Technology for Advanced Ship Designs: SEA-Pro

Electrical system design requires several studies and calculations be conducted to verify proper operation of the system and specification of equipment. This includes fault current calculations, load analysis, motor starting analysis, harmonic analysis, generator response studies, electro-magnetic interference, breaker coordination, etc. Software applications are available for conducting many of these studies. Commercially available packages, however, were originally designed for land-based facilities, which were not intended to address the unique requirements of shipboard installation. The shipboard installation requirements do, in fact, significantly affect the original system design parameters. Because shipboard requirements are currently not integrated into the original system modeling and analysis, much of this analysis requires later modification. Also, because the data developed during modeling and analysis is not readily transferable to shipyard production requirements, much of the data input requires duplication, which increases production costs and introduces errors in equipment procurement and installation. SEA-Pro will reduce design and production costs by providing an integrated marine electrical engineering analysis and production capability to the US Naval and commercial shipbuilding industry. The tool will also lend itself well to lean design/manufacturing assessments by providing a marine specific model of the vessels electrical production requirements.