SPECIAL ISSUE PAPER 47

Real-time simulation of a COGAG naval ship propulsion

system
M Altosole1, G Benvenuto1, M Figari1*, and U Campora2
1
DINAV, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
2
DIMSET, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

The manuscript was received on 9 June 2008 and was accepted after revision for publication on 20 November 2008.

DOI: 10.1243/14750902JEME121

Abstract: Design and optimization of the propulsion system is a crucial task of the ship design
process. The behaviour of the propulsion system, in transient conditions as well as in steady
state, is greatly affected by the capability of the control system to manage the available power
and to achieve the desired performance in the shortest time.
The selection of a proper control scheme is a trade-off between different and conflicting
needs. Two of the opposites are: increasing the ship operability by adding more functions and
more controls; and reducing the control system development and installation time and cost.
In this paper, the rapid prototyping and testing procedure for the development of the
propulsion controller of the new Italian aircraft carrier Cavour is presented, using real-time
hardware-in-the-loop (RT-HIL) simulation. The procedure is based on a wide use of simulation
technology. First, a complete dynamical model of the ship propulsion plant was developed.
Then, batch simulation was used to develop the best possible control scheme. Finally, RT-HIL
simulation was used to debug the real controller software and to tune the controller parameters
before sea trials.
The application of the procedure led to a significant reduction in the development phase of
the controller design. Furthermore, the adoption of the RT-HIL technology greatly reduced the
time spent to tune the control system during the ship delivery phase.

Keywords: marine propulsion, marine control systems, simulation

1 INTRODUCTION acceleration, deceleration, crash stop, heavy turning,

Design and optimization of the propulsion system is
a crucial task of ship design. In fact, the behaviour of
the propulsion system is a key aspect of the global
behaviour of the ship, particularly if the ship is a
naval vessel.
Marine propulsion systems are required to behave
efficiently and safely, not only in steady state
conditions but also in transient conditions where
the dynamic behaviour of single components and
the whole system play a crucial role. Some examples
of the transient situations that a propulsion system
has to sustain without reducing the ship’s safety
and reliability are: different operational speeds,
*Corresponding author: DINAV, University of Genoa, via
Montallegro 1, Genoa 16145, Italy. email: benvenuto@dinav.
unige.it
and faults. Generally, the ship has to demonstrate
the ability to perform some of these manoeuvres in
sea trials.
One of the most useful ways to predict the
dynamic behaviour of marine propulsion systems
is numerical simulation. Systems simulation gives
the possibility to investigate, at design stage, the
behaviour of the ship propulsion plant during
manoeuvres. It gives the designer the possibility of
optimizing the choice of system parameters (suitable
pitch/rpm, combined law, engine governor calibra-
tion, scantling of the shaft line, etc.) and allows a
reliable development of the propulsion control
system in order to prevent engine and mechanical
overloads or faults. Numerical simulation of propul-
sion systems requires a detailed knowledge of the
system and great commitment of human and
computational resources. Owing to these factors,

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48 M Altosole, G Benvenuto, M Figari, and U Campora

