Allure of the Seas is a sailing city with UPS protection

Background and Challenge

Allure of the Seas is the ultimate achievement in shipbuilding – it is the most advanced cruise ship ever built. Its sister ship Oasis of the Seas, completed in 2009, set the bar for the concept and vision of a modern cruise ship, and Allure of the Seas took energy efficiency to new heights. Both ships rely on Eaton’s UPS protection for passenger safety and comfort.

Advanced technology is everywhere on board the world’s largest cruise ship. LAN-connected televisions in the staterooms and interactive displays throughout the ship provide passengers with an easy way to make reservations for the many restaurants and theatres aboard. They also serve as passenger guides to various activities offered in the vessel’s seven themed areas – from boutiques, spas and casinos to a full-sized carousel, rockclimbing walls and a science lab for children.

Along with a variety of entertainment options, Allure of the Seas is also impressive in terms of motor power – its 100-megawatt output corresponds to the electricity needs of the city of Turku, Finland, where the ship was built.

Solution

Eaton helped this massive vessel meet its power supply challenges with a delivery of over 20 double-conversion, online marine 9395, 9390, 9355 and 9155 UPSs. They guarantee the consistent flow of reliable, clean and safe power for the ship’s operations – such as navigation equipment, ship automation, and emergency power and lighting – as well as for commercial applications, including casinos, theatres and more. The most business critical applications on board are protected by two 350-kVA marine 9395 UPSs.

“The importance of energy efficiency is constantly increasing in ship engineering and building. The highest priority, however, continues to be passenger safety,” says Juha Rokka, Senior Superintendent at Royal Caribbean International.

“In these areas, UPS systems play an essential role on the Allure of the Seas.”

Although the set-up is almost identical to Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas features some new Eaton innovations. Onboard the ship is the first-ever marine application of Eaton’s Energy Saver System (ESS) technology, which enables the UPS devices to reach an industry-leading efficiency level of 99 per cent. The efficiency improvement the ESS brings is dramatic: at small loads, the efficiency level can be improved by up to 15 percentage points, and at higher loads, improvements of about 5 percentage points can be achieved. These improvements save tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs every year.

In addition, Allure of the Seas was the first-ever ship on which Eaton’s Intelligent Power Manager software for controlling and managing the UPS system performance was implemented.

”We are extremely satisfied with both the delivered product quality and the service provided,” Rokka concludes.

Results

Eaton has firmly established its position within the Finnish shipbuilding cluster, having co-operated with the STX Europe ship yard in Turku and Royal Caribbean International for over ten years. Eaton’s power protection solutions are now employed in ten of Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships.