Power Management System Comeback: How KDU Engineers Restored a Vessel in South Africa

For the past few weeks, a vessel near Saldanha Bay, South Africa, has been struggling with its power management system. For safe operations, a power management system is the focal point for efficiency. However, in this case, their PMS was failing, requiring urgent attention.  

The main obstacles the team faced were:

• Failing generators, which were not sharing the load correctly.
•  Controllers are dropping offline often without notice.
•  Unreliable electrical stability onboard.

 After receiving the call to action from the vessel, our Electrical & Automation team boarded the vessel for a full assessment & system reporting.

They evaluated the vessel’s PMS system and found the following:

• Inactive PPM 3 controller, due to measuring card failure.
• Disconnected the DG2 controller, causing failure in the ship’s electrical stability.
• Active CAN communication alarms.
• An abnormal reactive load sharing.
•  An imbalance between DG2 and DG3’s reactive power. 

 

Without further delay, our engineers began the corrective actions. They backed up the configuration from the old PPM 3 controller and examined how the generators performed during manual operation. Once the data was recorded & documented, the focus shifted to removing & replacing the old controllers. DG2 controllers came out first, followed by DG3 and DG1. Each panel was rewired and prepared for the new DEIF PPM 300 controllers, with careful attention to cut‑outs, wiring routes, and compatibility with the existing switchboards onboard the vessel.

With careful intervention, our engineers took up the task of installing new PPM 300 controllers. Each generator was given a new controller with freshly configured parameters and rewiring. After the installation, thorough testing & configuration followed. The team tested the units individually, verified their communication on the PPM 300 display, and established that the breaker operations were smoothly functioning. With the placement of new controllers, the synchronization and load-sharing problem slowly vanished.

Upon further review, KDU engineers made a few adjustments to DG3’s no-load voltage to correct the reactive power imbalance, which was noticed during the initial assessment. They completed the frequency regulation tests using PICUS software for stability and blackout simulations to ensure the systems could withstand all real-life conditions. After systematic testing & restoration, the controllers performed perfectly, from standby generator function to restoring power without any manual intervention.

As the system achieved stability, our team accomplished field testing under heavy load & performed ballast pump operations, and observed the generators’ load sharing capabilities. Upon completing a successful retrofit, onsite system functionality training was provided to ETO and Chief Engineer, through the new controller settings, explaining each aspect in detail, ensuring they felt fully confident operating the upgraded system.

In conclusion, the vessel sailed with a fully restored & with a modernized power management system equipped with DEIF’s PPM 300 controllers. All thanks to KDU World’s Electrical & Automation Team for their effective work and a successful retrofit.

Why KDU World is Your Right Partner for Power Management

Choosing the right partner will always ensure your work is in capable hands. With KDU, over 20 years of experience in the marine industry and a long-standing partnership – including 10 + years with DEIF, delivers advanced equipment, trusted support, OEM trained technical team, and optimized configuration.

Our expertise includes critical marine system configuration, including Power Management Systems (PMS). Whether it’s load sharing, blackout prevention, generator protection, or integration with your existing automation network, we will ensure your vessel’s power management system operates efficiently without doubt.

With strong expertise in marine electrical & automation solutions and a presence across the UAE, KSA, Oman, Nigeria, and 12 regions around the world, KDU  supports ship owners, shipyards, and offshore operators with reliable equipment and professional service.