Book excerpt: Shipboard Propulsion, Power Electronics, and Ocean Energy fills the need for a comprehensive book that covers modern shipboard propulsion and the power electronics and ocean energy technologies that drive it. With a breadth and depth not found in other books, it examines the power electronics systems for ship propulsion and for extracting ocean energy, which are mirror images of each other. Comprised of sixteen chapters, the book is divided into four parts: Power Electronics and Motor Drives explains basic power electronics converters and variable-frequency drives, cooling methods, and quality of power Electric Propulsion Technologies focuses on the electric propulsion of ships using recently developed permanent magnet and superconducting motors, as well as hybrid propulsion using fuel cell, photovoltaic, and wind power Renewable Ocean Energy Technologies explores renewable ocean energy from waves, marine currents, and offshore wind farms System Integration Aspects discusses two aspects—energy storage and system reliability—that are essential for any large-scale power system This timely book evolved from the author’s 30 years of work experience at General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Westinghouse Electric and 15 years of teaching at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. As a textbook, it is ideal for an elective course at marine and naval academies with engineering programs. It is also a valuable reference for commercial and military shipbuilders, port operators, renewable ocean energy developers, classification societies, machinery and equipment manufacturers, researchers, and others interested in modern shipboard power and propulsion systems. The information provided herein does not necessarily represent the view of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy or the U.S. Department of Transportation. This book is a companion to Shipboard Electrical Power Systems (CRC Press, 2011), by the same author.