Effect of load changes on hybrid shipboard power systems and energy storage as a potential solution: A review

More electric technologies (METs) play an important role in meeting ever-growing demands for energy efficiency and emission reduction in the maritime transportation sector. As a result, ships with electrical power transmission are becoming popular compared to traditional mechanical power transmission based ships. Hybrid electric propulsion is an intermediate step in this trend where both mechanical and electrical propulsion technologies are combined to get the benefits of both technologies. In this arrangement, not only the propulsion loads but also non-propulsion loads are connected to a common electrical power bus that could lead to serious power quality issues due to disturbances such as large load changes. This paper presents a comprehensive review on energy storage-based solutions that have been proposed to reduce their effects. The important aspects of existing as well as emerging energy storage control techniques and challenges in reducing transient effects in hybrid shipboard power systems with the use of energy storage are discussed in the paper.