Shipboard Electric Power Conversion: System Architecture, Applications, Control, and Challenges [Technology Leaders]

In this article, developments in the evolution and design of ship electrification, with a focus on onboard power conversion, were reviewed and discussed. Ship electrification is growing fast, and many vessels are being retrofitted to hybrid electric propulsion as a transitional step before the field of marine electric power and propulsion matures. On the other hand, many marine engineers are not famffiar with the emerging concepts in the marine industry, such as onboard power electronics, hybrid power systems, and the associated controllers in the different power system levels. Therefore, this article provided an extensive overview of shipboard systems, including power electronic converters, power system architecture, different control levels and methods for converter based systems, and design and operating challenges.