Plantas

Propulsoras
Navales

Curso 2018
Clase 16: Propulsión Eléctrica
Ing. Eduardo Vázquez
 Significant - Features

• Electric propulsion drives offer a number of important advantages

that have the potential of outweighing the inherently higher first cost,
increased weight and space, and the higher transmission losses of
such systems, when compared with other conventional types of
propulsion drive alternatives.
• The electrical connection between the generator and the propulsion
motor provides a freedom of arrangement not offered in a
mechanical drive system.
• Power requirements can be met by one or more generating sets that
are located in compliance with space restrictions, or to alleviate
weight and stability problems.
• Combinations of different types of prime movers such as diesels,
gas turbines, and steam turbines are easily accommodated once
their mechanical output has been converted to the common
denominator of electric power.
• For unidirectional prime movers, an electric drive has the inherent
ability to provide the required reverse rotation of the propeller by
relatively simple control means.
 Significant - Features

• In cases where the development of the desired propeller power

requires the use of multiple prime movers, a typical situation in
medium and high-speed diesel drives, an electric-drive provides a
convenient means of coupling several units to the propeller without
the use of mechanical clutches or couplings.
• An electric-drive system is normally arranged so that vessel
operation at less than full power can be accomplished with a
minimum number of prime movers in service, each operating near
peak efficiency.
• This contributes to more efficient vessel operation and affords
downtime for scheduled maintenance on units not required for
propulsion.
• The higher transmission loss of the electric system may in fact be
more than offset by a better match between the prime mover
capacity and power demand.
Efficiencies in diesel-electric plants
 Electric-Drive Applications

Vessels requiring a high degree of maneuverability

• Vessels such as ferries, icebreakers, tugs, oceanographic
vessels, and cable-layers are typical of this group.
• In these cases, changes in speed and in direction of
propeller rotation are frequent.
• Most vessels of this type have used d-c machinery
because of the superior speed control inherent with such
machines.
• Even with the availability of a-c static power converters,
the d-c motor, with its high transient torque capability, is
often the machinery of choice.
 Electric-Drive Applications

Vessels requiring large amounts of special-purpose power

• Vessels such as fireboats, self-propelled dredges, drill
ships, oil-recovery vessels, large tankers, and tenders
often have large electric power requirements that are not
coincident with maximum propulsion power requirements.
• The nature of the operational requirements for such
vessels permits the generating sets to be applied to
supply large amounts of power for pumping or cargo
handling when propulsion power demands are low or even
nonexistent.
 Electric-Drive Applications

Vessels with large hotel loads

• The large hotel loads on cruise ships, coupled with
varying propulsion power needs, present the opportunity
for scheduling the on-line operation of multiple prime
movers to meet the cyclic load demands with the most
efficient prime mover selections.
• The total installed horsepower of a cruise ship must meet
the simultaneous demands of both propulsion and ship-
service loads.
• Multiple diesel-generator sets are commonly used in such
applications: however, simple and combined cycle gas
turbine and heat-recovery steam turbine (COGAS)
systems are among other feasible alternatives.
 Electric-Drive Applications

Vessels using non reversinq, high-speed, and multiple

prime movers
• Gas turbines and many high-speed diesel engines are
of the unidirectional type and frequently are installed as
multiple units to produce the required prime-mover
power.
• In such cases, an electric drive provides the means for
reversing the propeller, converting the high speed of the
prime movers to suitable propeller speeds, and also
electrically coupling the multiple units to a single drive.
 Electric-Drive Applications

Deep-submergence vehicles
• Deep-submergence vehicles usually employ relatively
small amounts of propulsion power and move at low
speeds.
• The energy is obtained from batteries and is applied to
multiple motors either directly or through power
converters.
 Types of Electric-Drive Systems

• Generating sets on electric propulsion systems are

arranged in either dedicated or integrated configurations.
• A dedicated system is one in which the propulsion
generators do not simultaneously also serve ship-service
loads. For example, a propulsion generator directly
connected to a high-speed turbine may produce power at
a frequency considerably higher than the standard values
of 50 to 60 Hz, making such power unsuitable for use as
ship-service power.
• An integrated system uses one or more buses that are
electrically connected to distribute power to both
propulsion and ship-service loads. The bus frequency
and voltage are maintained within tolerances that permit
the bulk of the ship-service loads to be served directly or
through step-down transformers. However, some
sensitive loads may require isolation from harmonics
generated by large propulsion power converters.
 Power Generation and Conversion

