ABB say its Onboard DC Grid will receive a 'Spotlight on New Technology Award' at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) May 6-9, 2013 in Houston.
The awards honor innovative technologies for the oil and gas industry and related energy sectors that have the potential to significantly impact offshore exploration and production.
Designed for a wide range of vessels, ABB’s Onboard DC Grid is a highly efficient power distribution, automation and electric propulsion system that significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 20 percent and space needed onboard for electric equipment by up to 30 percent.
Different from traditional electrical propulsion systems, ABB's Onboard DC Grid connects all DC links and distributes the power through one main DC circuit, providing significant power savings and optimizing the ship’s propulsion. As the ship's engines no longer have to run at a fixed speed, the engine’s speed can be adjusted to optimize fuel consumption.
In addition, ABB’s Onboard DC Grid reduces the footprint and weight of the electrical equipment used by up to 30 percent, by eliminating the need for bulky transformers and main switchboards. That leaves more space on the vessels for cargo, larger fuel tanks, or increased workspace areas, and provides greater flexibility in the positioning of system components in the vessel.
It also enables connection of supplementary DC energy sources such as solar panels, fuel cells, or batteries, directly into the ship's DC electrical system, for further fuel savings.
ABB’s Onboard DC Grid applies to a wide range of ships with low-voltage onboard power systems such as offshore support vessels, tug boats, ferries and yachts.
The first vessel to be equipped with a full Onboard DC Grid system is a Platform Support Vessel (PSV) under construction now at Norwegian shipyard Kleven for the owner Myklebusthaug Offshore.