Evaluation Study on Integration of Comfort and Energy Efficiency Models in Cruise Ship

Abstract

In the design of cruise ships, it is necessary to make them have an excellent level of energy efficiency and at the same time provide tourists with a good comfort experience. Therefore, it is urgent to explore the balance between cruise comfort and energy efficiency. Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, a cruise comfort evaluation system was established combined with the “Cruise Leisure Design Index” issued by China Classification Society; according to the characteristics of cruise ships, a specific “Energy Efficiency Design Index” (EEDI) for cruise ships was proposed. From the perspective of a life cycle, the “Life Cycle Assessment” (LCA) was applied to the cruise design. Meanwhile, the EEDI-LCA cruise ship energy efficiency model was established, and the baseline fitting and comparative analysis were carried out. The combination weighting method combines comfort index and energy efficiency index to establish a cruise ship comfort and energy efficiency evaluation system. The model was verified with a 60,000-ton MSC Sinfonia cruise ship. The results show that the model can find a comparatively good balance between comfort and energy efficiency so that the cruise ship’s energy can be reduced without sacrificing comfort. The balance is a good guide on the selection of cruise design parameters.