simulation is not currently common in ship propul- Table 1 Design characteristics of Cavour
sion plant design. Overall length (m) 244
The authors have previously developed two meth- Maximum beam (m) 39
Displacement (t) 25 000
ods for propulsion system simulation. One method Maximum ship speed (knots) < 30
is based on a coarse model of the system dynamics, Engines LM2500, 4 6 22 000 kW
in which the focus is mainly on the balance proper- Propellers 5-bladed, controllable pitch
ties and stability analysis to draw information about
the overall dynamic properties of the system [1].
The second method is based on a detailed model
of the propulsion system and its control logic. In
this case, the objective is to predict the dynamic
behaviour of the ship and its propulsion system
components for the system design. References [2]
to [14] give an idea of the simulation approach
adopted by the authors and some of the applications
Fig. 1 Propulsion system schematic
achieved.
The topic of this paper concerns the simulation
turbines, one or two shaft lines, etc. The control
approaches developed for the design of the propul-
system has to be designed to manage all the
sion control system of the new Italian aircraft carrier
propulsion modes with the best possible perfor-
Cavour.
mance and the best possible system safety. Very little
The simulation approach was required by the
literature exists on this topic, though some key
Italian Navy after a positive trial of the method on a
papers considered by the authors are references [15]
smaller vessel [9]. The University of Genoa’s DINAV
to [22].
(Department of Engineering in Naval and Marine
For the Cavour project, the authors developed, in
Technology) developed the theoretical aspects of the
collaboration with ABB, the propulsion controller
propulsion plant dynamics and set up the simulation
design procedure illustrated in Fig. 2.
tool for the aircraft carrier. Fincantieri, the ship-
The procedure is based on four main steps. The
builder, provided the propulsion system basic con-
analysis of customer requirements and technical
trol requirements and coordinated the work in order
specifications leads to a first tentative controller
to achieve the desired ship performance in accor-
design, based on previous experience and excellent
dance with its experience in propulsion system
expert knowledge of control systems. The second
integration. ABB, the automation provider, inte-
step is a full simulation approach that enables a
grated the simulation tool into the control system
complete understanding of the steady state beha-
design process [10, 11, 13].
viour and the dynamic behaviour of the regulated
This paper is structured as follows: section 2
ship propulsion plant. The third step is the system-
contains the approach developed for the propulsion
atic analysis and review of simulation results; the
controller design; section 3 contains the simulation
controller design is updated and refined until the
model of the propulsion and control systems; and
desired performance is obtained. From the simula-
section 4 contains the real-time application for the
tions, the implementation of the controller scheme,
controller development and test. Section 5 compares
into ABB controller software, gives the real con-
simulation results and full scale trials.
troller. The fourth step is the debugging and fine
tuning of the real controller by a real-time hardware-
2 CONTROLLER DESIGN in-the-loop (RT-HIL) simulation.
The last step allows the designer to study, in a
The new Italian aircraft carrier Cavour, presently simulated environment, the performance of the real
under commissioning, has characteristics as listed in controller. The procedure integrates basic knowl-
Table 1. The diagram of the propulsion system edge and manufacturer experience with massive use
configuration is presented in Fig. 1. of numerical simulation, in real time.
The propulsion system consists of four gas
turbines (GT), two gearboxes, and two controllable
2.1 Final controller layout
pitch propellers (CPP). Two shaft generators are
directly mounted on the shafts. The ship is able to In a propulsion regulation chain where GT is
operate in several propulsion modes: one to four gas the prime mover, two different controllers are

