Development of a marine diesel engine's digital twin to monitor fuel performance

• Main Author: Teh, Gilbert Jun Jie
• Other Authors: Liu Shukui
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Fluid mechanics; Engineering::Mathematics and analysis::Simulations
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150267
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

It is important to be able to monitor and track the ship propulsion system operation at various operating points and to do so in a cost-effective way. This can be done by building a virtual model of the propulsion system – a digital twin – which can help to coexist during operation, provide insights and allow for further improvement and optimisation. In general, there are three main levels of simulation tools to simulate the operation of an engine. They are the mean value model, 0D/ 1D model and a 3D model. In this study a 0D/ 1D model has been selected to achieve a more detailed modelling of engine components while maintaining good performance prediction and fast computational speed. An open-source software with 2-stroke engine simulation capabilities was selected. Its mathematical models were developed using Fortran linked with C++ and compiled using Cython. Lastly, post-processing was done using Python. After which validation was done for marine application. Through the graphical representation of engine power output and fuel oil consumption, it allows us to find the optimal point to run the engine while adhering to regulations and reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) emission for a more sustainable future.