The solution developed by WE Tech uses VACON® AC drive technology between the shaft generator and the ship’s electrical network. This allows a large variation in the main engine speed while still delivering power with constant voltage and frequency to the ship’s electrical network. This makes it possible to optimize the efficiency of the main engine and gives savings in fuel costs. The WE Drive™ solution can be used to improve the energy efficiency of any ship equipped with direct drive propulsion machinery combined with a shaft generator system, also called a Power Take Out (PTO) system. A shaft generator with AC drive technology allows the use of power from the ship’s electrical network to boost the main propulsion from the main engine, in case of dynamic traffic conditions at sea. This feature is referred to as PTI (Power Take In). The shaft generator with VACON® AC drive technology features: 30% variation of shaft generator frequency and voltage while maintaining nominal voltage (VAC) and frequency (Hz) in the ship’s electrical network Optimized PTO (Power Take Out) or PTI (Power Take In) operation of the shaft generator Continuous parallel operation between shaft generator and auxiliary generator sets Propulsion system optimization by running in combinator mode, i.e. by combining variable speed and variable pitch of the propeller. The shaft generator on M/V Bore Sea is a synchronous machine. Thanks to AC drive technology, the shaft generator can be online alone or in parallel with auxiliary generating sets. “The VACON® AC drive unit is dimensioned according to the power generation requirements and the ship’s electrical load in sailing mode,” says Mårten Storbacka, Managing Director, WE Tech Solutions. A shaft generator installed with a VACON® AC drive brings several benefits: Within a large variation in ship speed, the propeller and the main engine will operate close to their optimal duty point, which increases efficiency and significantly reduces fuel consumption Decreasing the propeller speed increases propeller efficiency, which further reduces fuel consumption and in consequence environmentally harmful emissions. Maintaining nominal voltage and frequency output from the shaft generator via a VACON® AC drive gives significant savings because there is no need for auxiliary generators Improved efficiency brings environmental benefits 2 Danfoss Drives · DKDD.PC.919.A1.02
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