WP3 - Sustainable fishing boat

The WP3 – Sustainable fishing boat aims to the realization of five innovative systems to be installed on board fishing vessels in order to enhance the energy efficiency of boats.

A first activity concerned the analysis of fishing fleets at the regional and national level. This study has allowed to identify the type of fishing vessel that is better suited to the purposes of the project.

A second activity has been finalized to the study of a form of optimized hull that can influence directly the fuel consumption and improve the energy efficiency of the boat. Based on these preliminary studies, the activity was focused on the construction of the plants on board fishing vessels.

A first intervention regards the realization of a hybrid propulsion system offering advantages in terms of reduction of fuel consumption, as it allows to make work the heat engines in the points of maximum efficiency, entrusting the task, to the accumulation system, to meet the dynamic demands of the electric engine directly connected to the propeller.

Electric schematization of hybrid propulsion on a single propeller

The second intervention has the purpose of increase the efficiency of propulsion of a fishing vessel. Starting from an existing fishing vessel, the performance of the propulsion system in his state of fact have been analyzed. Following this first phase, the propulsion system of the fishing vessel will be re-designed considering the real operational profile.

The third intervention has as its main objective the development of new techniques for conservation of fish on board. An analysis of the best packaging technologies was carried out, performing tests on plastic films resistant to puncture; final objective is the realization of an automatic thermos-welder able to package the fish by means of a dual-technology based on the combination of a vacuum-skin with modified residual atmosphere.

The fourth intervention involves the development of an integrated system for the prevention and management of critical issues relating to safety of navigation and of the equipment of fishing vessels during the fishing trips.

The fifth intervention regards the realization of a refrigeration system for catch by waste heat recovery, composed by a section of the heat generation, an absorption machine of the type water/ammonia with the waste disposal system of the process heat, and a climatic chamber to simulate the cell to be refrigerated.

Layout of the refrigeration system of the fish catch