Research on Improving Energy Efficiency Through Optimal Load Control Between a Ship’s Shaft Generator and Diesel Generator

In response to the escalating climate change crisis, the International Maritime Organization has implemented stringent regulations to significantly improve the energy efficiency of ships. Consequently, the global shipbuilding and maritime industries are actively developing and deploying advanced technologies to comply with these rigorous regulations and further enhance the energy efficiency of maritime vessels. This study proposes a method for developing an optimal load-sharing control system that minimizes fuel consumption in vessels with varying shaft generator capacities and output characteristics. The system receives real-time data on the main engine, diesel generator, and electric power grid status to optimize load sharing and minimize total fuel consumption. Load sharing is achieved using the Lagrange interpolation formula to optimize the fuel oil consumption objective function for shaft generators and diesel generators operating in parallel. A specialized real-time controller, simulated using MATLAB/Simulink with real navigation data, demonstrated fuel savings of ~1.89% compared with conventional methods.