Recently, Sea freight volume has declined in line with the decline in the Baltic Dry Index (BDI). Therefore, shipping companies are trying to reduce the number of ships in operation and fuel consumption. In addition, the increased use of fossil fuels with the development of the world economy is causing global warming. Thus, there are many discussions in progress concerning fuel consumption and environmental issues.
The IMO provides guidance for the development of a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), in which the Ship Energy Management System (SEMS) is one of the solutions to save energy. SEMS measures the energy supply and demand, controls the related devices, and allows the user to identify the amount of energy spent in total. This paper deals with energy saving for engine rooms through motor control as a part of the SEMS. To save energy, motor load of the engine room is analyzed. Based on the results, the cooling system and engine room fan system are selected as control targets.
In cooling systems, the Pump Control System (PCS) controls the sea water pump and fresh water pump rotational speed and the 3way valve position depending on the external environment. The Engine Room Fan Control System (ERFCS) controls engine room fan speed depending on temperature and pressure in the engine room fan system.
To check energy savings, PCS and ERFCS simulators are developed using LabVIEW program and Data Acquisition (DAQ) equipment based algorithms. Simulation results using PCS and ERFCS algorithms are compare ordinary ship performance in terms of fuel consumption. As a result, energy saving of PCS and ERFCS is confirmed.