Super-capacitors based hybrid converter in marine electric propulsion system

Electric propulsion is used in wide range of vessel types and applications. In marine vessels, the load of the power plant changes substantially over time, such as from the wave disturbances or the weather influence, which may cause large and also rapid changes in the load of prime movers. In this paper, to reduce the effects of the disturbances of the power plant and to improve the energy efficiency of the power transmission and power generation, a hybrid converter based on super capacitor is considered for fast-acting energy storage. An improved average power control method is presented to regulate the power flow to the super capacitor. Then a dynamic system model is designed using Matlab/Simulink. Furthermore the system simulation and testing results are demonstrating the performance of the control system. The potential cost benefit from energy savings is also analyzed.