Maritime electrification is a critical upgrade to enable sustainable and environmentally friendly shipping. In recent years, there has been a significant interest in the development of battery-based boats and ferries. Within the ship, power electronics obviously plays an important role in driving the propulsion system and powering the various electrical systems onboard. However, a key element for the reliable operation of these vessels is also the onshore charging interface.
With large-scale electrification of vessels imminent, it is important that the onshore charging sites be equipped adequately, and port congestion is avoided while deploying high-power charger units. Conventional solid-state transformer(SST)-based chargers can increase power density by providing high-frequency isolation but are designed to function most efficiently at a certain operating point. However, unlike in electric cars, the onboard power system and the operating voltage in different vessels can vary over a significantly large range. Therefore, the development of a multi-functional SST-based charging unit can be challenging. The presentation will focus on power electronics converters that comprise an adaptable charging interface that can dynamically reconfigure and operate efficiently over a very wide range of output voltage and deliver power to different vessels.
Sohaib Qazi, University of Twente