In cooperation with our Portuguese agents, we recently completed a complex but very successful Power Management System retrofit for the Portuguese Navy.
The vessel was originally owned by the U.S. Navy and was fitted with a General Electric (GEC) ’GEM’ Integrated Generator and Propulsion Control System, responsible for control and monitoring of every aspect of the ship’s diesel electric power generation and propulsion plant.
The original system was unsupportable and partially defective thus rendering the vessel at best unreliable and at worst un-useable.
Against fierce competition from some of the ‘major players’ MJR Power & Automation Controls Ltd won the contract to provide consultancy and design engineering services to provide a replacement bespoke system based around a customized version of our well proven Power Management System architecture.
Over a period of several weeks alongside at the Portuguese Naval Base/Headquarters in Lisbon, the original system was removed and the new system installed and interfaced to the existing electrical propulsion system. This was no easy task as the power management and propulsion systems were highly integrated and bespoke, using non standard interface signals and requiring a highly customised solution.
In addition to replacing the complete power management system and generator controls we also replaced the original excitation equipment on the alternators and installed new electronic governors on all engines.
The project was a resounding success and exceeded the Client’s expectations leading to a further enquiry for supply, installation and commissioning of a Dynamic Positioning System for the vessel.
Key Features:
- Automatic synchronizing & paralleling of 4 x 600V, 600kW generators.
- Active (kW) & reactive (kVAR) load sharing.
- Isochronous, constant voltage operation.
- Integration with AC variable speed main propulsion system complete with power limiting module for propulsion load limiting dependent upon available power.
- Integration with multi-section bus bar arrangement on main switchboard for high levels of redundancy.
- Generator protection (1st stage alarm & 2nd stage shutdown).