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 Real-time simulation of a COGAG naval ship propulsion system
Fig. 2 Controller design procedure
simultaneously in operation: the turbine control
system (TCS) and the propulsion system controller.
ABB was in charge of the overall propulsion system
controller while the TCS was the responsibility of the
GT manufacturer.
During the study for the propulsion controller
design, nine control schemes were tested in simula-
tion. The final scheme adopts a control strategy
based on the set point of two of the most important
propulsion parameters: propeller pitch and shaft
revolutions. The shaft speed management is based
on the comparison between the desired shaft speed,
coming from the bridge telegraph (throttle), and the
actual shaft speed (Fig. 3). The propeller pitch
management is used to obtain the desired ship
speed and, as overload protection, to limit the shaft
torque.
The set points have been realized through the
definition of proper combined laws, one for each
propulsion mode (navigation, manoeuvre, one to
four GT, etc.). All the combined laws have been
tested and optimized through simulation in steady
state and in transient conditions. The objectives of
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49
the combined laws optimization were to obtain: the
desired ship speed, the desired ship response time
for each telegraph variation, and minimum fuel
consumption. The optimization constraints were:
the GT acceleration/deceleration limits, the pitch
actuator velocity rate, and, in general, all the
mechanical design limits of the shaft line and drive
train components. The combined laws optimization
was performed by a trial and error technique. Owing
to the required number of propulsion modes and the
high number of constraints, hundreds of simulation
runs were necessary. The great effort spent in this
phase of the project was well repaid during ship
commissioning; as explained later in the paper, the
ship sailed with its propulsion control system
functioning at 100 per cent from the first sea trial,
without any need to spend time at sea on system
tuning.
The final controller layout is based on two main
elements: the combinator and the governor.
The combinator performs the following main
functions:
(a) set shaft speed and propeller pitch set-points;
(b) provide overload protection, by action on the
propeller pitch, to avoid torque peaks;
(c) adapt the response time on the basis of the ship
speed and the propulsion mode.
The governor performs the following main func-
tions:
(a) shaft speed control;
(b) torque balancing of the two GTs operating on
the same shaft;
(c) torque over-limit acquiring for pitch reduction;
(d) control of possible imbalances between the two
shaft lines due to unsymmetrical propulsion
modes (one or three GTs in operation).
The diagram of the controller for one shaft is
presented in Fig. 4.
3 SIMULATION MODEL
The behaviour of the ship systems is simulated by
means of a mathematical model that is able to
predict the interactions among the dynamics of the
propulsion plant, the control system, and the surge
motion of the ship.
The mathematical model consists of a set of
differential equations, algebraic equations, and
tables that represent the various elements of the
propulsion system. The modelled propulsion plant
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50 M Altosole, G Benvenuto, M Figari, and U Campora
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
consists of a twin shaft arrangement with control-
lable pitch propellers. Each shaft is driven, through a
twin-input–single-output locked train gearbox, by
two LM 2500 gas turbines in combined gas turbine
and gas turbine (COGAG) configuration. Owing to
the different operational modes (one or two shafts,
one to four turbines), non-symmetric propulsion
conditions also have to be considered.
The propulsion plant and ship dynamics can
mainly be represented by two equations, both being
expressions of Newton’s law of motion. The first
equation represents the surge motion of the ship,
and results in a first-order differential equation for
the ship speed V
dV ðt Þ Rt ðt Þ
m ~p:Tp ðt Þ{
dt ð1{tdf ðt ÞÞ
The forces required to solve equation (1) are
represented in Fig. 3. The propeller thrust Tp is
modelled through the open water characteristics,
available for different pitch values. The ship resis-
tance Rt is modelled using towing tank test data.
The second equation represents the rotational
motion of the shaft line and yields a first-
order differential equation for the shaft rotational
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Ship propulsion dynamics
Controller layout for one shaft
speed n
dnðt Þ :
2pJp ~i e Qe ðt Þ{Qp ðt Þ{Qa ðt Þ{Qf ðt Þ ð2Þ
dt
To represent non-symmetrical propulsion config-
urations, each shaft line requires one differential
equation. The torques required to solve equation (2)
are represented in Fig. 5. The engine torque Qe has
been modelled on a set of equations that represent
the gas turbine process. The propulsor torque Qp is
modelled through the open water characteristics,
while the alternator torque Qa is modelled through
the power/rpm curve provided by the manufacturer.
The friction torque Qf is calculated by imposing a
reasonable value for the shaft line mechanical
ð1Þ efficiency.
The mathematical representation of forces and
torques in differential equations (1) and (2) is
described in the following paragraphs.
Fig. 5 Shaft line dynamics
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The control system dynamics can be represented

by some differential equations of the type

_ f ðt Þ
dM

~f M_ f ,n_ ,n ð3Þ
dt

The ship and propulsion plant behaviour come

from the solution of the system of differential
equations (1) to (3). The solution has been per-
formed numerically within a MATLABH–SimulinkH
simulation environment, as explained in the follow-
ing section.

3.1 Hull resistance model

In the developed simulator, the hull resistance Rt is
treated as a function of ship speed V, as shown in
Fig. 6. The values of Rt were obtained from towing
tank tests.
In addition, the calculation model includes the Fig. 7 Non-symmetric propulsion
added resistance due to the steering rudder and a
blocked shaft, in order to simulate non-symmetric
propulsion configurations. In fact, during non-sym- In the case of surge motion, the moment QdT has
metric propulsion configurations, the rudder has to to be balanced by the rudder’s movement
be moved in order to maintain the course on a
straight line. The problem has been simplified Qrudder ~2 F ðaÞGO cos c ð5Þ
according to the scheme of Fig. 7, where the case
in which there are two different propeller thrusts, TS From the equilibrium of the two moments
(starboard) and TP (port), is reduced to its basic
elements. GO
In non-symmetric propulsion configurations, the dT ~2rSV 2 CL ðaÞ ð6Þ
AB
yaw moment of the ship is mainly produced by the
difference between TS and TP where the lift coefficient CL has been provided by the
shipbuilder as a function of the rudder angle a.
AB AB
QdT ~ðTS {TP Þ ~dT ð4Þ Through equation (6), it is possible to build the
2 2
map in Fig. 8. This map is useful for the calculation
of the rudder angle a, able to keep the steady course
of the ship when there is a difference in the two
propellers’ thrusts.