• Nearly all power generated on ships is accomplished

using a-c generators. The term "d-c propulsion system"
implies that a propulsion system includes a power
conditioner to convert a-c to d-c, such that a d-c motor
can be used.
• Direct-current propulsion systems are normally applied
in the low and moderate power ranges. The usual
applications of d-c motors are on vessels requiring
between 600 and 10,000 HP, while a-c motors are used
in installations above 10,000 HP.
 System Voltage Selection

• The voltage selected for an electric propulsion system

must reflect the necessity for reasonable cable sizes
and efficient rotating machine design and take into
account national standards that define available ratings
for circuit breakers.
• As the size of a power system increases, the voltage
level required on the main bus also increases. The
relationship is not linear, because the voltage classes
and current ratings of switchgear are in discrete steps.
For example, U.S. standards define preferred ratings of
480, 600, 4160, 6900, and 13,800 volts.
Diesel-Electric Propulsion Plant
 Control and Regulating Systems

• The successful operation of an electric propulsion

system requires the interaction of a number of
regulating and control systems acting on the prime
movers, generators, and power converters.
• Some of these systems enhance the performance and
stability of the power system, while others contribute to
the reliability and availability of the power system by
preventing unintentional overloads that could ultimately
shut down the power system.
• The most significant of these regulating and control
systems, from a system design point of view, include
the following:
 Control and Regulating Systems

Prime-mover load sharing

• A governor is used to control the real power (kilowatts)
delivered by the generator set to the power system.
• Prime-mover governing systems of the electronic type
are commonly used to provide constant frequency on
the main bus.
• The amount of load being carried by each prime mover
is continuously monitored and the fuel supplied to each
unit is adjusted to ensure that the load is proportionally
shared.
• While operating in this manner, the governor maintains
constant speed for all loads within the capability of the
prime mover.
 Control and Regulating Systems

Generator load sharing

• Automatic generator voltage regulators are required to
maintain the terminal voltage of the generator at rated
conditions.
• When generators are connected in parallel on a
common bus, the voltage regulator also provides the
means to proportionally share current among
generators.
• In an arrangement which is analogous to the governor's
proportional load sharing feature, the voltage regulators
for all generators have common generator current
sensors that are used to adjust the field current in each
generator to achieve a proportional current division.
 Control and Regulating Systems

Automatic load shedding

• Automatic load shedding is the process of disconnecting
preselected loads from the system in response to an
abnormal overload condition, such as may be caused by
an unscheduled shutdown of a generator set, in order to
maintain the load within the system's capability.
• A power system will operate at a progressively lower
frequency when the kilowatts demanded by the load
exceed the power available from the prime movers.
• This frequency reduction will generally lead to a
shutdown of all generators by the under frequency
protective system, unless corrective action is taken to
restore a balance between the power generated and the
load.
 Control and Regulating Systems

Automatic load shedding (cont.)

• In an integrated power system, the removal of
preselected ship-service loads may not be sufficient to
balance the system.
• A reduction of propulsion power also may be required,
because it is likely to be the single largest load.
 Control and Regulating Systems

Power limiting
• A reduction of the propulsion motor speed by an
automatic power-limiting regulator is a technique
commonly used to compensate for a sudden loss of
generating capacity such as might occur during an
unscheduled shutdown of a diesel-generator set.
• The same regulators prevent overloading the system in
the event that the throttle is advanced to call for more
shaft power than is currently available from the power
system.
• Two regulator functions are usually combined to
monitor the status of generator sets and make
adjustments in the propulsor's speed.
 Control and Regulating Systems

Power limiting (cont.)

• The first function, called "kilowatt" or "real-power"
limiting, provides a limit to the amount of power that can
be drawn from the prime mover.
• The second is "kVA" or "current" limiting, which
provides a limit to the amount of current (and therefore
a limit on reactive power) drawn from the generator.
 Control and Regulating Systems

Throttle controls
• The electronic regulators supplied with power converters
are usually fitted with features to promote smooth yet
responsive control of the main propulsion motors in
response to movements of the throttle.
• Included in the features are preset timing ramps that
provide a controlled rate of motor speed change that
compensates for rapid throttle movements, permitting
machinery such as diesel governors, turbochargers, and
voltage regulators to follow the increased power
demands in an orderly manner.
• In addition to timing ramps, throttle controls usually
include current-limiting circuits to provide continuous
overload protection for motors. This is especially useful
during vessel acceleration, and in heavy seas.
 Control and Regulating Systems

