Marine Electric and Hybrid Power and Propulsion Systems

The course provides an understanding of marine electric power systems on ships and offshore platforms which is a prerequisite for engineering, design, analysis, and management of modern marine systems. It also provides the principle and application of hybrid power systems for electrification and hybridization of marine vessels towards improved efficiency, reduced harmful emissions, and increased reliability and autonomy.

The course covers the fundamental concepts related to the design and operation of onboard power systems such as AC and DC grid, electric power generation and control systems, power electronics converters for ships, electric propulsion and propulsion drives, batteries and energy storage systems, fuel cells, and power management systems (PMS/EMS). An insight will be given into industrial practice and industrial system solutions, class rules and regulations.

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

• explain the principle of electric propulsion, power electronic converters and systems for electric powertrain, variable speed drives, their characteristics, application and control.
• explain the principle of onboard electric power generation (engine-generator sets) and its control in terms of voltage and frequency regulation; model the dynamics of engine speed and electric frequency, model the dynamics of generator excitation system and generated voltage, and describe functions of the governor and automatic voltage regulator (AVR).
• describe the connection of a generator sets to a power distribution system and the synchronization of generators; explain the principle of load sharing for a marine power system with multiple generator sets; describe different load sharing methods and dynamic response of the generator sets to the load power changes and possible failures.
• define practical models for power system components, power converters and electric machines that can be used for the analysis and control of marine electrical power systems.
• explain the principle of onboard DC power systems, relevant power system topologies, DC power converters, and relevant control methods for DC grids.
• explain the principle of hybrid power systems and the energy storage systems (ESS) for marine applications such as batteries and supercapacitors; emerging clean energy sources such as hydrogen propulsion and fuel cells; their dynamic characteristics and integration into marine power systems.
• understand the principle of PMS, describe typical PMS architectures, main functions of PMS and protection schemes.
• understand and explain the main class rules and regulations, including important terms and concepts, applicable for marine electric power systems and ESS; explain alternative classification notations; describe relevant methods for verification and testing of different parts of the electric power system.
• design an electric distribution and electric propulsion drive for a typical marine vessel based on the specification, operational profile, and class rules.
• design a typical hybrid power system with gensets and ESS, design a PMS to ensure the load sharing between multiple power sources, and implement in a computer program/simulation.
• project work: write project reports with a clear and concise presentation of results, analyses, and conclusions.

Lectures, assignments, lab and project work. All lectures will be given in English.