An hybrid-electric solution for station-keeping and propulsion of a small coastal research vessel

In order to preserve the marine environment, especially in coastal areas and close to urban areas, the reduction of pollutant emissions is of primary importance. Even though traditionally not too much effort is given to propulsion system optimization, the necessity to ensure low pollutant emission level is a constraint that must be considered in small crafts design. Moreover, very often during the design of small crafts great attention is paid to achieving the desired performance only in terms of speed. In this paper, the design of a small craft conceived as a research vessel able to operate in coastal protected marine areas is presented. The particular operational profile requires the adoption both of a hybrid-electric propulsion system and a dedicated station-keeping system. Specifically, a suitable LVDC Integrated Power System has been used to ensure Zero Emission Mode both during navigation and station-keeping operational profiles.