How to achieve energy efficiency and sustainability of large ships: a new tool to optimize the operation of on-board diesel generators

In this paper a novel tool that can effectively minimize the environmental impact of various transportation systems by determining an optimal sequence of generator operation is developed. To achieve this, the algorithm identifies the best operating sequence based on the power demand of the system, loading the most suitable number of engines and the appropriate load value to minimize fuel consumption for both the single engine and the entire sequence. During each simulation time step, the power required by the system is evaluated, and the algorithm determines the most suitable number and type of generators to satisfy the request while operating at the optimal load value to achieve minimum specific fuel consumption. The algorithm proposed is implemented in a dynamic simulation model, which is specifically designed for evaluating the energy performance of modern cruise ships. The energy system of modern cruise ships is equipped with two auxiliary boilers, five refrigeration units, and two different desalination systems, along with four diesel generators. from the study indicate that the proposed algorithm has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the maritime industry. The algorithm resulted in a primary energy saving of 1.92% for the system with Multi Stage Flash supplied with high temperature, and a fuel reduction of 1.73% in comparison to the reference scenario. It is demonstrated that a dynamic algorithm for generator management can be used to achieve these results.