21

Simulation of NOx Reduction by Consolidated

Control of Main Engine and CPP*



Hidekazu Fukuba**, Shigeyuki Morita***, Takayoshi Maeda****


Recently, providing a controllable pitch propeller (CPP) has increased for convenience of maneuvering a ship or
capability of using the shaft generator, and the conventional control algorithms of these CPP system are comparatively
simple. However, CPP system has essentially the capability of controlling two freedoms because there are two input
parameters of a propeller pitch angle (P) and a regulator handle position (R) in the system. One freedom must be used
for controlling the ship speed which is the most important controlled value for vehicles.Another freedom should be
utilized positively to improve or optimize some useful performances such as fuel consumption ratio (be), NOx
emission and so on. These utilization is accomplished by controlling P and R simultaneously which is called the
consolidated control. In the study, "be" or "be" plus NOx was adopted as the performance index of the utilization.
There are two types of the consolidated contro1, "On-line type" and "On-line type''. In this study, Off-line type
consolidated control was focused and investigated by simulation. Results showed the usefulness of this consolidated
contro1.


1. Introduction
The exhaust gas from the marine engine is likely to
be regulated, and the requests for the saving of the fuel
consumption is constantly more and more stringent.
Regarding the NOx emission reduction, studies are
made on the method of improvement by the main engine
itself or the accessory exhaust gas treatment equipment
such as the delay of the fuel injection timing, the
combustion of the emulsion fuel, SCR and etc.while
there is a methodl) to save the fuel consumption and
improve the NOx emission by changing the operational
plan of ships such as the derating and speed reduction.
This study, if anything, belongs to the latter, and aims at
the improvement of the fuel consumption or the NOx
emission while the specified ship speed (Vs) is
maintained by controlling the pitch angle of the
controllable pitch propeller (CPP), and does not affect
the operational plan.
The employment of the CPP has been increased
recently because of the convenience in maneuvering a
ship and the capability of usage of the shaft generator.



* Translated from Journal of the MESJ Vo1. 30, No.6
(Manuscript received Nov. 29, 1994)
Lectured May 1 8, 1 994
** Faculty of Engineering, Osaka City University
(3-3- 138, Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka City)
* * * professor, Faculty of Engineering, Osaka City
University (3-3-138, Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku,
Osaka City)
**** NABCO, Ltd.
( 1- 1617- 1, Fukuyoshi-dai, Nishi-ku, Kobe City)

In the fixed pitch propeller (FPP), there is only one
input parameter of the regulator handle position (R),
while in the controllable pitch propeller, another input
parameter of pitch angle (P) is added, providing two
freedoms. The CPP system provides the advantages of
the convenience in maneuvering a ship and the
improvement of the evaluation function of which is
described later, while this system forces the complicate
simultaneous operation of two input parameters of R
and P.
Considering the present CPP control algorithm2), in
order to avoid the complicate simultaneous operation,
there is an algorithm of one-stage or two-stage speed
control where the main engine speed (n) is set to be
constant in one or two stages by R, and Vs is
controlled by P. Also, there is an algorithm of
combination of one-stage speed control below 60%
MCR and FPP-dealing over 60% MCR. In addition, the
combinator control may be used where the manual fine
adjustment is possible for preventing the torque-rich.
They are not the simultaneous consolidated contro1 of
two freedoms of P and R, but the control of one
freedom by switching the conditions. Of course, there
are advanced algorithms such as ALC to automate the
fine adjustment to prevent the torque-rich and ASC
incorporating the Vs contro1, but they also evaluate the
advantages in increasing the freedom to the
maneuverability. These advantages are referred to as the
evaluation function J, and the saving of the fuel
consumption and the reduction of the NOx emission in
addition to the maneuverablility should be considered




February 1996 (2 1)

22 Hidekazu Fukuba, Shigeyuki Morita, Takayoshi Maeda



after the ship enters in the cruising condition as the
purpose of the evaluation function J. The saving of the
fuel consumption has been tried3), but the evaluation
taking into consideration the reduction of the NOx
emission has never been found. As the ratio of the fue1
consumption (be) and the NOx emission is generally in
the directly-opposed relationship as indicated in Figs. 1
(a), (b), it can not be helped that "be" is slightly
deteriorated if the improvement of the NOx is regarded
as important. What is important is the optimization of
the evaluation function of J=be+w . NOx (where w is
the weight) .

