A Preliminary Assessment of Shipboard Power System Architectures for LVDC Integration

The adoption of low-voltage direct current sections within grid architectures is emerging as a promising design option in the naval sector. This paper presents a preliminary comparative assessment of three different grid topologies, using an existing MVAC-LVAC shipboard power system as a reference: a conventional MVAC-LVAC radial distribution with an additional LVDC section, a full LVDC radial distribution and a zonal LVDC distribution. Each architecture includes typical elements such as synchronous generators, propulsion motors, energy storage system units, extra propulsive loads, and pulse power loads. The analysis exploits five key performance indicators: weight, volume, technology readiness level, average system interruption duration index, and pulsed power loads interruption index.