Transient power control in dynamic positioning - governor feedforward and dynamic thrust allocation

A thrust allocation algorithm with capability to assist the power management system on a vessel with diesel-electric propulsion has recently been proposed. In the work presented here, the results show that the use of this thrust allocation algorithm produces a significant improvement in the stability of the electric bus frequency in the presence of large power load variations, as long as those load variations are small compared to the kinetic energy of the vessel at low speed. Further reduction in the frequency variations are achieved through use of a feedforward signal to the diesel engine governors, which enables them to react to surges in power consumption before they affect the frequency on the electric bus.