DC Bus Current, Converter Capacity, Conversion Losses, ESS Integration, Fuel Savings & Lifecycle ROI

Marine DC Grid Retrofit, Converter Capacity, Efficiency & Electrification ROI Tool

Screen a retrofit from conventional AC distribution toward a marine DC grid. Calculate peak DC-bus transfer and current, test converter capacity, compare source-to-load efficiency, quantify avoided generator energy and estimate simple payback. Advanced mode adds source and load conversion shares, bus-section survivability, converter-bank losses, fuel and CO₂ economics, lifecycle NPV and engineering-readiness gates.

Data type
Currency
Currency selection changes display only. No exchange-rate conversion is performed.
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Need much more depth? Click Advanced above. Add bus current rating, post-isolation critical-load capacity, AC/DC and DC/DC source shares, inverter and load-side converter shares, converter-bank losses, fuel and CO₂ economics, shared retrofit cost and electrical-protection readiness.

Fast DC Retrofit Screen

Simple mode compares an entered existing source-to-useful-load efficiency against a proposed DC bus × converter-path efficiency. It is an electrical-chain screen, not engine thermal efficiency.

kW delivered to useful ship loads.
kW.
h/year at the modeled average useful load.
% effective conversion / distribution chain.
%.
% combined power-electronic path used in Simple mode.
V DC.
kW aggregate capacity on the modeled limiting conversion path.
Selected currency / MWh.
Selected currency after known credits / avoided equipment.

Electrical Mission & DC Bus

years.
kW.
kW.
kW.
%.
% above peak calculated DC-bus transfer.
V DC.
A.
%.
kW actual post-isolation source / bus capacity.
kW. Tool also calculates V × A / 1000 and uses the lower limit.

Source-Side DC Integration

Shares should total 100%. Source efficiency is calculated from the upstream energy required to deliver each share of DC-bus power.

%.
%.
%.
kW.
kW.

Load-Side DC Integration

Shares should total 100%. Direct DC loads represent equipment that can consume the DC supply without the modeled inverter or DC/DC stage.

%.
kW.
kW.

Power-Electronic Converter Register

Each row represents a converter stage or parallel bank. Peak transfer versus installed rating drives capacity; average transfer × annual hours × conversion loss drives annual loss. Labels are not submitted to Ship Universe Tool Data.

Converter / bankRoleTypeQtyRating each kWPeak transfer kWAvg transfer kWh/yrEfficiency %CAPEX eachMaint each / yr

Retrofit Economics

g/kWh.
Selected currency / t fuel.
tCO₂ / t fuel. Enter project fuel basis.
Selected currency / tCO₂.
Selected currency / year.
%.
%.
years.

Shared DC Grid Retrofit Cost

days.
Selected currency / day.
One-time value expected to be avoided / simplified later.
%.

DC Grid Engineering Readiness

Electrical retrofit screening only: this tool is not a DC short-circuit study, arc-energy calculation, protection-selectivity study, busbar thermal calculation, cable design, converter fault-current model, harmonic / EMC analysis, insulation-coordination study, common-mode study, earthing design, battery-safety analysis, dynamic-stability study or class-approved electrical design. Final retrofit engineering must use applicable IEC 60092 requirements, class / flag rules, converter OEM data and vessel-specific network studies.
Design context: Marine DC distribution can simplify integration of variable-speed generators, batteries, fuel cells and other DC sources and can reduce repeated power-conversion stages when the vessel architecture supports it. ABB describes modern marine DC grids as modular platforms for integrating multiple energy sources and loads and notes that variable-speed generator operation can improve engine loading and fuel efficiency. Actual savings are vessel- and mission-specific and should not be copied from vendor case studies. IEC 60092-302-2:2025 covers low-voltage marine power switchgear and controlgear assemblies up to 1,000 V AC or 1,500 V DC for generation, distribution and conversion of electrical energy. ABB Onboard DC Grid · IEC 60092-302-2:2025 · DNV Rules Explorer
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