CLASSIFICATION OF ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEMS FOR
LNG CARRIERS
Bruno Delannoy, Jan Fredrik Hansen
1: Bureau Veritas, 17 bis Place des Reflets, 92400 Courbevoie, France
2: ABB AS, Hasleveien 50, P.O box 6540 Rodelokka N-0501 Oslo, Norway
Abstract :
With the construction of the two 154000m3 LNG carriers
for Gaz de France / NYK at Chantiers de l’Atlantique,
electric propulsion systems have been introduced to full
size LNG Carriers. ABB has delivered a complete
propulsion drive system based on 2 x 14MW medium
speed propulsion motors and BV will classify the 2
vessels. This paper intends to present the system as
installed on board these two ships in two different aspects:
classification and technical.
Keywords :
LNG carrier, electric propulsion, classification rules
Introduction :
Electric propulsion systems have been used for many
years. However, up to now, the applications were limited
to a few types of ship such as passenger vessels, ice
breakers, dredgers, supply vessels and ships equipped
with dynam ic positioning systems. The necessity of high
powered installation to supply the auxiliaries at quay and
the development of new types of diesel engines give a
new opportunity to extend electric propulsion to other
types of vessel such as LNG carriers. The increasing
market for LNG carriers has led ABB and Bureau Veritas
to study and propose an innovative propulsion system.
ABB electric propulsion system :
For the two 154000m3 LNG Carriers under construction
at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, ABB is delivering the
propulsion drive system including the remote propulsion
control and the High Voltage (HV) main and cargo
switchboards. These ships were the largest LNG carriers
when ordered, and are among the first to be equipped with
an electric propulsion system. Traditionally LNG Carriers
were propelled using steam turbines in order to utilize the
Boil off Gas (BOG) from the LNG cargo tanks. This
system has proven to be a reliable propulsion system for
many years, however, the propulsion efficiency is on the
lower side (<30%). With the introduction of the dual-fuel
engines, the electric propulsion alternative became more
attractive due the higher efficiency (>40%), and a
breakthrough for this propulsion system came in 2003
with the Gaz de France vessels ordered at Chantiers and
lately also several vessels in Korean shipyards [1], [2].
As a system supplier ABB takes responsibility for the
integration and performance of the electric propulsion
drive system. In addition to the scope delivered to
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Chantiers, typically ABB scope for LNG carriers with
electric propulsion also includes the main generators and
HV-distribution transformers. In that respect ABB can
take full system responsibility for the complete HV power
and propulsion system. In the following sections a
description of a typical ABB system and components for
an electric power and propulsion plant for LNG carriers
will be given.
As a classification society, Bureau Veritas is in charge of
the design review and the survey on board the two
154000m3 LNG carriers under construction at Chantiers
de l’Atlantique. Bureau Veritas has continuously
developed and improved the rules for electric propulsion
in order to take into account the latest technologies (POD,
etc…). Further to the development of the dual fuel
engines for LNG applications, a rule note has been issued
[3].
The design review can be broken down in 3 main parts :
the equipment approval (technical specification,
environmental and operational test), the propulsion
functionality (remote controls, interaction wit h the
automation system, restart after black out, etc…), and the
control principles (auxiliary’s control, instrumentation,
list of alarms / safeties, independence of the motor’s
controls). Redundancy is analysed in detail to be sure that
common mode of failure is avoided.
Concerning the equipment tests, Bureau Veritas rules
refer to IEC standards.
Power & Propulsion configuration :
13750 kVA
11000 kW
13750 kVA
11000 kW
13750 kVA
11000 kW
6875 kVA
5500 kW
G G G G
6,6 kV, 60Hz
~ ~
450 V, 60Hz
~ ~ 450 V, 60Hz
0 -14000 kW 0-14000 kW
0-700 RPM M M 0-700 RPM
6600 V, 60Hz, Cargo 1 6600 V, 60Hz, Cargo 2
Figure 1 : typical system layout for power and
propulsion system
Figure 1 gives a schematic overview of the typical electric
power and propulsion system for LNG Carriers in the
range of 150 000 m3. The system consists of a 4-split
6,6kV switchboard system, 2 main switchboards and 2
cargo switchboards. The cargo switchboards are normally
located separately from the main switchboards in order to
minimize cabling distance to the cargo pumps.
Four generators powered by dual-fuel engines supply the
necessary power for propulsion and auxiliary load to the
6,6kV switchboard system. The propulsion system
consists of two propulsion motors connected to a common
gearbox. Installations based on a single shaft line and a
slow speed diesel engine are common for cargo vessels as
this type of engine can be quite easily repaired. This is not
the case for electric motors, and therefore BV asks for 2
motors in order to maintain the propulsion in case of
failure of one motor.
As the power system is not symmetrical, precautions are
to be taken in some cases in order to avoid an overload of
the electrical network. This functionality is in general
carried out by the propulsion control system.
Each propulsion motor is controlled by a frequency
converter, directly supplied from the main switchboard
through a propulsion transformer. The different cables
(control and supply cables for the propulsion motors,
converters and their different auxiliaries) are to follow
different routes which are to be as far separated as
practicable. BV carries out a design review and a
construction survey in order to ensure that this complete
redundancy is achieved.
Generators :
The ABB generators of the AMG series are available for
marine applications for ratings up to 50MVA. The AMG
generators range from frame sizes 450 to 2500. This
