Development of a spectrum-based ship fuel sulfur content real-time evaluation method

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Marine Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Maritime transport is crucial for global trade but contributes to environmental pollution, particularly from high-sulfur fuels.
• Current ship emission monitoring relies on manual inspections, which are inefficient and labor-intensive.
• Accurate measurement of ship fuel sulfur content is vital for environmental regulation and compliance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an efficient and accurate decision framework for measuring ship fuel sulfur content.
• To enhance the accuracy and detection rate of ship emission monitoring using spectrum technology.
• To provide a reliable supervision tool for maritime authorities.

Main Methods:

• Developed a decision framework integrating spectrum technology and the sulfur-carbon ratio method.
• Optimized the Gaussian plume model from four key aspects.
• Implemented a multistep-based emission contribution evaluation method to enhance accuracy.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework demonstrated improved detection rates and evaluation accuracy.
• Validation using real-world data from ships in Nanjing, China, confirmed the framework's effectiveness.
• The system showed enhancements in extensibility for broader application.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework offers an efficient and accurate method for measuring ship fuel sulfur content.
• This approach can significantly improve the supervision capabilities of maritime authorities.
• The study contributes to more effective environmental monitoring in maritime transport.