Fig. 6 Hull resistance Fig. 8 Rudder angle curves

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52 M Altosole, G Benvenuto, M Figari, and U Campora
The drag given by the rudder may be represented
by the following equation
1 plants, efficient and reliable models for simulating
Rrudder ~ r SV 2 CD ð7Þ
2
where the drag coefficient CD has been provided
by the shipbuilder as a function of the rudder angle
a.
In this way, it is possible to roughly represent the
rudder’s resistance to be added to the hull resistance
in the cases of asymmetrical propulsion configura-
tion. Moreover, in the case of one blocked shaft, the
propeller resistance, provided by the propeller
manufacturer as a function of V 2, also has to be
added.
3.2 Controllable pitch propeller model
Propeller thrust Tp and torque Qp are calculated by
means of open water propeller tests. By definition
Tp ~rKT n2 D4 ð8Þ
Qp ~rKQ n2 D5 ð9Þ
where the thrust coefficient KT and torque coeffi-
cient KQ are depending on the propeller advance
coefficient J and propeller blade position, as shown
in Fig. 9.
During the simulation process, ship speed V(t) and
propeller speed n(t) are calculated by the use of
differential equations (1) and (2), then, through the
propeller advance coefficient and the blade position,
KT and KQ are determined at each instant of time by
using a numerical table representing the open water
characteristics.
Fig. 9 CPP open water characteristics for several blade positions
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3.3 Gas turbine model
For the performance optimization of gas turbine
the behaviour of these engines in both steady state
and transient conditions exist. For this purpose, GT
simulation codes have existed since 1970 [23], when
computers became commonly available.
In order to perform GT simulation, three different
basic approaches can be adopted.
In the tabular approach, the GT is modelled by
means of overall GT performance tables, referring to
steady state performance conditions [14]. When
transient situations are simulated, the model results
are corrected by means of time constants.
In the iterative method [23, 24], the GT compo-
nents (mainly compressor, combustor, and turbine)
are simulated by means of their pertinent steady
state performance maps and/or thermodynamic
equations. The coupling among the components
maps is obtained by means of a trial and error
procedure that converges to the overall GT constant
mass flow condition by intracomponent pressure
value variation.
Furthermore, the intercomponent volume method
[23, 25, 26] uses the GT components’ steady state
performance maps and thermodynamic equations.
In this approach, the difference in the GT compo-
nent mass flow during the transients, due to the
mass accumulation into the GT volumes, is con-
sidered by means of the energy and continuity
dynamic equations applied to GT intercomponent
volumes.
As far as code complexity and accuracy are
concerned, the three approaches are quite similar.
In general, the intercomponent volume method
gives more reliable results in the case of transient
simulations [23, 26] when compared to the two
other methods.
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 Real-time simulation of a COGAG naval ship propulsion system
As far as calculation time is concerned, the tabular
approach is the most rapid, while the iterative
approach requires the longest calculation time (this
is due to the trial and error process for the continuity
mass flow balance). The intercomponent volumes
approach normally requires a calculation time that
lies somewhere in between the other two.
The GT real-time simulation model that was
developed for the aircraft carrier Cavour project is
based on the intercomponent volumes method
because of its advantages in the transient results
accuracy. To optimize calculation time, specific
methods have been introduced.
A short description of the model is reported here.
For a more detailed explanation of the techniques
adopted, the reader is referred to the analysis
reported in reference [27].
The model, developed in a MATLAB–Simulink
environment, is structured in a modular arrange-
ment. Each module is pertinent to a GT component
(i.e. compressor, turbine, combustor, and so on).
In the compressor module, the steady state
performance maps are used. The ‘non-dimensional’
mass flow rate MCnd
pffiffiffiffiffi
Ti
MCnd ~MC
pi
and the isentropic efficiency gC are expressed, in a
two-dimensional matrix form, as functions of the
compressor pressure ratio (b 5 po/pi) and of the
pffiffiffiffiffi
‘non-dimensional’ shaft speed (nndp~n
ffiffiffiffi Ti ). Ithas
pffiffiffiffi
to be noted that the quantities M T p and n T
are usually (in the pertinent literature) termed the
‘non-dimensional’ mass flow rate and rotational
speed, respectively, although they are not truly
dimensionless [28].
By means of the compressor maps, the mass flow
rate MC and outlet temperature To are determined.
The compressor mechanical power input PC is then
determined by
PC ~MC cp ðTo {Ti ÞzPCb loss
where the term PCb loss takes into account the
