Online Periodic Coordination of Multiple Pulsed Loads on All-Electric Ships

Multiple pulsed loads arise in all-electric ship power systems, which consume an enormous amount of energy in a short time. Moreover, pulsed load requirements may change rapidly, and a fast regulation method is indispensable for optimal energy management. To this end, the article formulates an optimal coordination problem and develops an online algorithm for a shipboard power system, where the periodic operation of pulsed loads is utilized. The problem is divided into two parts: i) the energy allocation for each pulsed load is optimized to maximize total utility; ii) the joint charging period is determined to supply pulsed loads in a shorter cycle. In the solution method, the Fourier series is used to represent the operation period of pulsed loads and accelerate the algorithm. Case studies on a shipboard power system with eight pulsed loads show that the proposed algorithm is effective, and applicable for online use.