NAUTILUS Genset Assembly at German Aerospace Center (DLR)

After three months of commissioning, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) officially launched the NAUTILUS Genset demonstrator at its Stuttgart facility.

The NAUTILUS project represents a significant milestone in reducing emissions from maritime transport. Coordinated by DLR’s Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics and funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, NAUTILUS aims to provide a power solution for long-haul passenger ships. The system is designed to meet the energy requirements for propulsion, manoeuvring, and hotel amenities on cruise ships. This video summarises the entire commissioning process of the NAUTILUS Genset assembly.

Key features:

• The Genset integrates Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology with a Li-ion battery to handle load transient.
• The demonstrator includes an innovative propulsion system based on a 60-kW Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) paired with a 20-kW Li-ion battery, referred to as the Genset, along with an advanced emissions measurement facility.
• The NAUTILUS Genset serves as a functional demonstrator for testing a future scaled-up onboard energy system, which will require 5 to 60 MW of power depending on vessel size and type.
• It is designed to adapt to various ship types, accommodating capacities ranging from 1,000 to over 5,000 passengers. The system can meet a ship’s energy needs for propulsion, maneuvering, and hotel loads, up to full power while offering 30% of reduction in CO₂ and 95% reduction in non-CO₂ pollutants emissions.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 861647.

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