Failure Mode Effects and Analysis of Superconducting Power Distribution and Related Cryogenic Components for All-Electric Ship

Potential failure modes of high temperature superconducting (HTS) devices and related cryogenic systems in electric ship applications are analyzed to understand and plan for the necessary mitigation systems. Risk-based FMEA methodology was adopted to aid in improving the resiliency of large superconducting power distribution systems. A concurrent FMEA study of cryogenic thermal and electrical systems in an HTS power distribution network is discussed. A one-line architecture for a power distribution system was developed to identify the key parameters needed for performing FMEA for HTS power distribution systems. The failure modes are listed to show the interdependence of the electrical and cryogenic systems. The severity and detectability of various failures were used to formulate critical redundancy and mitigation tools to design resilient power distribution systems for electric ships.