As nuclear is already used on aircraft carriers, and with a major cargo ship not having a large crew including guests so it can be properly scrutinized and managed by engineers, why hasn’t this technology ever carried over for commercial operators?
Similarly for hydrogen, why (or are?) ship builders not trying to build hydrogen powered engines? Seeing the massive size of engines (and fuel) they have, could they make super-sized fuel cells and on-board synthesizing to no longer be reliant on gas?
In: Engineering
So you’ve gotten lots of answers about the nuclear side of your question. And I’d agree with the general theme.
Too expensive to build and operate. And lots of countries would not allow a civilian nuclear ship to dock limiting its usefulness.
For hydrogen the answer is interesting. Modern marine diesel engines can burn almost any compressed gas quite easily at engine loads exceeding 20%.
The issue is not an engine that can use it but how to store the gas on a ship. Liquid fuels like diesel and heavy fuel oil are easy they aren’t under pressure and we can store them in weirdly shaped tanks that make up part of the ship. And compressed gas needs a cylindrical tank and storing flammable gasses at the bottom of a ship is bad news.
Feel free to ask me any further questions here. I’ve been building and maintaining marine diesel engines for almost 20 years now and have done many installations.
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