Why choose ABB Onboard DC Grid™
Onboard DC Grid™ is a centralized modular power system platform that enables seamless, flexible integration of energy sources and loads.
It is highly customizable, serving a wide range of marine vessel types, from the simple to the most demanding applications. Marine DC Power systems streamline the creation of next-generation onboard power systems, helping make fleets leaner and greener.
KEY BENEFITS
Lower OPEX
<p>Reduce fuel consumption and prolonging maintenance intervals through simplified system design. The high fault tolerance of Onboard DC Grid™ improves operational efficiency, lowering total cost of ownership over the vessel’s lifecycle.</p>Future proof and reliable power solution
<p>Conduct safer, more efficient operations with our highly fault tolerant system platform built on our autonomous sub-system design philosophy and high-quality components. Onboard DC Grid™ keeps the opportunity to change energy carriers open, including variable speed engines, future fuels, batteries, fuel cells and more.</p>Superior technical knowhow
<p>Get worldwide support from a team with 15+ years of experience in marine DC power systems integration, control and protection. Our experts cover a wide range of power sources, propulsion systems, gensets, batteries, fuel cells across multiple DC power distribution ships and vessels.</p>"With electrification at its heart, ABB Onboard DC Grid(tm) is a mighty enabler for the maritime transition to a lower-emission present. This modular fault tolerant DC power system enables integration of different energy carriers and propulsion solutions in most energy efficient way, making it truly future-proof."
Global Product Manager, Onboard DC GridTM, ABB's Marine & Ports Division
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
-
What are the advantages of DC integration?
A DC-based power architecture lowers fuel consumption by enabling variable-speed generator operation, extends maintenance intervals through more efficient engine loading, and reduces cabling compared to AC. It improves reliability due to lower fault propagation while reducing overall footprint by up to 30%. It also makes it easier to integrate batteries, fuel cells, and other energy sources.
-
Which types of vessels are most suited for an Onboard DC Grid™ power system?
Onboard DC Grid™ is suitable for a wide range of vessel segments, from small to mid-range power needs, such as passenger, energy, cargo, short sea shipping and more. The system is highly customizable to match different vessel sizes, layouts and operating profiles.
-
How does the Onboard DC Grid™ improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions?
It makes vessels more efficient by enabling engines to run at variable speeds. This keeps engines running closer to their optimal load point, reducing fuel consumption, engine wear and maintenance needs.
Onboard DC Grid™ will be more efficient when integrating fuel cells, due to the DC nature of the fuel cell output, requiring less power conversion compared to AC systems. -
How does the Onboard DC Grid™ support the integration of batteries, fuel cells, and other clean energy sources?
It’s simpler to integrate batteries, fuel cells and emerging energy carriers because they’re all DC-based, and require fewer power conversions compared to AC systems. Over the vessel's lifetime, Onboard DC Grid™ gives flexibility for adding, combining or transitioning energy sources without redesigning the entire power system-supporting long-term sustainability goals.
-
For a vessel planning to adopt batteries or fuel cells in future, when should I consider using Onboard DC Grid™?
Onboard DC Grid™ is ideally suited for updating energy efficiency during the vessel’s lifetime, as it enables integration of additional energy sources, such as batteries, fuel cells or shaft generator systems now and later on. The DC architecture supports variable speed operation and simplifies multi-source power integration with the added benefits of a smaller footprint and lower conversion losses.
WHAT'S YOUR CHALLENGE?
Energy efficiency and decarbonization
Onboard DC Grid™ is a perfect solution to maximize the power system energy efficiency, where less conversion stages can be utilized.
Future fuel uncertainties
Onboard DC Grid™ can handle different engines at different speeds, which allows the use of different fuels and optimizes the engine operation under these different fuels. In addition, different batteries and fuel cell technologies can be integrated, where these energy sources are characterized as DC sources.
Building fully electric vessels
Onboard DC Grid™ is a perfect solution for such cases, since these energy sources are characterized as DC sources, and direct online batteries can be also considered in some cases to allow higher efficiency.
Closed bus operation with Onboard DC Grid™
Onboard DC Grid™ is equipped with all necessary equipment to operate under closed-bus and can fulfill the most strict class requirements from both hardware and software.
Power system faults and redundancy
Onboard DC Grid™ is equipped with all necessary equipment to clear different faults in few microseconds.
CO2e calculator for Onboard DC Grid™
The proof is in the numbers.
Calculate the estimated reduction of CO2e emissions as a result of applying the variable speed function on Onboard DC Grid™ for internal combustion engines, compared to a fixed speed function.
Fill in the main operational details of your vessel. The calculator will estimate how much CO2e emissions you can expect to reduce.
Part of the power system family
We offer a complete range of AC, DC and hybrid power platforms.
Part of power system family
Onboard AC Grid™
Compact Onboard DC Grid™