UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub

The project brings together a multidisciplinary team from 13 Universities as well as multiple industrial partners to address research challenges in the maritime sector in readiness for the future.

The University of Brighton's part in this consortium focuses on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2030, 2040 and 2050 carbon emission targets. To achieve 2030 target of 40% greenhouse gases (GHG) emission reduction, our research investigates on onboard duel-fuelling system retrofit with steam reforming to produce H2 and syngas fumigation.
The 2040 target works are focused on monofuel direct injection H2 engine optimisation. Specifically, understanding the role of Turbulence Kinetic Energy (TKE) in improving air-fuel mixing and how it affects combustion quality and NOx production.

Combustion simulations are underway to investigate combustion characteristics of different injection cases and shall be validated with experimental works using Ricardo Proteus P300.

This project brings together researchers from 13 universities and a range of industry partners to help prepare the maritime industry for the future. The aim is to tackle key challenges around making ships cleaner, more efficient, and compliant with upcoming international environmental rules.
The University of Brighton’s role focuses on helping the shipping industry meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2030, 2040, and 2050.

For the 2030 target, which requires ships to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40%, our research looks at how existing ship engines could be retrofitted rather than replaced. We are studying onboard systems that can use two fuels at once, including producing hydrogen on the ship itself from other fuels. This hydrogen, mixed with another clean fuel gas, can then be fed into the engine to reduce overall emissions without needing completely new engines.

Looking ahead to 2040, the work shifts towards engines that run on hydrogen alone. Our research focuses on improving how hydrogen mixes with air inside the engine, which is crucial for clean and efficient burning. We are particularly interested in how air movement and turbulence inside the engine can improve combustion while also limiting harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx).
To support this work, we are using computer simulations to study how hydrogen burns under different conditions. These simulations are then checked against real engine tests carried out on a specialist research engine, ensuring the results are accurate and practical for real‑world shipping applications.

With respect to onboard duel-fuelling system retrofit with steam reforming to produce H2 and syngas fumigation. Our results show CO2 reductions of up to 45% is achievable with 9% H2 fumigation, with NOx reductions up to 75% - 80%. For 2040 target using hydrogen our software simulations show injection timing plays an important role in localised fuel mass distribution close to Top Dead Centre within the cylinder, and fuel injection at maximum TKE showed more homogeneity compared to earlier injection.