Fig. 1 An example of qualitative
characteristics of "be" and NOx

Recently, the regulatory value of NOx has been
determined by IMO4). Some 4-stroke cycle engines can
clear the regulatory value without arranging any special
remedy for the requirement, or there are some engines
which are further affordable. In such engines, not only
before the execution of the NOx regulation but also
thereafter, only the reduction of the fuel consumption
can be the evaluation function J. In any case, the setting
of the concrete w value depends on the time when the
regulation comes into force and the "be" characteristic
and the NOx characteristic of the engine.
It is not so difficult to prepare the so-cailed J
Optimized Table" as indicated in Fig. 2 for the
simultaneous maneuvering of P and R to realize this
consolidated control in various characteristics of the
ship, i.e., the main engine, the propeller, and the hull
resistance. Rather, the first difficulty is that no data as
indicated in Figs. 1 (a), (b) are available. This is because
the ratio of the operation hour at the normal torque and
the normal speed is overwhelmingly large and
unnecessary with the main engine for ships. However,
when the consolidated control is considered, such data
are essential. Though they are the data in the range
(hereinafter referred to as the "within the hardware
limit") because the range of the operable torque and
speed is present for the respective engine.
When attention is paid to one type of the main
engine, it is mounted on various kinds of hulls. The
combination with the propeller is the same. When the "J
Optimized Table" is prepared, it is necessary to consider
the combination of various characteristics of the main
engine, the propeller and the hul1. The second difficulty
is that fairly large amount of workload is required for
this work. This is because a ship is not built in the
mass-production basis of the same type such as
automobiles, and it is difficult to charge the workload
into each ship. The regulatory value itself becomes more
and more stringent year by year, and the secular change
is expected for various characteristics of the hull or the
like.
From these reasons, the "J Optimized Table" for the
specified ship is not prepared in this study, but the
simulation is considered on the system of the on-line
type by the below-mentioned dynamic optimization so
that the consolidated control can be automatically
realized when the characteristics are once specified
irrespective of the combination of any ship, i.e., any
combination between the main engine, the propeller and
the hul1. The ma/or nomenclatures are as follows.




(22) Bulletin of the M.E.S.J., Vol. 24, No.1




Simulation of NOx Reduction by Consolidated Control of Main Engine and CPP 23



2. Mode1

The general overview of the consolidated control is
shown in Fig. 3. It is characteristic that the
J-optimization of on-line type is realized for the off-line
type having the "J Optimized Table". This study is the
simulation, and the model of the object ship (within the
dotted line in Fig. 3) is required, and the outlineh5) of
this Eng~CPP system and the Hull system is shown in
Fig. 4. The inputs P and R affect the thrust (FT) and n.
That means, two inputs are coupled to each other. When
J is optimized by n while the specified Vs is Satisfied by
FT, it Seems convenient t0 preliminari1y cut
off the coupling to precisely Control FT and n as
Specified by the command value ( FT~, n~ ) in
accordance with the below-mentioned optimization
algorithm, and the Decoupling control6) as shown in the
center of Fig. 3 is realized.
FT~, n~ to Optimize the evaluation function J are
obtained on-line by the Dynamic optimization algorithm
part in Fig. 3, and in this algorithm, FT is controlled by P,
and J is basically optimized by n. However, due to the
above-mentioned limitation of the hardware, FT is
contro1led by n when P is Critical. In this case,
J-optimization without limit is impossible.


3. Identification by Neural Network

It is essential to understand the characteristics of
the object system, i.e., the main engine, the propeller,
and the hull in order to realize the decoupling control
and the dynamic optimization. The object system is a
dynamic non-linear system. Generally speaking, it is
difficult by the normal method to identify the dynamic
non-linearity. Thus, the neural networks (NN) suitable
for the non-linear expression are employed. The NN



Fig. 5 Neural networks for the identification


are made as the NN group of the discrete system
(NN1-NN5, the number of neurons of the hidden layer
is 20 for each group) which indicated in Fig. 5 from the





February 1996 (23)





24 Hidekazu Fukuba, Shigeyuki Morita, Takayoshi Maeda


viewpoint of the learning efficiency by the Back
propagation (BP) method7). Fig. 6 shows the example of
the NN identification, and the left side shows the "be"
contour lines of the main engine and the NOx contour
lines (where NOxmax means the maximum values of
the NOx emission, and is the relative expression of
Nox/NOxmax) which are used in the simulation study,
while the right side shows the three-dimensional
expression of the outputs of NN4, NN5 which are
BP-learned. The identification of the relatively
excellent non-linear characteristic is recognized from
the figure8). NN1 is the dynamic NN
as can be seen with n(k + 1 ) for the input n(k).

