IEC 60092-304:2022

Overview

IEC 60092-304:2022 - Electrical installations in ships, Part 304: Equipment - Semiconductor converters specifies special provisions for power-electronic converters and converter systems using semiconductor elements for shipboard use. It covers AC↔DC, DC↔AC, DC↔DC and AC↔AC conversion with a rated output power greater than 1 kW. The edition (4.0, 2022) updates service conditions, essential‑service requirements and test provisions. Note: converters used for electrical propulsion are excluded (see IEC 60092-501).

Key topics and technical requirements

The standard focuses on practical and safety-related requirements for marine semiconductor converters, including:

• Service conditions - design considerations for voltage/frequency ranges, inclination, vibration and ambient temperature.
• Effects on supply/load systems - managing supply-side disturbances, converter-internal faults and interactions with ship electrical networks.
• Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and insulation monitoring to ensure reliable operation and limit interference with sensitive ship systems.
• Converters for essential services - special construction, cooling arrangements and documentation for primary and secondary essential services (propulsion/steering and ship safety).
• Cooling, alarms and monitoring - requirements for cooling arrangements (primary vs secondary essential services), alarm priorities (alerts/alarms/warnings), and condition monitoring.
• Application features - parallel operation, accessibility, bypass circuits, control means, selectivity/discrimination, converter transformers, harmonic filters, UPS and soft‑starters.
• Testing and verification - conformity tests and documentation requirements to demonstrate compliance.
• Marking and documentation - required labeling and detailed documentation for safe installation and maintenance.

Practical applications

IEC 60092-304 is intended for any semiconductor converters installed aboard sea‑going ships (excluding propulsion converters). Typical applications include:

• Shipboard UPS and emergency power systems for essential services
• Power conversion for hotel services, automation and control systems
• Shore‑to‑ship and on‑board power conversion equipment
• Harmonic filtering and power quality correction using converter-based systems
• Soft‑starters and motor-control converters for auxiliary machinery

The standard helps ensure reliable, safe converter operation in the demanding marine environment (vibration, shock, humidity, constrained spaces).

Who should use this standard

• Marine electrical engineers and system designers
• Shipbuilders and OEMs of power‑electronic equipment
• Classification societies and regulatory bodies
• Shipowners, operators and maintenance teams
• Integrators of shipboard power and automation systems

Related standards

Relevant cross‑references cited by IEC 60092-304 include:

• IEC 60092 series (ship electrical installations)
• IEC 60146 (semiconductor converters)
• IEC 60533 (EMC for ships)
• IEC 61800 (adjustable speed drive systems)
• IEC 62040 (UPS)
• IEC 62477 (safety for power electronic converter systems)
• IEC 60092-501 (electrical propulsion plant)

Using IEC 60092-304 helps align shipboard converter design, installation and testing with international marine safety and performance expectations.