and without compromising the safety of those involved in the project or on board the ship.”
Icelandic Hydrogen also used AutoCAD Electrical software to create piping and instrumentation diagrams for the hydrogen system, seamlessly switching to Autodesk Inventor software to visualize and analyze the storage tanks, enclosures, tubing and other components.
Iceland are currently exploring the possibilities of converting its entire transport system to hydrogen by 2050 and having an economy run only on locally sourced renewable energy.