frame size denotes the shaft height of the generator in
mm. Typically marine generators for the LNG carriers
range from AMG1120 to AMG1600. All marine
generators are delivered with brushless excitation, sleeve
bearings, and MCI (Micadur Compact Industry) insulation
system for the highest reliability and performance. The
MCI insulation system is based on a vacuum pressure
impregnation method.
HV Switchboards :
ABB has delivered or has in order High Voltage (HV)
switchboards (3,3kV and 6,6kV) for more than 50 LNG
Carriers, of which about 10 vessels are with electric
propulsion. However, the switchboard system and
configuration are similar for both the steam driven and
electric driven LNG carriers. For marine applications
ABB delivers HV switchboard of the types UNISAFE or
UNIGEAR with a short circuit level up to 31,5kA and
voltage rating up to 12kV. Higher ratings are also
available (up to 50kA), but have not been considered
necessary for the electric propulsion system of LNG
carriers. The High Voltage network is based on an
insulated neutral (no intentional connection to ground).
The phase to ground fault currents are the capacitive
current of electrical machines and cables. This type of
distribution system is common for LNG carriers because
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of the existence of hazardous area. The switchboards are
air insulated, metal clad, and with an arc-proof design for
maximum safety. Both SF6 and vacuum circuit breakers
are available but the SF6 circuit breakers have been
preferred for most cases as the breaker characteristics
(breaking at zero crossing of current) give minimum
operational over voltage and stress on the electric
distribution system. The protective philosophy is based
on the knowledge that the faults or abnormal operating
conditions can lead to phenomena such as overloads,
ground faults, phase to phase, and three phase faults. The
detection is undertaken by the protective relays, whose
task is to shut down the faulty part from operation and
separate it from the electrical distribution system. The
setting of the relays has been selected in order to allow a
reliable operation of the system, keeping the feeders and
the system in service as long as possible without risk of
damage. A protective relay coordination study has been
submitted to Bureau Veritas in order to confirm the
settings of the protection relays.
Transformers :
Four three winding propulsion transformers are used on
the project at Chantiers. Two plus two transformers are
giving a 24-pulse system on each side of the switchboard
by the +/- 7,5 degrees phase shifts of the primary
windings between the two transformers. This
configuration eliminates the main harmonic sources in
such a way that total harmonic distortion is well below
5% on the main switchboard, at any operating condition.
The transformers are of dry type cast resin RESIBLOCK®
design. The windings are effectively protected against
mechanical and chemical effects through the
encapsulation with glass fibre reinforced epoxy resin
insulation materials, insensitive to humidity and
practically maintenance free. Air to water cooled
transformers are normally used for the propulsion
transformers.
Distribution transformers for LV supply would be of same
RESIBLOCK® design, however, natural air cooling would
be the normal cooling method.
Frequency converters :
ABB has a long experience with delivering electric
propulsion systems, and has continuously been a
frontrunner in propulsion and equipment design. The
latest generation of ABB medium voltage drives for
marine applications is the ACS 6000 frequency converter,
which is a Direct Torque Control (DTC) Voltage Source
Inverter (VSI). This converter is available for propulsion
motors rated up to 26MW and is used for both
synchronous and asynchronous propulsion motors. For the
electric propulsion system at the LNGC at Chantiers the
converters are designed for speed control of 2 x 14MW
synchronous propulsion motors. The converters have a
diode bridge as rectifier, which gives a high network
power factor (>0.95) at all operating conditions. The
harmonic spectrum of the line current is fixed at the
characteristic harmonics (dependent on pulse number) and
the switchboard voltage will be without the notches which
are normally seen when using thyristor controlled
rectifiers.
The inverter side of the converter consists of IGCTs
(Integrated Gate Commutated Thyristors) as switching
devices, combining the benefits of fast switching
capabilities of an IGBT and low conducting losses of a
GTO. The switching logic is controlled by the DTC
controller, and gives a fast dynamic torque response in
addition to a minimized torque ripple at the propeller
shaft. The converters are operating in 24-pulse
configuration. This reduces the harmonic distortion levels
to below 5% at the main switchboard and means that the
system can be designed without harmonic filters.
Propulsion motors
For LNG carriers of the size around 150 000cbm the
required propulsion power will typically be in the range of
26-28MW. One propeller is powered by two electric
motors in order to get a 2 x 50% redundant propulsion
system at the electric side. Each motor is then rated at
about 13-14MW and separately controlled by one
frequency converter each. There are two possible
configurations: Two motors connected to a gearbox or
two motors directly on the propeller shaft in a tandem
configuration. The first alternative is chosen at Chantiers
as the most cost effective solution. With the gear solution
the RPM of the motors can be increased to about 700
RPM in order to reduce the size and cost of the machine.
With the power level of 13-14MW the propulsion motor
will be a synchronous motor. ABB produces the
synchronous motors (AMZ series) in the same factory as
the generators, using many of the same construction
facilities and methods. Each propulsion motor has double
windings, with a brushless excitation system. Separate
cooling fans are provided to give adequate cooling for
every speed between zero and max speed. The propulsion
