Electric Propulsion

ELECTRIC PROPULSION IS SELECTED IN MANY SHIPS

WHICH USED TO HAVE MECHANICAL PROPULSION!
Typical DE vessels have been icebreakers, seismic exploration
vessels, shuttle tankers, cable ships, pipe layers, cruise liners
BENEFITS

Higher freedom in location of main generator units

Diesel engine load can be kept in the optimum range

Suitable for ships with high auxiliary power demand; great variation in
both propulsion and auxiliary power

Electric pod propulsion is an option

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Electric Propulsion Features

All energy is generated into by 2 6 main diesel alternators
(power plant principle). No auxiliary engines
Propeller driven by reversible electric motor. Number of motor
poles (or pole pairs) gives suitable speed reduction.
Because frequency control, fixed pitch propellers are sufficient.
Alternative converter designs:
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation),
LCI (Load Commutated Inverter) = Synchroconverter,
Cycloconverter
All suitable for up to 20 MW propulsion motor. Technical
differences, selection is made case by case.

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Electric Propulsion Economic Comparison

8 11 % transmission loss compared with 2 % reduction gear
loss => higher fuel consumption, maybe also higher installed
power
This often leads to higher ship size and building cost
When main & auxiliary engines are integrated, power reserves
can be reduced. This limits the ship size and cost increase
Pod propulsion often has higher efficiency than shaftline
solution. Propeller position is hydrodynamically optimal
Freedom in generator unit location is often important
Larger diesel engines have lower consumption, when they
operate at optimal speed and power
Optimal speed and power: lower exhaust gas emissions
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Comparison of Torque Performance

Frequency controlled electric motor can deliver high torque
at low speed.
Fixed pitch propeller suitable for widely varying conditions.
Reversing and start from shaft standstill is easy.
Important for dredgers, icebreakers and similar.

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Comparison of Torque Performance

Torque
Constant power

Propeller curve
in freesailing

100 %

Diesel engine
mechanical drive

100 %
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Rev. speed

Comparison of Torque Performance

Torque
Short duration
overtorque, 170%
for 30 seconds in
icebreaker Healy

Typical performance of
frequency converter drive
Propeller curve
in pollard pull

100 %

in freesailing

Ice impact torque

on propeller

Diesel engine
mechanical drive

100 %
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Rev. speed

Electric Propulsion Components

Main diesel
generator sets
Divided main
switchboard 3.3 kV
Large electric
motors:
bow thrusters,
AC compressors

Frequency
converters
(some types
need separate
transformers)

Transformer

Some motors
need low voltage
excitation

Low voltage
switchboard 440 V
Feeding of low voltage
consumers
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Propulsion motors

MS Fantasy

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MS Fantasy Engine room detail

Oil fired boiler

8ZA40S engines

Lub oil purifiers

Machinery auxiliaries

12ZA40S
engines

Stabilizers

A60 fire
bulkhead

Sea chest
Fuel oil
purifiers

CL

WT bulkhead

HFO day
& settling
tanks

Evaporators Central coolers

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Sea water main line

System Components - Generators

=

AC generation AC distribution
Synchonus Machines

Brushless, Excitation controlled by AVR

Unless otherwise specified:
Terminal voltage : +/- 2.5 %
Largest transient load variation : - 15 % or + 20 % of Nominal Voltage
Some common voltage levels (Medium, Low) - (various standards IEC, IEEE, ANSI etc)
11KV

6.6KV

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3.3KV

690V

450V

230V /
120V

System Components Switchboards

According to rules for electric propulsion,
redundancy is required.
i.e. tolerance to failure against short circuit
(also fire and flood could be considered)
Normally distributed in 2, 3 or 4 compartments,
depending on redundancy requirements and
costs.
Installed power affects normal current and short
circuit currents. Physical limitations on handling
thermal and mechanical stresses in busbars,
and swicthgear.
Various circuit breakers: air, vacuum, gas filled.
Vacuum breakers may chop current and cause
spikes when breaking inductive load.
Overvoltage protection maybe necessary.
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System Components Transformers

Physically isolate current flow to obtain different
voltage levels and / or phase shift.
Phase shifting can be used to feed frequency
converters
Example: reducing the injection of distorted
currents into el. Network by Canceling the
most dominant harmonic currents.
Delta or star connections possible

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System Components Propulsion Motors

Synchronous Motors
(examples: Mermaid: 5 -25 MW, Azipods 5 ~ 30MW)
Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors
(example: Compact Azipod 400 kW 5 MW, Siemens Shottel
SSP)
Variable speed motors, double windings for continous
operation, cooling by air, water
Asynchronous motors are competetive below 5 MW
DC motors were popular in early days and sometimes even
considered today.