4.Dynamic Optimization

The dynamic optimization, i.e., the on-line action is
generally explained using Fig. 7. The object system in
the right means the real ship in future, but now, the
mathematical model of Fig. 4 in this study. Various
operational conditions P, R, n, Vs and Tq are constantly
measured in this "maneuvering" mode. The thrust
keeper in the figure is the block to realize the thrust FT
to obtain the specified Vs by P, and the FT closed loop




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Simulation of NOx Reduction by Consolidated Control of Main Engine and CPP 25


system to contro1 P so as to constantly continue to
realize the specified thrust FT even when the main
engine speed n is changed. The J optimizer is the system
to constantly keep the apex Jmax by searching the
evaluation function J with n by the mountain-climbing
method. The non-linear characteristics of the object
system are required to realize the searching on the real
time basis, and this can be realized by the access to the
preliminarily learned NN group in Chapter 3 using the
measurement of P, R or the like. Thus, the Dynamic
optimization algorithm part in Fig. 4 consists of the
thrust keeper and the J optimizer.
The feedback gain suitable for the operational
conditions is essential to realize the excellent operation
of the closed loop system of the thrust keeper and of the
closed loop system of the J optimizer. The high speed
operation for getting the gain is realized by the
method9) to obtain various coefficients of the object
system by the I/O partial differential of NN under the
operational conditions and the pole designating method.
(top of Fig.7)
Fig. 8 shows the details of this dynamically
optimized part, and the left top part shows the FT~ - FT~
c1osed loop system, while the left bottom part shows the
optimization loop by the mountain climbing method to
modify J in the optimizing direction with the step of An
until J/nn=0 is obtained. J is defined as
J=be+w NOx,and both weights can be changed with w.
As can be seen from the figure, this system can be used
for the general purpose if the respective identified NN
groups of the ship and the main engine are replaced.

5. Results of Simulation

Fig. 9 and 10 show the example of the simulation
results with the test ship model5). The top part shows the
time response, the middle part shows the loci of the
engine factors (Te ~ n) and the bottom part shows the
loci of the hull factors (FT ~ Vs). Fig. 9 shows the case
(a) where only "be" is optimized (J="be"), and Fig.10
shows the case (b) where J=be+w . NOx is optimized
with the adjusted weight w so that NOx/NOxmax may
be below 50%. As seen in the figure of FT, this is the
behavior when the step of the ship speed is increased,
and this can be understood from the fact that FT~, FT~
and FT are completely overlapped by the thrust keeper
as shown in the curve FT ~ t, and from the loci of the
hull factors. (FT ~ t, Vs ~ t are totally same for both
figures).



February 1996 (25 )




25 Hidekazu Fukuba, Shigeyuki Morita, Takayoshi Maeda





































Fig. 9 Simulation result of J = "be''

However, the operation of the engine is different
according to the difference in the designated value of J
of the consolidated control as seen in n ~ t, P ~ t, or in
the loci of the engine factors, and NOx ~ t is remarkably
different, and below 50% in Fig. 10. The fu in the time
response fu ~ t is the fuel consumption g/s to be
converted from "be", and slightly deteriorated in Fig. 10
though it is difficult to make discrimination with the
scale of Figs. 9 and 10.
Fig. 11 shows the effect of this consolidated control
when this simulation results are rearranged, and the ship
speed Vs is changed. The contro1 (a) is the case of
J="be", while the contro1 (b) is the case where NOx is
suppressed with the condition of J<5%. The contro1 (c)
is the one-stage speed control where this consolidated
control is not realized, but the ship speed Vs is changed
by the pitch angle P at the constant engine speed
(n=3.4s^-1 this engine speed is "be"-optimized" zone).
The axis of ordinate in Fig. 11 (A) means the fuel
increase ratio Rfu of the controls (b) and (c) when the
contro1 (a) is set to the base of 0%. In the contro1 (b),it
is found that the deterioration of around 5% (max) is
Fig. 10 Simulation result of J = be'' + w . NOx

made in the intermediate speed zone, while in the
contro1 (c), it is found that Rfu is fairly deteriorated if
the ship speed is deviated from the normal value
(5.0-5.5 m/s). Fig. 11 (B) shows the comparison of Nox/
NOxmax, and it is found that the suppression of
con-stantly below 50% is made in the contro1 (b), the
discharge of 80% NOx is made around Vs=4.2 m/s in
the contro1 (a), and the rapid deterioration of NOx is
made at high speed in the contro1 (c). From these results,
the effect when this consolidated control is realized with
the ship is expected.

