The Gunnerus, a sturdy cargo ship, and the Ataturk, a sleek passenger liner, are the stars of the Flexship project—a bold endeavour to revolutionize maritime transport through electrification. Wabtec, a name synonymous with innovation, had its hands deep in the project. Their engineers, fuelled by curiosity and determination, boarded on a journey that would redefine the boundaries of shipboard power systems.
Ship and Shore Interface Integration
Wabtec has played a crucial role in both ship and shore interface integration. This dual contribution has ensured a seamless transition between the two interfaces, enhancing the overall efficiency of the system.
Challenges on the Gunnerus Vessel Grid
The Gunnerus vessel grid, operating at 440VAC, posed a unique challenge as the batteries are DC charged. To overcome this, a secondary DC grid was integrated into the existing vessel for the battery charging system. This integration, however, brought about further challenges in the connection stage, added onboard weight, and reduced available space.
Constraints on Ataturk
The Ataturk, built solely for direct ICE propulsion, had no electric system prepared for charging. This necessitated the design and preparation of a fully new grid. Starting from scratch offered the freedom to design as desired but also required more integration work.
Wabtec’s contributions to these challenges have been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in maritime technology. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project.
FLEXSHIP received funding from EU Horizon Europe research and innovation program under Grant Agreement no. 101095863.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101095863