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System Components Propulsion Motors

Some examples configurations

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Drives & Control

VSI (voltage source invertor) type converters (with PWM , DTC)
CSI (current source invertors) type converters (other names LCI, Synchro)
Cyclo - cycloconverters (dominant in marine applications)
others (CSI with PWM, VSI with PAM, limited application)

Fixed
Frequency ,
Voltage AC

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Variable
Frequency,
voltage AC

converter

DC link typical for VSI and CSI

System Overview - Cycloconverter

Cycloconverter consists of 3 thyristor bridges, supplied from propulsion switchboard. Bridges are needed to feed positive and negative current into winding
Basic arrangement for has 36 switching devices (thyristors)
More commonly a propulsion motor has 2 sets of 3-phase windings, each with
its own network of 36 devices
Cycloconverter constructs the output voltage wave-form from sampled
portions of the supply wave-form. Both 6 pulse and 12 pulse systems possible.

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System Overview - CSI (synchro, LCI)

Thyristor controlled rectifier feeds DC link. Invertor side is fed by motor resulting
in increased dimensions of motor.
By controlling the switching of thyristor pairs, controlled current at variable
frequency is applied sequentially to the motor windings.
At low speeds (5-10 % of rated) EMF too low to perform natural commutation.

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MS Fantasy at KMY Helsinki Yard

When all 6
main diesel
generators
have been
installed,
assembly of
outfitted hull
sections can
be continued

One of the 14 MW synchronous motors installed

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sisters MS Fantasy, MS Elation

[a]

New

Modified

Changed

6 * W12V38 instead of 4 * 12ZAV40S & 2 * 8ZAL40S

[b]
2 Azipod units instead of
conventional long shaftlines, rudders, electric motors
[a] required more design work hours than [b]
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Combined Electric Gas and Steam Turbine Plant

GTS Millenium was 1st, 2 * 25 MW + 9 MW
Problems met, related to design errors
Economic balance is labile:
heat for fresh water generation and
gas turbine loading are decisive!
Permanent setback is fuel price and
possibly maintenance costs
LM2500+ and similar gas turbines
are too big units: seldom optimal load!

Waste heat
recovery
LM2500+

LM2500+
Steam turbine

Electric plant

Low turbine weight allows optimal location;

but ship stability needs concern
Small space demand. Air supply ducts,
exhaust pipe duct smaller than in diesel electric ship
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G G

GTS Millenium 2 * 25 MW + 9 MW

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General Comparison of Machinery Alternatives

Numerical example for 40.000 GRT 1400 pax. cruise liner, 2 * 7.5 MW.
Electric variant has 14 extra cabins => added income 1.330.000 USD/a...
loses 45.000 USD/a as diesel engine fuel, saves 41.000 as heating fuel,
saves 20.000 as machinery maintenance. Total savings 15.000 USD/a
= > Electric propulsion investment is paid back in 2.2 years!
Equipment

Main engines, mounting

Electric propulsion pack
FPP
Reduction gear, coupl.
CPP plant
Shaft bearings sets
Aux. diesel generators
Aux. engine auxiliaries
Main switchboard
TOTAL
Difference
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Electric
propulsion
pcs. Cost USD
5
6.200.000
1
6.700.000
2
750.000
2
320.000
170.000
14.140.000
3.310.000

Geared
propulsion
pcs. Cost USD
4
4.400.000
2
1.400.000
2
1.200.000
2
40.000
4
3.800.000
590.000
400.000
11.830.000

General Comparison of Machinery Alternatives

Case: 105.000 TDW icebreaking Aframax tanker
Loa 252m, breadth 42m, draft 14.5m, trial speed 15.7 kn

Ice covered
4 months /a
19h
loading

19h discharging
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82h loaded
76h ballast

General Comparison of Machinery Alternatives

A
ME 14900kW
AE 4320kW

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B
18900kW
720kW

C
14070kW
4320kW

D
16800kW
2880kW

General Comparison of Machinery Alternatives

A
Steam cargo pumps
< >11700kW fuel

Electric cargo pumps, nominal load 2640 kW

< > 5500kW fuel

7RTflex58 3x6L46C
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7L64

2x8L46C

Investment Costs Comparison (1000 USD)

A
ME
ME Aux.
Prop.plant
El. Plant
Cargo plnt
Boilers
Hull cost
Total

3.190
610
1.240
1.250
800
1.110
refer.
7.990

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B
4.340
737
820
4.970
500
650
0
12.010

C
3.380
550
1.970
1.560
500
1.120
0
8.980

D
3.690
660
3.060
1.370
500
1.130
50
10.460

Annual Fuel Oil, LO and Maintenance Costs (1000 USD)

A
ME fuel
1.880
AE fuel
250
Boiler fuel
660
Lub Oil
90
Maint.
100
OPER
2.990

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2.380
0
410
50
220
3.060

1.890
300
440
50
180
2.860

2.010
70
440
50
180
2.740

Total Annual Costs (1000 USD, 25 years, 8 % interest)

A
OPERAT
CAPITAL

2.990
Ref.

TOTAL

Ref.

3.060
360

2.860
90

2.740
230

470

-40

-20

Here negative values indicate better performance!

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