Recording & Summary MBF Webinar - “Mastering DC Protection Onboard Ships”
The “Mastering DC Protection Onboard Ships” webinar brought together experts from Astrolkwx and The Switch, moderated by Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker (MBF), to explore cutting-edge solutions for DC fault protection, system design, and integration. This interactive session provides both technical insight and practical perspectives on building the next generation of safe, efficient marine DC networks.
Missed it? Here are some key takeaways!
DC grids are more efficient (up to 20% savings) and lighter (up to 30% savings) than AC systems, but their protection is far more complex.
DC faults are extremely dangerous, with current rising at hundreds of kA/µs to peaks of 300 kA. This speed makes traditional fuses and mechanical breakers obsolete.
Solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs) are the only viable solution, interrupting faults in microseconds to prevent system-wide shutdowns and enable advanced topologies like closed-bus operation.
Two market approaches exist: integrated solutions (The Switch’s DC Hub) and standalone components (SLKWX’s breakers), offering different benefits for system integrators.
