Feasibility of Bipolar DC Grids on Ships

MSc defense of AAshay Abhyankar

The CO2 emissions are on the rise, and electrifying the ship has proven to reduce these emissions. The growth in the shipping sector makes it difficult to reach the targets set out by the International Maritime Organization. This study evaluates the feasibility of BiDC grids on ships by developing an optimization problem with an objective to minimize CO2 emissions for ten arrangements, five for AC and five for DC grid. For the feasible configuration of the ship, the key performance indicators like electrical power requirements, propulsion power cable losses, capital costs, operating costs, propulsion system weight, and load-carrying capacity are compared for the AC and BiDC grid. Overall, the findings showcase promising results for the BiDC grids, as they provide lower emissions for the ship's operational profile over the AC counterparts.