High Voltage Shore Connection Systems: Grounding Resistance Selection and Short Circuit Currents Evaluation

Cold ironing represents an effective solution to remove air polluting emissions from ports. The high voltage shore connection system is the key enabling facility that allows to provide power from the shore side electrical system to the ship. The design of the shore connection needs a comprehensive assessment of the fault currents in different operating scenarios. International standards require the neutral point of the shore connection transformer be equipped with a neutral grounding resistor. Its value has to be defined to guarantee safety and protection of equipment and personnel in case of single phase-to-ground faults. Moreover, three-phase short circuits need to be considered to size equipment and protection devices. A crucial role is played by the frequency converter control system, required to adapt the mains frequency to the frequency of the ship. In this work, a complete electro-magnetic dynamic model of the high voltage shore connection has been developed, including frequency converter, shore-side transformer, connection MV cables and power system of the ship, to analyze in detail the behavior of the system in case of single phase-to-ground fault and three-phase short circuit, taking into account relevant standards and best practices.