Cochran Marine, OrionLX and Bitronics – Automated Shore Power
PUBLISHED ON Jun 27, 2013
NovaTech Automation
Cochran Marine Cable Positioning Device
Cochran Marine has been delivering Automated Shore Power Systems to cruise ships for nearly a decade. Ports up and down the North American West Coast are benefiting from the Cochran Marine Shore Power System. Seven systems are currently in operation, with two more port cities on the east coast scheduled to be online by 2014. With the recent incorporation of a frequency converter into its standard line-up, the Cochran Marine Shore Power System is now a global solution, able to be implemented anywhere ocean-going vessels dock.
Shore-side monitoring systems utilize protection relays and NovaTech Automation equipment, as well as redundant safety systems, to ensure the safety of ship and shore electrical systems. Once connected, all of the ship’s systems run on shore electricity instead of its diesel engines, virtually eliminating fuel emissions from the ship while in port.
What is Automated Shore Power?
Shore power systems, or cold ironing, serve the cruise ship and sea transportation industries by reducing/eliminating harmful emissions while in port. When an ocean transport vessel equipped to receive shore power docks in port, Cochran Marine’s uniquely designed automation system determines the proper operating parameters. The shore-side operator simply selects the ship to be connected and the Cochran Marine Shore Power System does the rest.
Five flexible power and control cables are lifted by a specially designed Cable Positioning Device (CPD) and connected to the ship’s electrical system through marine-standard plugs and sockets. Based on the ship’s specific voltage requirements, power is transferred to the ship and synchronized through a closed transition process monitored and controlled by the ship’s systems.
NovaTech Automation’s Part
At the Port of Vancouver, NovaTech Automation equipment plays a number of roles. The OrionLX monitors data values to be able to facilitate a safe and smooth transition from ship diesel power to shore (grid) power. Part of this process is automated using OrionLX Math & Logic but allows the operator full control of the breakers, thereby retaining control of exactly when the ship/shore transfer takes place. The OrionLX also collects data from Bitronics instruments which provide fast and precise electrical measurements, fault records, event records, and trend logs. These data are saved to the OrionLX’s internal database and then used to generate usage reports which are emailed out from the OrionLX to the user.
Key Features:
• Monitoring: Orion collects data from IEDs, and in the future will serve as RTU, providing data to the SCADA/Ship Control Room.
• Local and Remote Visualization: Orion serves out customized web pages to HMI.
• Interlocking and Control: Orion checks voltage interlocks and sends commands to protective relays to change setting profiles.
• Communications Processing: Orion provides AcSELerator® passthrough access to SEL®relays.
Concurrently, the shore-side automation system maintains a precise record of the ship’s power consumption for monitoring purposes.
