Self-propelled ship

• US 8,425,267 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STX France SA (K Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: STX France SA (K Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Harpin, Dominique, Mostert, Maarten
• Primary Examiner(s): Olson, Lars A
• Application Number:
  US12/921,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 440/3, 440/6, 440/8, 440/9, 307/9.1, 307/48
• US Class Current: 440/6
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/17 by electric motor

Abstract

The disclosure concerns a self-propelled ship comprising a shipboard electric network, a main electrical supply bus, propulsion means, a motor for driving the propulsion means, and means for supplying electricity to them. According to the disclosure, the supply means comprise a set of electric capacitors having a capacitance sized to provide, at their nominal electrical charge, at least temporarily, both of the nominal supply of the shipboard network and of the electric motor through the bus, and electrical connection means arranged on board the ship for connecting the set of electric capacitors to another electric network located at an arrival and/or departure point of the ship, for the purpose of recharging the capacitors to their nominal charge and to supply the first network during a stop at the arrival and/or departure point.

Claims

1. A self-propelled ship, the ship comprising at least a first shipboard electric network, at least one main electrical supply bus, a propulsion device, at least one drive motor for driving the propulsion device, and a generator operably supplying electricity to the first shipboard electric network and the at least one drive motor through the main electrical supply bus, wherein:

the generator further comprises at least one set of electric capacitors having a capacitance sized so as to provide, at their nominal electrical charge, at least temporarily, both a nominal supply of the at least one first shipboard electric network and a nominal electrical supply of the at least one electric drive motor through the main electrical supply bus; and

an electrical connector arranged on board the ship connecting the set of electric capacitors to another electric network located at at least one point selected from;

(a) an arrival point and (b) a departure point, of the ship, for the purpose of recharging the capacitors to their nominal charge and to supply the first shipboard electric network during a stop at the point.

2. The ship according to claim 1, wherein:

the ship is assigned to navigation over a prescribed distance situated between a departure point and an arrival point, the at least one set of electric capacitors having a capacitance sized to provide, at their nominal electrical charge, a ratio equal to at least 25% of both of the nominal supply of the at least one first shipboard electric network over the prescribed distance and of the nominal electrical supply of the at least one electric drive motor, allowing travel over the prescribed distance, through the main electrical supply bus; and

the electrical connector is arranged aboard the ship for connecting the set of electric capacitors to the other electric network located at the point of the ship, for the purpose of recharging the capacitors to their nominal charge and to supply the first shipboard electric network during a stop at the point.

3. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the at least one set of electric capacitors has a capacitance sized to provide, at their electric nominal charge, both the nominal supply of the at least one first shipboard electric network over a prescribed distance and the nominal electrical supply of the at least one electric drive motor allowing travel over the prescribed distance, through the main electrical supply bus.

4. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the at least one set of electric capacitors has a capacitance sized to provide, at their nominal electrical charge, both the nominal supply of the at least one first shipboard electric network and the nominal electrical supply of the at least one electric drive motor through the main electrical supply bus for a ship translation speed less than or equal to a specified speed limit.

5. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the connector on board the ship comprises conductors capable of being put into contact, upon docking the ship at the point, with external conductors carried by mechanical means located at the point for compensating differences in height, compensating for the distance between the ship and a dock at the point, and to establish electrical contact between the ship and the dock.

6. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the connector on board the ship comprises conductors carried by mechanical means arranged so as to compensate the differences in height between the ship and a dock at the point and to compensate the distance between the ship and the dock, and arranged so as to be put into electrical contact, upon docking the ship at the point, with external conductors arranged on the dock.

7. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the set of capacitors is of the supercapacitor type.

8. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the generator comprises at least one generator set for support and for emergency use driven by at least one internal combustion engine supplied from an on-board fuel reserve.

9. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the set of capacitors comprises a plurality of branches, means for connecting the branches in parallel, each branch comprising several modules capable of being connected in series.

10. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the ship is provided with an electrical circuit sized to allow a nominal charge of the set of capacitors from zero charge within a time less than or equal to 10 minutes.

11. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the set of capacitors is connected to a first DC side of at least one DC-DC converter, a second DC side of which is connected to the main electrical supply bus being a direct-current bus connected to a first DC side of at least one DC-AC converter, an AC side of which is connected to the at least one electric drive motor and to the first shipboard electric network for supplying them with alternating current, the direct-current bus also being connected to a first DC side of at least one other DC-AC converter, a second AC side of which is connected to input conductors for connection to an external source of alternating current, for recharging the capacitors.

12. The ship according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector aboard the ship is located near the ship'"'"'s docking area and comprises conductors capable of being put into contact with complementary conductors remaining at the point, for recharging the capacitors.