Future Trends in Electric Propulsion Systems for Commercial Vessels

Abstract

Since the application of the thyristor to power control in the 1970's, the advances in power electronic devices, converter topologies and digital technologies have allowed the development of electric propulsion systems, which reduce fuel consumption and environmental emissions and increase safety levels. Considering the increasing costs of fossil fuels and the strict regulations concerning environmental and safety issues, commercial vessels in the near future will include this propulsion system and the associated technologies.

New trends in power generation, emerging technologies and system integration can be applied to electric propulsion systems making them more reliable, efficient and clean. Renewable energies, such as fuel -cells based on hydrogen, can be considered as energy sources of future vessels. Moreover, new technologies based on high temperature superconductors (HTS) and innovative power converter topologies, i.e. multilevel converters, will increase the system's efficiency.

This paper reviews new power sources and emerging technologies in electronic and electrical engineering which can be applied to future electrically propelled commercial ships.