Page 26: of Marine News Magazine (March 2018)

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COLUMN SPECIAL REPORT

Inland Towboats and Diesel

Electric Propulsion

Diesel electric technology, as part of a comprehensive engineering design process, should be considered by the inland towboat sector.

By Joshua Slade Sebastian, P.E.

Diesel electric propulsion is not a nology and price did not make it a feasible option for the new concept. Like azimuthing drives, market. However, in the last few years, some fundamental its application to the inland marine industry changes have shifted the equation, making diesel market has lagged other areas of the electric a viable option when planning for a new towboat.

marine industry. Diesel electric has gained traction in industries where fuel W D E P ?

HAT IS IESEL LECTRIC ROPULSION economy and redundancy of propul- Simply put, diesel electric propulsion is a concept that sion systems for safety is paramount. In uses an electrical power plant consisting of multiple power particular, vessels like passenger ferries generators that develop electrical power to the propulsion

Sebastian and offshore supply vessels have en- plant via the use of electric motors. The electrical propul- joyed the bene? ts of the diesel electric sion system consists of generators, an electric distribution systems. The inland towboat industry shares many of these system, variable frequency drives, electric propulsion mo- concerns, and would bene? t from the consideration of die- tors, and a control system. sel electric technology as part of a comprehensive engineer- Mechanical diesel driven systems provide superior ef? - ing design process. ciency in a very narrow range of operations, typically above

In early 2017, The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI), together 60% MCR. As such, it is important to determine the total with the marine division at ABB, embarked upon the study operational cycle of the engines over a long course of time. of applying diesel electric technology to the inland marine Diesel electric improves ef? ciency of a vessel’s propulsion industry. TSGI originally researched diesel electric propul- system by broadening the range of optimal operations and sion for towboats around 2007, but at that time the tech- providing more overall ef? ciency in ranges outside the opti-

March 2018

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