Multi-Agent Based Reconfiguration of an Electric Propulsion System for All Electric-Ships

Although its high efficiency, fast response, and increasing reliability, current protection schemes for shipboard power systems do not consider vital load satisfaction and power balance problems that occur with fault isolation and reconfiguration. A reconfiguration system is needed to solve power balance problems and try to satisfy vital loads as much as possible. Current reconfiguration techniques include mathematic programming, meta-heuristics, and knowledge-based programming. All of which are centralized methods and cannot meet the Navy´s needs for fight-through survivability and high reliability. This paper presents a multi-agent system (MAS) to reconfigure the ship electric propulsion system, which is an important part of ship power systems. The MAS has no global control and agents have to collaborate with each other to achieve the reconfiguration objective. Due to its decentralized feature, the MAS-based reconfiguration is preferable over centralized reconfiguration methods and can increase fight-through survivability and reliability.