Shipboard Fluid System Diagnostic Indicators Using Non- Intrusive Load Monitoring

Field studies have demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate the state of many shipboard systems by analyzing the electrical power that is drawn by electromechanical actuators (Ramsey et al. 2005, DeNucci et al. 2005, Cox et al. 2006, Cox et al. 2007). This paper demonstrates how a device known as a non-intrusive load monitor (NILM) uses only electrical power data to detect several critical faults in shipboard fluid systems. Using the example of reverse-osmosis units installed aboard the US Coast Guard’s Medium Endurance Cutters, it is shown that the NILM can provide ship’s force with a highly reliable real-time system monitoring capability.