THYCON were contracted to design & supply 3 x 1.6MVA 11kV/50Hz to 440V/60Hz Portable Static Frequency Converters (SFCs). The SFCs are used to provide Shore to Ship power to the new Air Warfare Destroyers currently being built in South Australia.
The original SFC design involved the construction of a permanent 60Hz power house; however a lack of available real estate shifted the project towards a portable solution.
Individually, each 1.6MVA SFC is comprised of two 800kVA 50/60Hz THYCON Industrial SFC units, cooling system, HV/LV transformer and main switchboard. The equipment is installed on a rigid, galvanised steel base frame with an insulated bondor structure on top.
THYCON industrial SFC equipment can be found across almost all Australian Defence bases, with its superior reliability and thyristor technology providing enhanced long term performance in comparison to other technologies.
An outdoor switchboard has been installed at one end of each enclosure to provide the user with access to four 400A / 440V / 60Hz cope outlets and three 100A /415V / 50Hz industrial outlets. The cope sockets provide power to the ship, while the 415V supplies are available for dockside use.
From outside the SFC enclosure, the user is provided with basic stop/start functionality, as well as the ability to individually connect/disconnect power to each cope outlet. Interlocks prevent the energisation of unused cope sockets. All outgoing loads are monitored by dedicated Power Quality Meters (PQM) with all data, including SFC, VESDA and air conditioning information available over a high level modbus network.
Each Portable SFC is 10m long x 3.8m wide x 3.49m tall and is provided with lifting eyes suitable for a crane lift. The SFC and transformer sections are sealed to prevent ingress of salt air. Entry into the HV transformer room is monitored and will automatically trip the incoming power if access is detected.
The SFC systems have been designed to meet the Defence requirements of STANAG 1008 NAV (Edition 9) – Characteristics of Shipboard Electrical Power Systems in Warships of the North Atlantic Treaty Navies.
