A ship will not go dark even if central control fails – new solution revolutionises vessel electrical grids
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The shipbuilding industry is on the verge of a major leap forward. Timo Alho's doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa introduces a pioneering power management strategy that prevents ship blackouts. In Alho's management principle, the vessel's electrical equipment is capable of independently supporting the ship's grid without centralised commands. This makes the vessel's power systems significantly more fault-tolerant than before.
The maritime industry's green transition is driving vessels towards modern direct current (DC) networks, but the control strategies for them have lagged behind. Traditionally, shipboard power management has relied on a centralised automation system that continuously calculates the available power.
– The problem is that the centralised system is slow and rigid. If a ship's generator fails suddenly, the central control cannot react in time. The remaining generators are easily overloaded, resulting in a blackout, explains Alho.
Distributed intelligence replaces micromanagement
Alho’s management principle reverses the conventional philosophy. Instead of one central control system micromanaging all the equipment, the 'intelligence' is distributed. The central control only provides the operational boundaries – a "sandbox," as Alho calls it – within which the devices can operate independently.
Devices, such as the main propulsion or battery inverters, directly monitor the grid's DC voltage, which is directly proportional to the generator load.
– If a generator drops off the grid, the voltage collapses. This is an immediate signal to all devices to 'throttle down' their power, or for the batteries to support the grid. This all happens autonomously in milliseconds, without an active command, says Alho.
The result, from a power management perspective, is a significantly safer, simpler, and more flexible system. It is also easier to expand, as new equipment does not need to be complexly programmed into the central system. The method is based on existing standard technology, so its adoption depends mainly on a change in design philosophy.
Although the research directly serves the shipbuilding industry and shipping companies, its applications are broad. The management principle is particularly well-suited for applications demanding extreme reliability and autonomous operation.
– The management strategy is especially suited for environments where unforeseen situations can surprise a centralised system and cause problems – such as in space. When the system is inherently fault-tolerant, it doesn't need a human or a complex state machine monitoring it, Alho notes.
Dissertation
Alho, Timo (2025) Variable Voltage-based Power Management of DC Microgrids: With Focus on Shipboard Power Systems. Acta Wasaensia 574. Doctoral Dissertation. University of Vaasa.
Public defence
The doctoral dissertation of Timo Alho, MSc (Tech), "Variable Voltage-based Power Management of DC Microgrids: With Focus on Shipboard Power Systems," will be publicly examined on Tuesday, 25 November 2025 at 12:00 in the Nissi Auditorium (University of Vaasa).
It is possible to participate in the defence also online:
https://uwasa.zoom.us/j/61151520062?pwd=E90udY8H3f3GqbY943Jkam4Xc9hYoP.1
Password: 991814
The opponent will be Associate Professor Navid Bayati (University of Southern Denmark) and the custos will be Professor Hannu Laaksonen.
Tietolaatikko
Further information
Timo Alho earned his MSc (Technology) from the University of Vaasa in 2008. He works as an entrepreneur and as a teacher at VAMK, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences. One patent was also created during Alho's doctoral research.