Classical and Modern Control Theory for Rotor Sail Active Seakeeping

Overview

90% of goods move by cargo ships, contributing to 3% of climate change emissions, 7.6 million childhood asthma cases, and 150,000 premature deaths annually. There is a need for climate change technology that works within existing political and economic structures, addressing externalities through a profit incentive. Rotor sail active seakeeping is a novel concept, and possible solution. This is the third phase in the development of the Active Vortex Scrubber Sail (AVSS), a three-in-one rotor sail with a centrifugal exhaust scrubber and active seakeeping. The goal was to determine which control system architecture best optimizes rotor sail seakeeping capability by reducing cargo ship roll, torque demands, and time to reach a stable minimal roll angle. PD and MPC control system architectures were compared using a mathematical model of cargo ship roll in MATLAB Simulink to gain new insight into rotor sail seakeeping capabilities. With both control systems, the rotor sail performed as an effective seakeeping devi ce for small initial displacements. Both controllers reduced settling time in comparison to open loop, on average by 35%. Multipurpose devices are especially important on cargo ships, where space efficiency is prized. Beyond reducing climate change and illness, the AVSS investment pays for itself in under a year, while improving IMO emissions compliance, reducing risk of parametric rolling, and expanding the vessel’s operating envelope and efficiency. Scaling to our global cargo fleet could mean a reduction of 93 million tonnes of CO2, 1900 kilotonnes of nitrogen oxides, and 160 kilotonnes of particulate matter.

Competition history

• JSHS 2024 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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