Voltage control on a refitted luxury yacht using hybrid electric propulsion and LVDC distribution

The adoption of a hybrid electric propulsion system is a promising solution for luxury ship refitting, as it makes it possible to preserve the yacht architecture while introducing innovative technological elements to optimize energy use. Flexibility, comfort and efficiency can be effectively improved using electrical applications in ships. Low Voltage Direct Current (LVDC) distribution can represent a valid solution to achieve these important targets. A luxury ship refitting, based on the introduction of a hybrid electric propulsion and a LVDC distribution, is presented in this paper. Three different power conversion architectures are discussed. One architecture is adopted and analyzed, which utilizes fast DC/DC buck converters to interface generating systems to the grid. Buck converters operate as actuators of the LVDC bus voltage control system. The latter provides bus voltage regulation, load sharing and Active Damping of destabilizing Constant Power Loads.