motors delivered for the LNGs at Chantiers are of the
frame size AMZ1120.
Propulsion control system
The propulsion control system consists of two separate
control cabinets, one for each frequency converter. It has
been submitted to environmental tests (EMC tests and
marine environmental tests) in order to demonstrate that it
is able to work properly in the environmental conditions
prevailing on board. Bureau Veritas refers to standard
tests which are now common to all the classification
societies (IACS E10). Since there is only one propeller for
speed control, the control cabinets will be arranged in a
master-slave configuration. However, the risks of
common mode failure have been considered and it has
been verified during the design review and will be
confirmed during the tests on board, that it is always
possible to control one motor when the other one is not
available (this includes failures coming from the other
control system, converter and electric motor). As the
propulsion motors are necessarily close to each other,
special considerations are to be given to the installation on
board : routes of cables, engine room ventilation, etc…
In addition to the cabinets, RPM control can be performed
from 3 separate locations : local control or remote from
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the ECR or Bridge. The remote control stations include
RPM levers, integrated telegraph system, control
responsibility panels, drive control panels, and RPM and
power indications. The transfer procedure is to follow
rules such as the stability of the propeller speed in transfer
mode. Priority is given to the local control which is to be
available even in case of failure of the remote control.
Bridge
ECR
DG DG DG DG
PMS PMS
~ ~
Local ~ ~
M M
Prop.
control
Prop.
control
Figure 2 : typical system layout for propulsion control
Figure 2 shows the typical layout of the propulsion
control system and the interface to the power and
propulsion system and the power management system.
Normally the power management system is integrated in
the IAS (Integrated Alarm System) : as a general rule,
failure of the power plant control system is not to cause
complete loss of generated power (i.e black out) or loss of
propulsion. However, blackout prevention function is also
included in the propulsion control system as follows :
- Calculation of available power
- Power limitation based on the available power
- Fast power reduction in case of generator trips
- Power reduction in case of low frequency
In general, the auxiliaries are controlled by the IAS. As
some of them are used only for propulsion purposes, they
are directly controlled by the propulsion control system.
Bureau Veritas rules ask for the duplication of some
auxiliaries (for instance, ventilation fans of electrical
machines, converters). The philosophy is to maintain the
availability of the service, even at reduced power.
The control is based on sensors which can trigger either
alarms or safeties. Alarms will indicate deviations from
the normal running parameters. Safeties are installed in
order to limit any damage to electric components. As a
general rule, alarms and safeties are to be separated : they
are not to be activated by the same instrument and control
system. The objective is to maintain a minimum of
protection of the electrical propulsion in case of failure of
one of the control systems. Safeties are designed in such a
way to limit the risks of accidental stop of the propulsion.
Safeties are to be limited to exceptional circumstances. It
is to be pointed out that according to the latest rules, the
control system shall be designed in a manner which
ensures that threshold warning of impeding or imminent
slowdown / shutdown is to be given to the navigation
bridge. Bureau Veritas rules [4] define a list of alarms and
safeties. Their number is limited in case of attended
machine spaces but the list is much more detailed when
the vessel is granted with an automation mark. In addition
to the usual electric protections, Bureau Veritas asks to
monitor different propulsion auxiliaries such as cooling
pumps, ventilation fans, etc… The temperatures of the
windings are an important point for equipment such as
rotating machines, transformers as they confirm the good
running of their auxiliaries. High temperature can
significantly reduce the life time of electric equipment.
However, taking into account the diversity of propulsion
technologies now available on the market, it is quite
impossible for a classification society to propose an
exhaustive list of alarms and safeties. They are more and
more specific to one system type. Therefore, a fault and
effect matrix is to be submitted to Bureau Veritas. On the
basis of the manufacturer’s experience and an analysis of
the failure’s consequences, additional alarms and safeties
may be implemented.

Conclusion :
Because of adaptability, reliability, flexibility of
installation, reduced maintenance and easy control,
electric propulsion has become more and more common
nowadays. The intrinsic advantage of electric propulsion,
added to those of dual fuel engines allows outstanding
performance in the marine field. Electric propulsion
systems on board LNG carriers, unthinkable a few years
ago, is now becoming a sensible solution. As frequency
converters are now based on modular components, they
can be used by personnel without specific skills in
electrical engineering. The result of this project is the
installation on board of an innovative and reliable electric
propulsion system.

References :
[1] R. Courtay, L. Claes and J. Sainson, LNG carriers
using gas fuel only, diesel Gas electric propulsion. proc.
of the 14th international conference & exhibition on
Liquefied Natural Gas, Doha, Qatar, March 2004

[2] J. F. Hansen, R. Lysebo, Electric propulsion for LNG

carriers. LNG journal, September/October 2004

[3] Bureau Veritas, NR 481 : design and installation of

dual fuel engines using low pressure gas, February 2002

[4] Bureau Veritas, Rules for the classification of steel

ships, February 2003

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