The Environmental Impact of Anaerobic Digestion for Methane Generation on Cruise Ships

Abstract

Many studies verify that fossil fuels are the main factor responsible for environmental challenges, including climate change. The combustion of fossil fuels produces a significant percentage of the greenhouse gases (GHG) that cover the Earth and trap solar heat. The transportation sector, especially the shipping industry, accounts for a large share of the world's rising energy consumption. This study emphasizes the IMO rules and technical approaches to create environmental sustainability in maritime operations. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is one of the main elements of maritime exhaust emissions. To respond to increased natural demands and environmental concerns, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) established restrictions to reduce NOx emissions. Methane can be utilized as an alternative fuel in a Methane-Diesel Dual Fuel Engine to reduce noxious emissions. Generating methane by onboard anaerobic digestion provides an additional energy source for ship operations. The current study shows that Organic wastes produced by cruise ships can contribute significantly to a more efficient ship energy system through anaerobic digestion. This study also focuses on the environmental effect of using methane as an alternative fuel to reduce the NOx emissions, performed by using the commercial software ANSYS to simulate and model the combustion process.