Insulated Bus Pipe (IBP) for Shipboard Application

The commercial shipbuilding industry and the U.S. Navy have decreed that the aim of the "all electric ship" power system design is for survivability and continuity of electrical power supply. In general, ship service electric power and electric propulsion power requirements are approaching hundreds of megawatts. There are major challenges to the use of standard cable at medium voltage levels onboard due to cable stiffness, and cable bend radius requirements for distributing very high current around the ship. This paper examines the practical design and installation benefits associated with IBP as a possible alternative to shipboard electric power cable. Although IBP is widely used in the utility industry, the shipboard use of IBP is limited to several passenger cruise ships. No military shipboard installations have been performed to date. This paper examines the methodology of using IBP on shipboard applications and recommends procedures to follow at the preliminary concept phase of ship design. This paper recommends that the proven IBP prototypes and their models be the procurement specifications. The paper also recommends: inclusion of IBP application recommended practices in shipbuilding standards such as IEEE-45 and IEEE-1580; and inclusion of IBP in ABS rules for commercial ships, ABS NVR for naval vessels, and other national and international shipbuilding rules and regulations