Hybrid Power and Energy Management in Marine Systems

Hybrid power and energy management in marine systems encompasses the integration of multiple energy sources, storage technologies and advanced control strategies to meet the dual imperatives of operational efficiency and environmental stewardship. Modern vessels increasingly combine conventional diesel or gas-fuelled generators with renewable sources such as photovoltaics, fuel cells and shore-power connections. These resources are coordinated through microgrid architectures that may operate in AC, DC or hybrid AC/DC configurations to optimise power flow, maintain stability and accommodate highly dynamic propulsion and service loads. Energy management systems employ real-time data, optimisation algorithms and state-of-charge feedback to allocate demand among generators, batteries and supercapacitors, thereby reducing fuel consumption, emissions and maintenance cycles. Practical applications range from autonomous patrol craft to short-sea ferries, where peak shaving, load levelling and spinning reserve functions ensure reliability under varied operational profiles. The global significance of this field is underscored by tightening maritime emissions regulations, shifting fuel markets and the drive towards decarbonisation; hybrid architectures promise up to half of CO₂ reductions compared to conventional designs while enhancing manoeuvrability, noise reduction and lifecycle costs.

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Hybrid Power and Energy Management in Marine Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in hybrid power and energy management in marine systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Microgrid: An autonomous electrical network integrating distributed energy resources, storage and loads, capable of operating in isolation or connected mode.

Battery Energy Storage System (BESS): A system of rechargeable batteries and power electronics used to store electrical energy for load shifting, peak shaving and emergency reserve.

Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS): A combination of two or more storage technologies, such as batteries and supercapacitors, designed to leverage complementary power and energy characteristics.

State of Charge (SOC): The measure of available capacity in a battery or storage device, typically expressed as a percentage of its nominal energy.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC): A high-temperature fuel cell that converts chemical energy from various fuels directly into electricity with high efficiency and low emissions.

References

1. Battery Energy Storage Systems in Ships’ Hybrid/Electric Propulsion Systems. Energies (2023).
2. Component sizing and energy management for SOFC-based ship power systems. Energy Conversion and Management (2021).
3. SOC Optimization Based Energy Management Strategy for Hybrid Energy Storage System in Vessel Integrated Power System. IEEE Access (2020).