Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Glas Ocean Electric (GOE) is a ship propulsion and Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) consulting company providing technical services and management in the MRE and ocean engineering sector. The Nova Scotia Community College's (NSCC) Applied Energy Research (AER) team is collaborating with GOE on the ""Diesel-Electric Boat Conversion and Data Analysis"" project to help provide coastal communities with clean energy by integrating Marine Electric Vessels (MEVs) with community energy systems. This research will use existing NSCC emissions testing equipment to support GOE in measuring Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) associated with a range of diesel vessels and hybrid electric vessels. In addition, the project will deploy a high-precision hydrophone to measure the magnitude of noise impacts in marine environments related to propulsion systems. Emissions and noise analysis will provide GOE with the necessary baseline data to design appropriate MEV electric propulsion technology to offer performance improvements over existing diesel-powered systems. GOE has developed proprietary in-vessel data collection technology which collects, stores, and communicates data for technical analysis and propulsion optimization. This 'black-box' technology allows GOE to identify key performance indicators for vessel design as well as novel methodologies for optimizing marine vessel operations, both of which offer important commercial opportunities. The NSCC research team will apply their experience with data-monitoring and communications systems to assist GOE in installing, configuring, and improving this novel technology. The resulting data will be used to inform propulsion design choices for the conversion of a near-shore diesel vessel. NSCC experience with grid-tied energy systems and bidirectional electric vehicles (EVs) will help GOE design for technical codes and safety standards. This project will allow GOE to proceed with experimental testing of their prototype MEV in a variety of marine travel routes and engine-loading regimes. The operational profile data collected will enable GOE to evaluate ideal markets for their technology such as fishing, tourism, and near-shore transportation.*