ETAP BASED LOAD FLOW AND SHORT-CIRCUIT ANALYSIS OF A 42 M FAST CREW BOAT ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEM UNDER PEAK LOADING CONDITIONS

This paper models and evaluates the electrical power distribution system of a 42 m fast crew boat under peak operating conditions using ETAP. The study focuses on arrival and departure scenarios, which represent the highest electrical load as manoeuvring and auxiliary systems operate simultaneously. The system is designed in compliance with marine industry standards, namely IEC 60092, IEC 61363, and SOLAS. Load flow analysis is performed using the Newton-Raphson method to assess voltage stability, power distribution, and generator loading. Simulation results show that the optimised generator capacity of 250 kW operates at 82.1% load under peak demand, providing satisfactory operational margin and system reliability. Short-circuit analysis indicates a maximum short-circuit current of approximately 4.8 kA, allowing selected protection devices to safely interrupt faults. Calculated results were compared with ETAP simulation results and showed good agreement, with a design margin below 10%, confirming the validity of the modelling approach. The proposed methodology demonstrates how conventional design calculations can be combined with simulation-based verification to provide a reliable framework for marine electrical power system design.