Development of a High Voltage Power System for an Autonomous Passenger Boat

Abstract

This thesis presents the design of the high voltage (HV) battery and power distribution system for the CAT 10 L autonomous passenger boat by Callboats. The vessel uses a 400 V LiFePO₄ battery system with shore and solar charging, power distribution units, propulsion inverters and a 24 V auxiliary network.

A high-level block diagram is developed to describe the main subsystems and energy flows. Based on this, detailed circuit diagrams and cable plans are created, including EMC connection boxes and shielded orange HV cabling. Relevant marine electrical standards (ISO, IEC and ABYC) are reviewed, and their requirements are implemented through grounding and bonding arrangements, emergency shutdown functions, galvanic isolation and battery room monitoring.

Cable cross-sections are selected using current carrying capacity, voltage drop and protection coordination criteria. Finally, route-based energy consumption is estimated and combined with manufacturer data to assess depth of discharge and expected lifetime of the CTS LiFePO₄ battery packs.