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Helmholtz Centre Hereon: Research Vessel with Special Propulsion System

The research vessel Coriolis is to be handed over to the Helmholtz Center Hereon in 2024 and will combine coastal, material, membrane, and hydrogen research. The data will be available in real-time – thanks to the digitalization concept.

3D animation of the Coriolis. Due to its dimensions, the ship can be used in rivers as well as in the North and Baltic Seas. A laboratory for hydrogen research is also planned. (Graphic: Hereon/ Hitzler Werft)
3D animation of the Coriolis. Due to its dimensions, the ship can be used in rivers as well as in the North and Baltic Seas. A laboratory for hydrogen research is also planned. (Graphic: Hereon/ Hitzler Werft)
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von Anna Barbara Brüggmann

In 1983, a ship named Ludwig Prandtl was built, which served coastal research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon for many years. But now the end of its service life is approaching, and it is time for a successor.

For this purpose, the construction of the Coriolis was commissioned, with the keel laying taking place in March 2023. The ship is being built by the Hitzler Werft in Lauenburg, with handover to Hereon planned for 2024. About 13.5 million euros were reportedly approved for this purpose by the Bundestag's budget committee in 2020.

Outer and inner values

Due to its dimensions – a length of nearly 30 meters, a width of 8 meters, and a draft of 1.6 meters – the Coriolis is intended to be used both in rivers and in the North and Baltic Seas.

Aboard the ship: an area of 47 square meters is planned to house a wet and dry, or E-laboratory, as well as a lab for hydrogen research.

The wet laboratory will be equipped with a hydrograph shaft and an ultra-pure seawater system for trace analysis, according to reports. Additionally, special systems for flow measurement (echo sounder and ADCP) will be part of the equipment.

Further physical, chemical, and biological parameters, such as oxygen concentration, salinity, temperature, or pH value, will be measured by the integrated FerryBox – both during voyages and in port.

All this data can then be retrieved and shared in real time thanks to a sophisticated digitalization concept, according to Hereon. Thus, the data will be available live for research stations and other research institutions.

The ship is intended to have a crew of three, as well as accommodate twelve scientists on board – with a maximum speed of twelve knots.

“The special combination on board the future Coriolis of digitized environmental research and technology development for enhanced climate protection fully aligns with the core mission and strengths of our center,” said Prof. Dr. Matthias Rehahn, scientific director of Hereon.

Special Drive System

And the drive system? An electric motor that can be powered either by diesel, via a battery, or directly by hydrogen. The hydrogen could be stored in the future in the form of space-saving metal hydrides. This would allow the Coriolis to be "refueled" with up to 30 kilograms of hydrogen.

The scientific team's plan includes, among other things, testing the hydrogen drive during the voyage on board. The ship would then be completely emission-free on the water during these phases.

Additionally, a special membrane for the diesel engine was developed by Hereon researchers, which separates nitrogen oxides from the combustion air and thereby minimizes the resulting emissions.

"Shipping has been driven by change and innovation for centuries. The new construction of the research vessel Coriolis once again highlights the innovative nature of our industry. We are proud to contribute to the research of novel drive concepts and thus to the future of shipbuilding," explains Marek Klimenko, Managing Director of Hitzler Werft.

Research Project

The goal: The interdisciplinary research on board in combination with the digitalization concept is intended to serve as an innovation platform for greener shipping. And with the testing of the hydrogen drive, it is also hoped to obtain important data and empirical values for new, more environmentally friendly propulsion options.

Translated automatically from German.
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