This research is a preliminary design and feasibility analysis of a new type of shipboard electrical distribution system for Naval vessels. The design combines three traditionally separate disciplines: damage control, marine engineering, and electric power engineering to produce a hybrid system well suited for present and future surface warship environments. The design structure is a combination of shore-based power utility and shipboard distribution. The primary section is an interconnected bus feeder ring which resembles a shipboard vertical loop firemain. The bus feeder ring emulates the firemain’s network structure because it is well suited for both normal and emergency operating conditions. The distribution ring is used to transfer power between fire zones to load centers which radially feed loads within each zone. The electrical feasibility of the system was established through standard power system load flow contingency analysis, use of Navy design specifications, and direct comparison with an icebreaker radial electrical system. The new system could best be applied to small ships where the effective use of zone distribution is difficult, or where automation is needed to implement reduced manning. For large ships, this system would provide additional design alternatives which could help to reduce intersystem design interference where the requirements for one system impinge on those of another. As a final point, this system provides a viable network for facilitating the application of shore-based automatic switching technology to Naval vessels. / Master of Science

Thesis (Nav. E.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-90). / The Non-Intrusive Load Monitor (NILM) provides a method of measuring component performance and source power quality through a single point of entry in the power distribution system. A study was performed utilizing the NILM onboard three different ships (along with experimentation in the laboratory) to determine its effectiveness in determining the state of mechanical systems through analysis of electrical power data. Data collected from the Auxiliary Seawater System onboard the USCGC SENECA indicate that the NILM is able to predict several faults (clogged pump inlet strainers, faulty motor/pump coupling, fouled heat exchangers) as well as provide a backup indication of flow levels to heat loads. Data collected from the Sewage System of the SENECA indicate several metrics which can be applied to cycling systems in general to differentiate between periods of heavy usage and fault conditions. Finally, data collected from the Steering System of the SENECA as well as a yard patrol boat operated by the Office of Naval Research shows the potential of the NILM to be used as a control system without the need for separate mechanical transducers. / by Jack S. Ramsey, Jr. / S.M. / Nav.E.