Unmanned Electric Tugboat Formation Multi-Agent Energy-Aware Control System Concept

Wojciech Koznowski and Andrzej Łebkowski ()
Additional contact information
Wojciech Koznowski: Department of Ship Automation, Gdynia Maritime University, Morska 83 Str., 81-225 Gdynia, Poland
Andrzej Łebkowski: Department of Ship Automation, Gdynia Maritime University, Morska 83 Str., 81-225 Gdynia, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 24, 1-23

Abstract: The topic of reducing exhaust gas emissions from internal combustion engines in the areas of port and coastal waters is in line with the assumptions of the climate policy. The publication presents a proposal to reduce the energy associated with the movement of port vessels through the use of a specific pattern (shape and size) of their movement. In addition to controlling the formation of tugboats, the authors propose the use of a multi-agent system offering elements of autonomous control of the vessels, which adjusts the parameters of the formation depending on the tasks performed. The results of tests for four tugboats with a hull length of 32 m and a maximum speed of 13 knots, moving in formations of eight different configurations, were analyzed. Studies conducted on the basis of a simulated exit and return to port scenario at a distance of 11.4 nm showed the possibility of reducing energy consumption required for movement by 5.8% to even 57.6% for tugboats moving one after another, at a certain distance. In addition, in order to completely eliminate exhaust gas emissions from the engines, it is proposed to use tugboats with electric drive together with an appropriate energy storage charging infrastructure.

Keywords: ship formation; hull resistance; energy consumption reduction; zero emission vessel; multi-agent system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9592/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9592/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:24:p:9592-:d:1006534

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().