An Optimal Control Strategy for Innovative Electric Naval Propulsion System

A significant effort to produce more efficient and environmentally-friendly ships has led to the development of certain number of new concepts, of which on board electrification is a very good example. The optimal power management of the propulsion system can lead to a substantial improvement of ship efficiency ensuring both compliance with environmental constraints and lower energy consumption. In this paper, an optimal control strategy is proposed on a new naval propulsion system architecture based on the Double Fed Induction Machine (DFIM). The method is based on the power consumed by the propulsion system; several control techniques are evaluated in order to define a control law assuring lower losses for Voltage Source Inverter (VSI) and gas emissions. A simulation and experimental test are carried out to validate the proposed statements.