Probabilistic-based design of ship electrical energy systems for enhancing safety

In this paper, a novel methodology is proposed for designing the electrical energy systems of passenger ships considering the safety as a key objective following the currently introduced Safe Return to Port (SRtP) regulations. A key element of this is the logical and topological modelling of the essential, i.e. safety-critical, systems, which is then applied to investigate statistical flooding damages of the vessel. This allows for quantitative safety performance assessment of the considered systems during emergencies using probabilistic rules. As a case study, a systematic investigation for the identification of the vulnerable zones is carried out. The proposed methodology is part of a holistic performance-based approach for the design of the electrical energy systems through the development of knowledge intensive models for the identification of the key design systems parameters aiming to the enhancement of systems safety, the energy efficiency improvement as well as the reduction of the system life cycle cost.