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Abstract
During the last decade, hybrid propulsion is proven as an upcoming method to save fuel onboard of vessels. Especially parallel drives with a diesel-engine and an electric machine with a DC electric network under power management system (PMS) control is of interest. Although fuel saving and emission reductions of seagoing vessels are achieved, the safety of manoeuvring must remain priority. Under all circumstances the master must be certain that the demanded thrusts are achieved from the selected station-in-control. For hybrid propulsion so far, much emphasis has been put on PMS from rule-based, via linear programming to grey wolf methods. However, the impact of the human factors on safety of manoeuvring the vessel has not yet attracted much interest. In most cases various modes of operation are selectable via touch-screens.
This paper introduces a method for power management and propulsion mode selection by the use of the propulsion levers with haptic feedback. Instead of touch-screens, the levers, in conjunction with the measured speed-through-water and other variables, are used to estimate the required propulsion load. An advanced rule-based PMS system is used to set the required generator loads and to control the charging and discharging of the batteries. The PMS system uses the lever-based power estimation. Via force feedback and vibration of the lever-in-control, the master is informed about the machinery state and starting / stopping sequences. The lever-in-control can be at various stations. All devices, including rudders and other manoeuvring enhancing devices are under a single control transfer regime.
Furthermore, this paper describes and analyses the safety benefits of intuitive control inputs and machinery state feedback on base of tactile feedback. For the transit mode it is shown, that more fuel-saving is possible by using the power / reversing levers for the load prediction, compared to only using PMS with conventional mode selection. In harbour mode the emphasis is on achieving the required thrusts and yaw moments as fast as possible and in the most efficient way.
This paper introduces a method for power management and propulsion mode selection by the use of the propulsion levers with haptic feedback. Instead of touch-screens, the levers, in conjunction with the measured speed-through-water and other variables, are used to estimate the required propulsion load. An advanced rule-based PMS system is used to set the required generator loads and to control the charging and discharging of the batteries. The PMS system uses the lever-based power estimation. Via force feedback and vibration of the lever-in-control, the master is informed about the machinery state and starting / stopping sequences. The lever-in-control can be at various stations. All devices, including rudders and other manoeuvring enhancing devices are under a single control transfer regime.
Furthermore, this paper describes and analyses the safety benefits of intuitive control inputs and machinery state feedback on base of tactile feedback. For the transit mode it is shown, that more fuel-saving is possible by using the power / reversing levers for the load prediction, compared to only using PMS with conventional mode selection. In harbour mode the emphasis is on achieving the required thrusts and yaw moments as fast as possible and in the most efficient way.