Specifically designed for maritime shore supply applications, Vacon’s new NXP range of grid converters mean that ships no longer need to run their engines to power on-board electrical systems while they are in port. Instead, they can conveniently draw power from the shore supplies, irrespective of the supply frequency needed.
In the past, ships have routinely used fuel-powered on-board generators to produce electrical power while in port. However, many ship and port operators no longer consider this to be acceptable because of the air pollution that results. In addition, the cost of electrical power produced by on-board generators is dependent on fuel prices, which are constantly increasing.
With NXP grid converters installed, either as part of the shore systems or on board the ship, vessels can take power from on-shore supplies fed from the public utility network. This is a far greener solution, and it also has the potential to offer significant savings on the cost of the power as well as reducing wear and tear on the ship’s generator sets and making them readily available for maintenance and repair.
NXP converters can always match the on-shore power frequency to the frequency required by the shipboard systems – they can convert 50 Hz shore supplies to 60 Hz for use on the ship or vice versa, with minimal losses and with low harmonic distortion.
Vacon NXP grid converters are based on the proven and robust technology used in the company’s widely used NXP-series ac variable speed drives. Available with power ratings up to 1.5 MW and featuring versatile modular construction, the converters incorporate customised application software to facilitate integration with existing systems and are built to a design that has been optimised to ensure reliable operation and a long lifetime in demanding port and shipboard environments.
