Seasonal environmental assessment of PEMFC/BOP components in a ship hybrid propulsion system under Baltic Sea and North Sea conditions

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the impact of the marine environment on selected components of a ship hybrid propulsion system, including the PEMFC/BOP section (auxiliary equipment), structural elements and mountings. The analysis was carried out for Baltic Sea conditions, with four seasons, two exposure levels and North Sea reference scenarios with high chloride deposition. Four mutually complementary assessment areas were considered: thermal-moisture, corrosion, electrochemical and dynamic effects. The thermal-moisture part was described using a heat balance and the dew point. Corrosion effects were determined from chloride deposition S_d and the ISO 9223 dose-response function. The PEM electrochemical part was represented using the Springer relations and the Tafel equation, whereas the dynamic part was described using the JONSWAP spectrum, the RAO operator and the rms acceleration a_rms. The scenarios were compared using the proposed decision metric R*. The results indicate that the total environmental load results from the simultaneous influence of condensation, corrosion, electrochemical loading and dynamics, with individual mechanisms dominating under different operating conditions. In particular, two main sources of risk were separated: a humid-salt environment, which intensifies corrosion processes, and dry conditions, which reduce membrane hydration and increase the electrochemical load of the FC section. The study also shows that suitably selected protective measures and changes in system configuration can significantly reduce the overall environmental impact in terms of corrosion as well as dynamic and electrochemical loads. The proposed approach may be used as a preliminary environmental qualification tool and as a basis for planning further validation tests.