6. Conclusion

The consolidated control is simulated where the
fuel consumption and NOx are the evaluation function.
The consolidated contro1 of the on-line type is aimed at
because a ship is not built in the mass-production basis.
The characteristics of the hull and the main engine
seem to be subject to the secular change10). The control
of this on-line type has the capability to be developed
into the control of adaptive type.


(26) Bulletin of the M.E.S.J., Vol. 24, No.1


Simulation of NOx Reduction by Consolidated Control of Main Engine and CPP 27



Fig. 11 Relative behaviors of fuel consumption (A)
and NOx emission (B) in the case of control
(a), (b) and (c)

The control of this on-line type is provided with the
universality at the same time, and can be converted into
the expert system11) for preparing the "J Optimized
Table".
It is common that he evaluation function is
optimized by controlling the combustion parameter (e.g.,
the fuel injection timing) in the engine such as one for
the automobile where the condition of the engine
operation is frequently change do In the marine engine,
the ratio of the time of the normal output operation is
overwhelmingly large, and the contro1 of the
combustion parameter is not common. This consolidated
contro1, from different viewpoint, changes the condition
of the engine operation by controlling the combustion
parameters within the limit of the hardwares for the
optimization without providing any additional
facilities/equipment in the CPP ship to supplement the
uncommon practice of the marine engine. As shown in
Fig. 11, this consolidated control seems effective on
ships engaged in the coasting service where the
condition of the engine operation is relatively often
changed.
The problem with this consolidated control is the
case where the evaluation function J is not monotonous,
but mu1ti-hump characteristics. J of the main engine
used in this study is fortunately monotonous, and no
optimizing action is stopped with the local minimum.
Generally, the limit on the hardwares is not so extensive,
therefore, it is believed that the engines which have
monotonus characteristic are common. However, that
depends on the "be" characteristic of the main engine,
the NOx characteristic, and the setting of the weight w
in any case. The remedy for the case with multi-hump
characteristic will be examined in the future study.

References

1) Tayama, J. of MESJ, 29- 1 ( 1994- 1), 5
2) Kaizu, Proc. of 26th MESJ special fund
conference, 1 9
3) Ichikawa and Mori, Internal Combustion Engine,
17-217 (1978-11), 17
4) Tayama, J. of MESJ, 29-2 ( 1994-2), 99
5) Morita and Fukuba, J of MESJ, 26- 11 ( 1991- 11 ),
10
6) Morita and Fukuba, J of MESJ, 26- 11 ( 1991 - 11),
18
7) e.g., Morita, JSAE Review, 14-3 ( 1993-7), 4
8) Morita, et al, Proc. of IASTED ( 1994-5), 332
9) Fukuba, et al, Trans. of JSME 60-575 ( 1994-7), 167
10) Nishikawa, et al, Tech. Papers of ISME '90 ( 1990-
10), A-4
11) Morita, Proc. of Japan/Taiwan Int. Sym. on
Mechatronics ( 1994- 11 ), 1

Message :

It is believed that the contro1 of the combustion
parameters becomes necessary to some extent in future
to improve the fuel consumption and the NOx emission
even in a FPP ship. It is characteristic with the marine
engine that the operational condition is not so frequently
and rapidly changed compared with that of the
automobile engine, and it is expected that the method of
optimization on the real time basis, i.e., the adaptive
control can be employed as the basic algorithm of the
control of the combustion parameters. The adaptive
control is essential to cope with the change of many
unknown characteristics including the increase in the
hull resistance due to the secular fouling of the hu11, the
secular change of the characteristics of the main engine,
the sea conditions, and the weather conditions, and to
constantly optimize the intended evaluation function.
The ship is thought to be the object to meet this
requirement.









February 1996 (27)