Philip Smith /Chris Broadbent / Andrew Tate
Defence Science & Technology Laboratory [dstl] - MOD
November / December 2012
Vessel Efficiency Competition
Military vessel efficiencyRoyal Navy/ Royal Fleet Auxiliary Perspective
9 April 2023
© Crown Copyright 2012 Dstl UK UNCLASSIFIEDDSTL/CP64839
Published with the permission of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Controller of HMSO
Why are we involved in this call?• 2.4% of UK Defence spending is on energy
& fuel (2010)– £628M - Equipment energy (Move)– £318M - Utility Energy (Fixed)
• If ‘business as usual’ maintained - worst case projection for proportion of the budget spent on fuel increases to:
– 2015: 3.9%– 2020: 7.0%
At what point does this impact on the delivery of military objectives?
• Hence; RN/RFA target to reduce fossil fuel use by 18% by 2020
9 April 2023
© Crown Copyright 2012 Dstl UK UNCLASSIFIEDDSTL/CP64839
Published with the permission of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Controller of HMSO
• Cost – increase of 1p per litre of fuel adds ~£13M to equipment energy bill
• Delivery to front line user – The cost of fuel at point of use must include transport costs, supply fleet, personnel and protection
• Operational effectiveness – decreasing fuel use impacts on ability to deliver expeditionary capability – reduce logistics ‘tail’
[deeper, further, quicker]
Drivers for MOD to use less energy
9 April 2023
© Crown Copyright 2012 Dstl UK UNCLASSIFIEDDSTL/CP64839
Published with the permission of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Controller of HMSO
• External pressures include:
– Open market fuel price
– HMG emission reduction commitments
– HMG’s desire to meet ever expanding environmental regulations (e.g. IMO tier III)
– Maintaining interoperability (e.g. with US Navy bio-fuels)
Key RN/RFA efficiency issuesMaintain military capability despite sustainability pressures:
• Potential impacts to energy availability & operational access
9 April 2023
© Crown Copyright 2012 Dstl UK UNCLASSIFIEDDSTL/CP64839
Published with the permission of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Controller of HMSO
Key RN/RFA efficiency issuesEfficiency improvements critical:
• RN targeted to reduce fossil fuel use by 18% by 2020
• RN/RFA specific challenges include:
– Introduction of larger platforms
– Extended use of energy intensive systems
– New operational areas – Arctic?
– Negative impact of some regulatory compliance technologies on efficiency
MOD must be able to maintain operations against the backdrop of external economic & geopolitical pressures
9 April 2023
© Crown Copyright 2012 Dstl UK UNCLASSIFIEDDSTL/CP64839
Published with the permission of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Controller of HMSO
Fleet composition already ‘set’ out to ~ 2050:• Classes in design & coming into service – Limited opportunity to exploit
whole ship solutions in near to mid term
• Looking for solutions capable of being integrated & exploited in current & near future platforms – retrofits; bolt-on; etc
• Larger ships offer biggest gains – but benefits in UXV’s, boats & subs
Key RN/RFA exploitation issues
Type 45Type 23 Queen Elizabeth Class
MARS
Designs fixed
Type 26 & UXVs/Small boats
MHPC
More flexibility
Future subs
9 April 2023
© Crown Copyright 2012 Dstl UK UNCLASSIFIEDDSTL/CP64839
Published with the permission of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Controller of HMSO
RN/RFA efficiency challengesAreas of focus• Efficiency gains should result in no impact to military capability • Thermal management
– More complex ships and modern weapons/sensors driving up ‘wild heat’– Reducing heat losses; transferring heat more efficiently & utilising waste heat– Thermal losses also impact areas such as signatures, crew effectiveness etc
• Minimising impact of emissions (& other) regulations– I.e. negating the negative impacts on weight, volume & efficiency of devices
such as Selective Catalytic Reduction
• Management & control of on-board energy use – Control software, sensors, advanced navigation & route planning tools etc.– Tools & Advice – i.e. helping the crews to lower energy use
• Weight saving• Drag reduction (‘Add-on’ hydrodynamics devices etc)
9 April 2023
© Crown Copyright 2012 Dstl UK UNCLASSIFIEDDSTL/CP64839
Published with the permission of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Controller of HMSO
MOD energy efficiency initiativesFunding in maritime energy efficiency split & constrained:
• Fundamental research; Low TRL; conceptual; studies – Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE)
– MOD (DSTL) Maritime Resilience programme
A gap in transitioning technology from concept to exploitation? This call is, therefore, a significant element of MOD funding in the area of
energy efficiency
• High TRL; adaption of COTs; Full-scale demo; exploitation– DE&S - Marine systems development in PTG
– DE&S - Ship projects e.g. T-26 IMO Tier III compliance & sustainable build; MARS energy efficiency assessment
• Green Ship Capability Planning Working Group (CPWG) – ‘glue’ between areas & industry
RN/RFA is a military force
The vessels are built of derivatives from civil / marine equipment - 99% of their time they will
operate like a civilian ship.
However; when needed they are expected to operate in a hostile military environment, and their crews lives depend on their survivability.
9 April 2023
© Crown Copyright 2012 Dstl UK UNCLASSIFIEDDSTL/CP64839
Published with the permission of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on behalf of the Controller of HMSO
Key Messages
• RN/RFA is a military force - Improved vessel efficiency enables the RN/RFA to maintain capabilities despite energy/cost challenges
• Key points - military energy efficiency improvements
– Targets 20% reduction in fossil fuels by 2020
– Costs 1p per Litre = £13M in MOD costs
– Exploitation Ideas must be exploitable in current platforms
– Interest Transitioning technologies, not studies
Vessel Efficiency Competition
Military vessel efficiencyRoyal Navy/ Royal Fleet Auxiliary Perspective
https://connect.innovate.org/web/vessel-efficiency
Thank you for your attention – We welcome any further questions?