Hardware-in-the-Loop Experiments on the Use of Propulsion Motors to Reduce Pulse-Load System Disturbances

Pulse power loads are assuming increased importance in the development of all-electric naval surface combatants. One possible means for countering the potentially destabilizing effect of pulse loads is by manipulating the power of the propulsion motors to smooth out the variations in system power caused by the pulse loads. Hardware-in-the-loop experiments were conducted with the 2.5 MW motor-dynamometer system at the Center for Advanced Power Systems at Florida State University to test this possibility. RMS variations in system power were successfully reduced and several avenues for controller development were suggested by the results.