Propulsion System Adjustable Speed Drive

Traditionally, the ship propulsion system propeller directly driven by the prime mover or through gear box has many mechanical challenges such as a long drive shaft and shaft alignment, and complex gear box. This chapter tabulates VFD Influence on shipboard power system. The propulsion power requirement is usually much higher than the other ship service loads. The propulsion load with variable frequency drives and transformer, the current inrush can create a disturbance in the main bus. The shipboard power system must be designed so that any combination of generators can support the load requirements without any concern of high current inrush. A design is to meet fundamentals of the requirements by contract specification, which is presentation in an electrical one‐line diagram. The basic verification is outlined in the USCG regulations called failure mode and effect analysis supported by qualitative failure analysis and design verification test procedure.