Optimizing fuel savings and power system reliability for all-electric hybrid vessels using Model Predictive Control

Increasingly stringent regulations on emission control and energy efficiency operations drives the maritime industry towards hybrid solutions incorporating energy storage and other alternative energy sources into marine power systems. In particular, commercial all-electric hybrid vessels with dynamic operations such as harbor tugs often face significant challenges in power management control to maximize fuel savings, in addition to ensuring power system reliability. An intelligent power management control strategy plays an important role in effectively managing the multiple energy sources and their constraints to achieve desired control objectives. Hence, in this paper, Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach is proposed to address these challenges. The propose strategy shows comparative performance in terms of fuel savings when compared to the Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy (ECMS), with added advantage of improving power system reliability.