Propeller blade-position controls

• For multiple shaft vessels, the rotational speed of the
shafts can be synchronized by the regulators to
eliminate vibrational beats resulting from propeller
blade rate excitation that is caused by slight differences
in propeller speeds.
• On some ships where the pressure pulsations due to
blades passing by hull appendages have caused
objectionable structural vibration, regulators have been
programmed to control the relative blade position of one
shaft versus the other. The objective in this instance is
to offset the blade positions and thereby cause the
excitation from the two shafts to be out of phase,
eliminating the reinforcement of pressure pulsations.
 Direct-Current Propulsion-Drive Systems

• Equipment for d-c power generating systems usually

consists of multiple medium or high-speed diesel
generator sets paralleled on a common bus, producing
a-c power which is then converted for propulsion.
• The sizes of the engines may be selected on the basis
of an operating profile that allows some units to be shut
down when a particular mode of operation demands
less than the total installed power.
• To take full advantage of this design approach, the
generator sets are sometimes selected at two different
ratings.
• The electric output of the generator sets is connected to
the main power bus by circuit breakers located in one
or more switchboards. These circuit breakers provide
the means to connect and disconnect the sets and
satisfy requirements for overload and short-circuit
protection of the machinery.
 Direct-Current Propulsion-Drive Systems

• Because of advantages in size, weight, and cost, 600 V

systems are preferred for small- and medium-sized systems.
However, when the generator rating exceeds approximately
3300 kVA, which may occur with medium speed engines, the
full-load or fault current can exceed the rating of available
600 V circuit breakers.
• In that case the next-higher voltage class, 4160 V, is chosen.
All 4160 V systems require a transformer to reduce the
voltage to a suitable drive input level, usually 600V for drives
above 500 hp.
• An adjustable voltage d-c power converter is connected to
the bus by a circuit breaker or by a combination of a circuit
breaker and a transformer. Omission of the transformer,
where appropriate, is desirable to save cost and space.
• The converter rectifies the incoming a-c voltage to produce
adjustable d-c for the armature of the propulsion motor.
Direct-Current Propulsion-Drive Systems
Alternating-Current Propulsion-Drive Systems

• Alternating-current propulsion drive systems are usually

applied to vessels in the moderate to high-power range.
A-C motors can be readily built for a rating of 60,000
hp, and there is no significant physical constraint
concerning the maximum propulsion power that can be
installed.
• Either integrated or dedicated power system arrange-
ments can be used with a-c propulsion; however,
integrated systems are usually selected, particularly for
passenger ships. As is the practice with integrated
power systems; large ship-service motor loads are
connected directly at the main bus voltage level, with
smaller loads served from step-down transformers and
motor-generator sets provided for sensitive loads.
• There are no restrictions on the types of prime movers
that can be used, but medium-speed diesel engines are
the common generator-drive selection.
 Alternating-Current Propulsion-Drive Systems

• A-C motors have lower losses than d-c motors and,

therefore, provide a higher overall transmission efficien-
cy. The total loss in an a-c electrical transmission system,
between the prime mover and the propeller shaft, is in the
range of 6 to 8%.
• Within the moderate to high-power range of electric
propulsion systems, the majority of motors are of the
synchronous type with wound fields. The typical 96 to
98% efficiency of a direct-drive synchronous motor is
usually 3 to 4% higher than for a comparable induction
motor.
• In addition to the higher efficiency the relatively larger air
gap between the rotor and stator of a synchronous motor
is more tolerant of misalignment.
Alternating-Current Propulsion-Drive Systems

• More recent applications use power converters to

change constant-frequency a-c power into adjustable-
frequency a-c power. The speed of a synchronous a-c
motor is directly proportional to the frequency applied to
its stator windings.
• Therefore, the speed control of an a-c electric-drive
system is accomplished by adjusting the output
frequency of the power converter in response to a small
reference voltage developed from a potentiometer or
digital position encoder located on the throttle shaft.
• To reverse the direction of a-c motor rotation, the phase
sequence of voltages generated by the power converter
is reversed electronically by the converter's built-in
regulator.
Ship Applications
Ship Applications
Ship Applications
Ship Applications