Optimal Energy Management of Hybrid Electric Ships Considering Load Uncertainty

Nowadays, the use of hybrid energy systems consisting of renewable energy sources and energy storage systems in standalone shipboard power systems has become a viable solution for providing propulsion power with less dependence on fossil fuels. In this Master thesis, the optimal energy scheduling problem of a hybrid cruise ship (HCS) is investigated to supply the ship's electrical and thermal demand. These multiple energy systems include diesel generators, solar panels, energy storage systems, and cold-ironing services for using shore power systems, as well as an electric boiler system together with an electric heat pump. On the other hand, the uncertainty in the load characteristic of the mentioned HCS is appropriately modeled using information gap decision theory (IGDT). The results obtained from the implementation of the proposed risk-based strategies, namely risk-averse and risk-seeker on a real cruise ship, validate the feasibility and efficiency of this method in minimizing the costs of supplying the propulsion and service loads as well as reducing air pollution.