ELECTRICAL PROPULSION

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 History
• Demo Run by Russians– 1832 –By DC Motor
powered by Battery.
• Premiere run- 1886- an electrically propelled vessel
crosses English Channel.
• Commercial run – 1888 –Passenger launches on
River Thames
• Over-shadowed by Steam and IC Engine Propulsion
for a long time.
• Re-emergence with the advent of HV systems and
Power Electronics

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 Problems posed in
Electrical Propulsion
• A large Power at a variable voltage and frequency is required
for Propulsion whereas the normal ship’s load is required at
fixed voltage and fixed frequency.

• Provision of high power variable volyage and frequency

from a generating source operating at fixed voltage and
frequency was a major problem

• The problem is overcome by use of high power static

converters which, when powered by fixed voltage and
frequency, can conveniently provide high power variable AC
and DC drives required for propulsion.

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 Advantages of
Electrical Propulsion
• Flexibility of layout
• Load diversity between ship’s load and
Propulsion
• Ease of control
• Low Noise and vibration.

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 Flexibility of layout
• In the conventional system of propulsion by IC
engines, the Main Engines, the Shaft generators,
propeller shaft etc. are constrained to be located in
the same deck( in E/R)
• In a electrical propulsion layout , the generator sets
and associated services can be remote to the
propeller shaft. The drive motor can be placed either
inside the vessel in a deck away from the generating
source or can even be placed outside the hull (as in
azipods)

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 Types of Layout

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 Azipod Drive Unit

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 Load Diversity
• In conservative ships, power for ship’s load is
by the generators and power for propulsion is
by Main Engines. When power requirements
vary a lot as in Tankers/Bulk Cargo there can
be redundancy of Power.
• A central power generation to meet the
demands of propulsion and the ship’s load is
a distinct advantage

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 Ease of control
• The controls as used with CPP are
cumbersome and costly.
• Control of Speed and Torque as provided by
electrical propulsion is simpler and cost-
effective

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 Low Noise & vibration
• An electric motor can drive the load with low
noise and vibration.
• Noise can interfere with anti-submarine and
survey equipment on board ships due to the
hydro-phone effect.
• Noise accompanied by High vibration, as with
conservative propulsion, can affect the
comfort level in passenger spaces

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 MSB in a HV Ship
With Electrical Propulsion

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 A Typical Propulsion load

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 Options in
Electrical Propulsion

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 Speed & Torque
of an AC Motor
• Torque of an AC motor is proportional to the voltage and torque is varied
by varying the voltage applied to the windings of an AC Motor.
• Speed of an AC motor is proportional to the frequency of the supply
voltage and speed is varied by varying the frequency of voltage applied to
the windings of an AC motor.
• Speed & Torque of AC propulsion motors are controlled by High Speed
Electronic Convertors. Converters receive fixed voltage and fixed
frequency from the busbar as input and give an output of variable voltage
and frequency.
• The torque is varied by the controlled rectifier part of the convertors and
the speed is varied by controlled invertor part of the converter.

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 Bock Diagram
of a Propulsion Motor control

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 Controlled Rectification

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 Controlled Inversion

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 Cycloconvertor

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 Synchro convertor

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 PWM Convertor

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 A DC Drive motor & control

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 Control Layout of
Electrical Propulsion

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 Cooling arrangement of
a Propulsion Motor

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 Harmonics

FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY

H ARMONICS SEVENTH H ARMONICS TH IRD H ARMONICS

SEVENTH H ARMONICS

*** TH E INPUT CURRENT TO A CONVERTER H AS A H IGH H ARMONIC CONTENT BECAUSE OF H IGH RATE OF SWITCH ING..
*** H ARMONIC FREQUENCIES ARE MULTIPLES OF TH E FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY.

*** TH ESE H ARMONICS DISTORT TH E SUPPLY WAVEFORM AND CAUSE MALFUNCTION AND ADDITIONAL H EATING OF OTH ER
EQUIPMENTS CONNECTED TO TH E SUPPLY SYSTEM.
*** TH E SIZE AND FREQUENCIES OF TH E H ARMONICS DEPEND ON TH E TYPE OF CONVERTER AND TYPE OF CONTROL
*** IN A SINUSOIDAL WAVEFORM, TH E EVEN NUMBERED H ARMONICS ARE CANCELLED OUT.
*** IN A TH REE PH ASE SYSTEM, ALL MULTIPLES OF TH IRD H ARMONICS ARE ALSO CANCELLED OUT.
*** ADDING EXTRA INDUCTANCE AND USING PH ASE-SH IFT TRANSFORMERS SOME MORE H ARMONICS ARE ELIMINATED.
*** TH E PREDOMINANT H ARMONICS TH AT POSE PROBLEMS ARE TH E 5TH ,11TH AND 17TH H ARMONICS.
*** IT IS NECESSARY TO CONNECT FILTERS COMPRISING L-C&R COMBINATIONS TUNED TO TH E TROUBLESOME H ARMONICS.
*** TH E CONVERTER INJ ECTS H ARMONICS INTO TH E SUPPLY SYSTEM AND FILTERS ABSORB TH EM.

*** H ARMONICS ALSO INTRODUCE NOISE INTO ELECTRICAL/COMUNICATION EQPT CAUSING INTERFERENCE

*** H ARMONIC FILTERING AND CIRCUIT SCREENING ARE TWO METH ODS OF LIMITING INTERFERENCE.
*** SCREENED CABLES H ELP IN REDUCING INTERFERENCE BUT SH OULD BE PROPERLY EARTH ED.

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 Linear Electric Propulsion
Propulsion for the Future

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