SES powers up for electrical revolution

Scandinavian Electric Systems has noticed an increasing demand for diesel-electric propulsion solutions, which has encouraged the company to significantly increase investment in design, testing and packaging resources.

Frithjof Hustig, SES?s technical director explains:

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The new thing with SES is that we are offering total system packages including the main switchboard, generators, motors, starters, frequency converters and documentation for the integration and interface to the control and automation system ? we can also on request offer and deliver bridge control cabinets for propulsion control levers etc.

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A significant investment has been made in advanced R&D and test facilities, which are housed in a new design office/assembly/stores complex and will allow SES to exploit its in-house design expertise with new resources to satisfy increasing demand for AC diesel-electric propulsion systems and frequency converter drives for winches and cranes.

Testing

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Testing

equipment is essential,

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says Hustig. He explains that the failure to test equipment in-house is losing considerable time in Europe and the Far East ?

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and it costs 10 times more to test it out there.

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Two main testbeds ? which feature electric motors for loading rather than the traditional water brake ? will respectively handle machines with power ratings up to 400kW and up to 1,600kW. Hustig says these should be up and running by the end of the year. Software developed by the Technical University of Bergen will be used for test protocols.

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An innovation in Europe ? thanks to SES-developed software ? is the ability to simulate on the testbed the load curves that will be imposed on the electrical system in its shipboard duty, for example, by a propeller, thruster, compressor or fan,

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explains Jan Berg, the company?s president and ceo.

The company believes that a motor software programme that fosters a fast response to enquiries for proposed systems will give it a competitive edge over its rivals. SES says:

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Ship designers and consultants are provided with early data on machinery weight and space requirements for a given project.

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New machinery

SES is also active in developing more compact and efficient marine electrical machinery and a double-jacket water-cooled motor, with ratings from 500kW to 1,300kW, co-developed by SES with Marelli Motori, based in Italy, is proving popular. The company says that more than 60 sets have been delivered since launching last year, with the motor appreciated for its space-saving in thruster drive applications as well as the cost benefits. SES says that the design is around 50% more compact than conventional motors of equivalent power rating.

Further development of the motor to ratings up to 1,800kW is planned next year, modification of the motor for winch drive applications is also under way.