Energy as a single system
A vessel’s energy sources, storage devices and loads must work together. Electrical equipment connects these elements: energy must be received, converted, distributed and used in the specified modes. The equipment set is therefore considered within the overall marine power architecture.
What the EKO BALT system includes
The VID catalogue lists energy storage devices, protection and monitoring equipment, converters, a propulsion electric motor with its drive, a control console and electrical switchboards. Shore power is also provided. These elements perform different tasks but must operate as a coordinated system.
Electric propulsion and the onboard network
The electrical architecture supports both the propulsion plant and onboard loads. Design must define how energy is allocated between them, the equipment start-up sequence and available operating modes. The console, monitoring equipment and power components are considered together because control commands must match the capabilities of the power system.
Energy storage, protection and monitoring
Storage devices form part of the system; they are not a standalone replacement for every other energy source. Their operating modes are coordinated with converters and loads. Protection and monitoring devices are integrated into the overall circuit to track equipment condition and provide the responses specified in the project. Specific settings and algorithms are established by the design documentation.
VID’s role in the project
The catalogue names the Krylov State Research Centre as the customer. The project demonstrates VID’s engineering approach: coordinating power electrical equipment, electric drives, energy distribution and controls. In-house manufacture, circuit design and automation allow the company to address these tasks as an integrated whole.
Design considerations for a similar system
Initial inputs should describe energy sources, required propulsion modes, onboard loads, storage parameters and shore connections. The vessel’s requirements determine the system structure. EKO BALT specifications should not be transferred automatically to another vessel without separate calculations and agreement on the circuit design.
Illustrative scenes are based on project materials.
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