A review of the potential of hydrogen carriers for zero-emission, low signature ship propulsion systems

Increasing pressure on the reduction or elimination of the use of fossil fuels in shipping requires the application
of new maritime fuel alternatives. Green and circular produced hydrogen as a maritime fuel in fuel cell
systems offers a great solution for these concerns. A fuel cell system has a zero emission performance, solid state
silent process cycle, graceful degradation and no single point of failure. From a naval perspective, these characteristics
very much support operational requirements like a silent propulsion and very low thermal and acoustic
signatures as well as the possibility of an air independent system. Storage of hydrogen, however, is an issue.
Traditional hydrogen storage in gas or liquefied aggregation has low volumetric density, low flame point, fire
and explosion risks and transport challenges. The aim of this literature review is to investigate several hydrogen
carriers and evaluate their characteristics on maritime and naval performance.