Marine Electrical Power Systems:
Shipboard Power System Fundamentals:
Power Distribution

Last Update: January 10, 2026

Essential Questions

Essential Question Level of Thinking
What components comprise Power Distribution?
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How are cables chosen?
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What are circuit breaker trip curves and how are they used to predict clearing times?
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How are circuit breaker trip curves used to coordinate series circuit breakers?
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Text Material

Power Distribution

Presentation Material

Power Distribution (PowerPoint)

Power Distribution (pdf)

Images

I_20251030a Power Distribution Figures

I_20241116b Nuclear Ship Savannah Armored Cable

I_20220517a Cable ways on Emerald Princess

I_20240921a USS Slater (DE-766) Ground Detection Lamps

I_20251025a Insulated Bus Pipe Cross Section

I_20241116e Nuclear Ship Savannah Power Panel

I_20241116a USS Wisconsin (BB-64) Power Panel

I_20221019b USS Midway (CV-41) Power Panel

I_20180531a USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) switchboard

I_19900801a USS Goldsborough (DDG-20) Ship Service Switchboard

I_20231216b USS Wisconsin (BB-64) Shore Power Connection

I_19860607a USS Iowa (BB-61) Shore Power Connection

I_20200222a USS Little Rock (LCS 9) Shore Power Connection

Video Material

References

Mukund Patel, Shipboard Electrical Power Systems, CRC Press, Roca Raton 2021

IEEE Std 45.1 IEEE Recommended Practice for Electrical Installations on Shipboard--Design

IEEE Std 45.8 IEEE Recommended Practice for Electrical Installations on Shipboard--Cable Systems

IEEE Std 1580 IEEE Recommended Practice for Marine Cable for Use on Shipboard and Fixed or Floating Facilities

MIL-HDBK-299 Cable Comparison Handbook Data Pertaining to Electric Shipboard Cable

EDQP SD-311 EDQP Study Paper Electrical Power Distribution

Doerry, Norbert, "Shipboard power system limiting load flow and load flow analysis", IEEE ESTS 2025, Alexandria VA, August 5-8, 2025.

Doerry, Norbert, "Voltage Drop Calculations on Shipboard Power Systems", presented at 16th International Symposium on Practical Design of Ships and Other Floating Structures PRADS 2025, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, October 19th - 23rd 2025.

Kusuma, Indra Ranu, Eddy Setyo Koenhardhono, Riantini Karmina, "Design of Protection Coordination for Overcurrent on Electrical System in Tanker Ship Plan Using Electro Mechanical Trip Device," International Journal of Marine Engineering Innovation and Research, Vol. 1(4), Sep. 2017. 233 240 (pISSN: 2541-5972, eISSN: 2548-1479).

Patel, Mukund, Shipboard Electrical Power Systems,CRC Press, Roca Raton 2021


(C) Copyright 2024-2026 Norbert Doerry

This work by Norbert Doerry is licensed under CC BY 4.0

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