Monitoring energy usage of a surface maritime vessel

• US 10,370,063 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Inventors: Skidmore, Adrian Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louie, Wae L
• Application Number:
  US15/542,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20180273144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 701 21
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 71/00 Designing vessels; Predicting their performance
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/15 for monitoring environmental variables, e.g. wave height or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/20 using models or simulation, e.g. statistical models or stochastic models
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/30 for diagnosing, testing or predicting the integrity or performance of vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/40 for controlling the operation of vessels, e.g. monitoring their speed, routing or maintenance schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0005 with arrangements to save energy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/00 Maritime or waterways transport

Abstract

A system (102) is configured to monitor energy usage of a surface maritime vessel (100). The system comprises a device (102A) configured to receive characteristic data representing at least one operating characteristic of the vessel, and a device (102A) configured to receive model data representing at least one energy usage model for the vessel. The system further includes a device (102A) configured to process the characteristic data and the model data to generate an output representing a comparison between the characteristic data and the model data.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring energy usage of a surface maritime vessel, the method comprising:

receiving characteristic data representing actual values of at least one operating condition of the vessel, the operating conditions including at least propulsion power consumption, hotel power consumption, speed, trim, and fuel flow of the vessel;

modelling energy usage of the vessel over a range of values of the operating conditions using an energy usage model for the vessel;

comparing an actual energy usage of the vessel corresponding to the actual values of the operating conditions to a plurality of modelled energy usage values corresponding to the range of modelled values of the operating conditions;

based on the comparison, determining an efficient distribution of power generation between at least a first engine and a second engine of the vessel; and

adjusting the distribution of power generation between the first engine and the second engine to match the determined efficient distribution.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy usage model comprises a power vs speed curve for the vessel calculated for a plurality of sets of operating conditions that include vessel displacement, sea state, and/or vessel trim.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the operating conditions are based on a speed through water of the vessel, a draught of the vessel, power provided to at least one propulsion device of the vessel.

4. The method according to claim 2, further including:

receiving data corresponding to a hotel load of the vessel;

determining a total power used by the vessel that includes the hotel load data and power used by at least one propulsion device of the vessel;

finding a minimum value on the power vs speed curve corresponding to the total determined power used; and

providing the minimum value as an indication of a most efficient speed of the vessel.

5. The method according to claim 2, further including generating or updating a said energy usage model comprising the power vs speed curve, wherein the generating or updating includes:

obtaining data representing propulsion power used by the vessel and corresponding vessel speed for a said operating characteristic;

computing a curve based on the obtained data;

computing coefficients of the curve; and

generating or updating the energy usage model using the coefficients.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy usage model comprises a fuel consumption vs power output profile for one or more temperature, pressure, and/or prime mover configurations for the vessel.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including updating the energy usage model using the received characteristic data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein processing the characteristic data comprises:

computing a plurality of propulsive power vs speed through water curves representing one or more vessel displacements, one or more sea states, and one or more vessel trim categories; and

computing a plurality of fuel use vs power generated curves representing one or more vessel propulsion unit configurations.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting an efficiency curve that gives an indication of a speed for optimizing fuel consumption based on the adjusted distribution of power generation between the first engine and the second engine, and a configuration of one of the engines as a prime mover of the vessel.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the presented efficiency curve is used to directly modify operating conditions of the vessel to improve energy usage/efficiency.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy usage model comprises a first energy usage model and a second energy usage module, the first energy usage model representing the vessel using one propulsion device, and the second energy usage model representing the vessel using more than one propulsion device.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy usage model is at least initially generated using data representing sensor readings of the characteristic data taken at intervals of about 1 minute.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic data further includes vessel draught;

ambient air temperature;

water temperature;

rudder position;

forward/aft engine load or power;

shaft speed; and

fin angle, and wherein the fuel flow further includes fuel flow rate to at least one propulsion device.

14. A system configured to monitor energy usage of a surface maritime vessel, the system comprising:

one or more memories for storing data; and

one or more processors configured to

receive characteristic data representing actual values of at least one operating condition of the vessel, the operating conditions including at least propulsion power consumption, hotel power consumption, speed, trim, and fuel flow of the vessel,

modelling energy usage of the vessel over a range of values of the operating conditions using an one energy usage model for the vessel, and

comparing an actual energy usage of the vessel corresponding to the actual values of the operating conditions to a plurality of modelled energy usage values corresponding to the range of modelled values of the operating conditions;

based on the comparison, determining an efficient distribution of power generation between at least a first engine and a second engine of the vessel; and

adjusting the distribution of power generation between the first engine and the second engine to match the determined efficient distribution.

15. A vessel including the system according to claim 14.

16. One or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums encoding instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out for monitoring energy usage of a surface maritime vessel, the process comprising:

receive characteristic data representing actual values of at least one operating condition of the vessel, the operating conditions including at least propulsion power consumption, hotel power consumption, speed, trim, and fuel flow of the vessel;

modelling energy usage of the vessel over a range of values of the operating conditions using an one energy usage model for the vessel; and

comparing an actual energy usage of the vessel corresponding to the actual values of the operating conditions to a plurality of modelled energy usage values corresponding to the range of modelled values of the operating conditions;

based on the comparison, determining an efficient distribution of power generation between at least a first engine and a second engine of the vessel; and

adjusting the distribution of power generation between the first engine and the second engine to match the determined efficient distribution.

17. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums according to claim 16, wherein the energy usage model comprises a power vs speed curve for the vessel calculated for a plurality of sets of operating conditions that include vessel displacement, sea state, and/or vessel trim, and wherein the operating conditions are based on a speed through water of the vessel, a draught of the vessel, and power provided to at least one propulsion device of the vessel.

18. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums according to claim 17, the process further including:

receiving data corresponding to a hotel load of the vessel;

determining a total power used by the vessel that includes the hotel load data and power used by at least one propulsion device of the vessel;

finding a minimum value on the power vs speed curve corresponding to the total determined power used; and

providing the minimum value as an indication of a most efficient speed of the vessel.

19. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums according to claim 18, the process further comprising:

causing modification of operating conditions of the vessel, based on the provided minimum value, to improve energy usage/efficiency.

20. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums according to claim 16, wherein the characteristic data further includes vessel draught;

ambient air temperature;

water temperature;

rudder position;

forward/aft engine load or power;

shaft speed; and

fin angle, and wherein the fuel flow further includes fuel flow rate to at least one propulsion device.