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1 INTRODUCTION

The main factor in the design of a marine transport unit

(TU) is at all times to ensure safe navigation and

reliable operation of systems and mechanisms on

board the TU.

An autonomous marine transport unit as a means

of transportation and performing cargo transportation

tasks or cruise voyages is equipped with equipment

and mechanisms designed for the safety of navigation

of the TU and its crew, providing for the energy needs

of the TU and the needs of the service personnel who

require normal living conditions and food [1]. On

board the TU, this equipment and mechanisms are

mainly located in the engine room of the TU and this

complex in the maritime industry is called the ship’s

power plant (SPP) [2].

The SPP on a transport unit combines a set of

equipment that generates the main energy flows –

mechanical, thermal and electrical [3]. The source of

energy on board the vessel is natural hydrocarbon fuel

– oil refining products. On board, the generators of

mechanical energy are the main and auxiliary engines,

which can be internal combustion engines, steam or

gas turbines.

2 MAIN

The main source of mechanical energy that ensures the

movement of the TU is the main engine, the parameters

of which are additionally determined by the criteria for

ensuring the safety of navigation, the criteria for

ensuring the speed characteristics of the vessel, the

economic criteria for the operation of the main engine

and a number of requirements that ensure normal

maritime practice of operating the TU [5, 6].

To ensure preparation for working and operation of

mechanical energy generators it are equipped with

systems that ensure the operating parameters of the

equipment of these generators during the work. Such

systems include: fuel system; cooling systems;

Energy Control in the Ship’s Power Plant and Its

Influence on Maritime Safety

A. Veretennik, S. Mikhailov & I. Kulyeshov

National University “Odessa Maritime Academy”, Odessa, Ukraine

ABSTRACT: In this work the TU (marine transport unit) needs for different types of energy are analysed in order

to systematize the equipment of the TU engine room by type of energy produced. The mechanisms that provide

TU with mechanical, thermal and electrical energy were identified.

Research on the technical requirements and algorithms for the implementation of major power generation

mechanisms showed the dependence of the process of equipment preparation and commissioning on the

availability of electricity. Based on the analysis, a hypothesis was adopted on initial electricity generation and

guaranteed flow of this energy, which allows guaranteed generation of all types of energy on board and thus

ensure safety without emergency navigation.

http://www.transnav.eu

the International Journal

on Marine Navigation

and Safety of Sea Transportation

Volume 19

Number 2

June 2025

DOI: 10.12716/1001.19.02.26

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lubrication systems; control and protection systems of

the generator. It is necessary to note the peculiarity of

preparation for operation of energy generators - this is

the need for preliminary entry into working mode of

the above systems.

Main boiler, auxiliary or exhaust gas boilers are

used as thermal energy generators on board of TU. To

ensure preparation for work and operation of thermal

energy generators, it are equipped, like mechanical

energy generators, with systems that ensure the

operating parameters of the equipment of these

generators during work operation. These are systems:

air supply and exhaust gas supply, depending on the

thermal energy generator, fuel, supply of the working

environment, control and safety protection.

The flow of electrical energy (EE) on board a vessel

is provided by a electrical power plant, the average

statistical composition of which includes several diesel

generators, exhaust gases-turbine generators and a

shaft generator (SG) [7]. To ensure the preparation for

work and operation of electrical energy generators, it

are equipped with systems that provide the operating

parameters of the equipment of these generators

during work operation. This is the same as for

mechanical energy generators: fuel, cooling,

lubrication, control and safety protection, electrical

energy parameter control systems.

3 RESEARCH RESULTS

Analysis of the structure of the modern ship's engine

room as a source of energy flows [4] and the rules for

technical operation of the equipment showed that, in

accordance with the existing structure of the ship's

engine room, for the preparation and launch of

mechanical and thermal energy generators, it is

necessary to have an EE flow that provides energy to

the drive mechanisms and control systems and ensures

the operation of the previously mentioned generators.

In the existing hierarchy of energy flows on board the

ship, the EE flow is primary. The presence of an EE

flow on board determines the possibility of preparing

all energy-producing equipment for the preparation

for work and further control of the operation of energy

generators by ensuring the balance of generated flows

to external disturbances corresponding to the

operational needs of the vessel [3,4]. In operational

conditions, this provision on the control role of the EE

flow in the vessel's energy supply system corresponds

to ensuring the balance of energy flows to the vessel's

needs in various modes of its operation while

providing the mechanical and thermal energy

generators with their operational characteristics due to

the operation of automation systems and guaranteed

stabilization of the EE flow.

The organization of the flow of EE on board the

vessel is schematically shown in Fig. 1. On board the

TU, the traditional main sources of the flow of EE are

diesel generators and, in the running mode of the

vessel, shaft and exhaust gases-turbine generators.

Figure 1.

The main adjustable parameters of the flow of EE

are provided by voltage regulators of autonomous

generators and speed regulators of drive mechanisms,

and on the shaft generator by improving the design of

the SG and its control drive, which ensures the

maintenance of a frequency of the flow of EE [8].

The potential possibility of providing the flow of EE

with the corresponding load current is organized by

the automatic systems of the power plant by changing

the power of the drive of the electric power generator

and, if necessary, by switching the reserve generators

to the general flow of energy. The main switch board

(MSB) ensures switching of energy consumers and

protection of the flow from emergency situations.

In the static load mode on the ship's power system,

all flows are balanced and this operating mode does

not arouse any particular research or scientific interest.

In transient modes of ship operation, the flows of all

types of energy change depending on the actual tasks

of the ship and, in accordance with operational needs,

the processes that ensure the stabilization of the flow of

EE in these modes of ship operation are of interest. This

focus of research is justified by the influence of the

dynamics of mechanical and thermal flows on the flow

of EE and, accordingly, the influence of the flow of EE

on the other flows [3,4]. In the basic diagram of the

formation of the flow of EE, the dynamic processes of

the flows are reflected as a disturbance ( f(t) see Fig. 1).

The designers are constantly engaged in research

and methods for ensuring the stabilization of the flow

of electric power in various operating modes of the

vessel, and the use of modern computer technology

and new technologies allows for the provision of a

reliable flow of electric power. A number of works are

devoted to the directions of improving power plants on

board the TU [7,8,9].

The use of electronic navigation systems of the

vessel, remote automatic control systems,

microprocessor systems for monitoring and controlling

the operational parameters of the power plant on board

the TU requires periodic monitoring and maintenance

of this equipment. The methodology for assessing the

performance and troubleshooting [10], developed on

the basis of experience working with electronic objects

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and systems, allows for the systematization of testing

and troubleshooting in this device.

4 CONCLUSIONS

In the framework of studies on ensuring the safety of

navigation and based on the results of the conducted

study of the interdependence of the generation of

different types of energy on board the TU, a hypothesis

was adopted, the essence of which is that the increase

in the efficiency of the operation of the SPP in transient

modes is carried out by balancing the energy flows of

the vessel's operating modes by guaranteed

stabilization of the parameters of the electric energy

flow. By providing the vessel with a stable flow of EE

to external disturbances, the condition of ensuring

reliable generation of all necessary types of energy on

board the vessel is achieved, subject to the reliable

operability of the mechanical part of the SPP, and the

compliance of its technical parameters with the

required operating modes of the vessel. Thus, by

ensuring a reliable flow of EE, the safety of navigation

is improved.

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