An energy saving management strategy for battery-aided ship propulsion systems

This paper examines the management of ship power systems equipped by energy storage systems. Energy storage in the on-board power system can increase the efficiency of prime movers in order to reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. In this paper, a management strategy for the on-board electrical network is proposed. The strategy optimally balances the charge/discharge of the storage device, the power of the generation system, the loads' demand of hotels, auxiliaries, and electrical machineries used for propulsion and maneuvering purposes. The optimal approach aims at minimizing the fuel consumption, while technical constraints of the on-board system are considered in terms of both generation system and energy storage system. A case study of a real off-shore supply vessel is proposed. The results of the numerical application are discussed showing the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.