A novel fuel consumption optimization strategy for the wind-assisted hybrid power ship considering sea conditions

With increasingly rigorous emission regulations, the shipping industry urgently needs to advance clean energy technologies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The wind-assisted hybrid power (WAHP) ship can achieve effective reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions by using wind energy. However, the fuel consumption status of the WAHP ship is not only influenced by complex navigational environments, but also closely related to the operational status of the hybrid system. In order to improve the ship energy efficiency, the influencing factors for the fuel consumption of the WAHP ship are firstly analyzed. Then, an integrated fuel consumption model of the hybrid system is established. On these foundations, a rule-based optimization control strategy for the hybrid system that combines main engine, shaft generator, and energy storage device is proposed to reduce the ship fuel consumption. The analysis results show that the proposed optimization strategy can effectively enhance the energy efficiency of the WAHP ship, which can reduce fuel consumption by approximately 2.7% compared with the original operational mode of the WAHP ship.