Investigation on shipboard power quality on cruise ships under high penetration of power converters

The maritime industry is undergoing a significant transformation with the integration of advanced power electronics and converter technologies onboard cruise ships. This work explores the effects of power converter integration on shipboard power quality, particularly in cruise vessels that depend heavily on these converters for efficient power conversion. The study proposes a preliminary investigation of the potential challenges arising from the complex interplay of power electronic devices, including variable frequency drives, rectifiers, and in- verters, with the ship’s power distribution grid. A comprehensive measurement campaign is conducted onboard representative cruise ships, utilizing advanced monitoring equipment to capture power quality indexes related to different power systems and conversion architecture. The primary objectives of this investigation are to assess power quality indexes and to develop models for analyzing and validating real measurement data. Two similar cruise ships, each equipped with different technologies for driving synchronous propulsion motors, were used as case studies. Through data analysis and ETAP modeling, the research compares the performance and power quality impacts of these technologies under various operational conditions. The findings reveal distinct total har- monic distortion of voltage behaviours for the two ships, highlighting the varying effects of synchro-converters and cyclo-converters on power quality during port and navigation conditions. The study emphasizes the impor- tance of maintaining a stable and high-quality power supply in the maritime environment, and provides insights into the implications of power quality issues on the performance of onboard equipment.