bearings losses, determined as a function of the
compressor speed.
The mass flow rate MC supplied by the compressor
is subdivided into two distinct parts: the air mass
flow rate sent to the combustor, and the air mass
flow rate bleeding used to cool the turbine blades. A
constant percentage distribution between the two
mass flow rates is used.
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53
The turbine module is characterized by a calcu-
lation procedure similar to that adopted in the
compressor module. Steady state performance maps
(given in a two-dimensional matrix form) are also
used in this case to obtain the non-dimensional
mass flow rate MTnd, which has an expression simi-
lar to equation (10), as well as the isentropic effici-
ency gT and both functions of the turbine pressure
i/p
ffi o) and non-dimensional shaft speed
ratio (e 5ppffiffiffiffi
(nnd ~n Ti ).
In the case of the cooled stage, the cooling blade
effect on the stage performance is considered by the
calculation scheme proposed by El-Masri [29].
The turbine mechanical power is calculated by an
equation similar to equation (11).
The combustor and intermediate volume module
is modelled as an adiabatic capacity, taking into
account the time-dependent accumulation of mass
and energy. By using the continuity dynamic equ-
ation
dp cRT
~ ðMi zMf {Mo Þ ð12Þ
dt V
and the energy dynamic equation
ð10Þ
du 1
~ ðMi hi {Mo ho ÞzMf LHV gb ð13Þ
dt rV
it is possible to determine the combustor plenum
state variables: stagnation pressure p and total
specific internal energy u.
The combustor module is positioned between the
compressor and the turbine modules of the simu-
lator. In order to perform a stage-by-stage turbine
calculation, it is impossible to connect two turbine
modules in series, without interconnecting them to a
combustor module (named more correctly in this
case as the ‘intermediate volume’ module, where the
fuel mass flow, Mf in equation (13), is considered
equal to zero).
In the shaft dynamics module, the time variation
ð11Þ of the shaft angular velocity v is determined by the
shaft dynamic balance equation
dv 1
~ ðPT {PC Þ ð14Þ
dt Jv
where PT is the turbine power, PC the compressor
power, and J the rotor inertia.
The inlet and outlet modules simulate the GT inlet
and outlet flow ducts. These two blocks, where the
ambient conditions are provided as input data, are
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54 M Altosole, G Benvenuto, M Figari, and U Campora
used to calculate the pressure losses as a function of
the quadratic flow velocity in the plenum.
In order to reduce the calculation time, as re-
quired for real-time applications, the following ap-
proximations are introduced.
As far as the fluid model is concerned, specific
polynomial coefficients are used for air and com-
busted gases instead of the more precise method,
based on gas composition, used in the original
model [27].
The multistage cooled turbine is calculated by a
single turbine module and not stage by stage as in
the original cooled turbine model [27]. Therefore, in
this application, the cooling flow effect on the
turbine expansion is neglected.
The described real-time gas turbine model has
been applied to the simulation of the General
Electric LM 2500 gas turbine, consisting of a two
shaft arrangement (gas generator and power tur-
bine), adopted in the propulsion plant of the Cavour.
Figure 10 shows the LM 2500 real-time Simulink
model.
A complete validation of the gas turbine simula-
tion model, based on a comparison with steady state
and transient experimental results of a GT LM 2500
of a similar power, was reported in reference [27]. A
good concordance between experimental values and
simulation results was observed both in steady state
and in transient conditions (differences between
simulated and measured variables were within 1 to 4
per cent in the full GT working range).
It has been estimated that the simplifications
introduced to allow the real-time simulation in-
volved an error increase of about 0.5–1.5 per cent,
but reduced the calculation time approximately to
the same order of magnitude as the tabular methods.
Fig. 10
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3.4 Overall numerical model
All the main elements of the propulsion plant, such
as the gas turbine engine, the governor, the hull, the
controllable pitch propeller, the telegraph, and the
shaft line have been modelled as separated blocks.
The overall model is presented in Fig. 11. Starting
from the left we see the external inputs (the
commands from the man on watch), the two
controllers of the two shaft lines, the ship and
propulsion model, and the outputs on the right.
The propulsion control is performed by a lever,
‘the telegraph’. Each lever position corresponds, via
the combined law, to a pitch setting and to the
desired shaft speed. Other inputs are the number of
turbines actually in propulsion mode.
Traditional simulations run in batch mode, aiming
to provide all the calculated data in a faster time. The
calculation time depends on computer memory,
CPU speed, simulation step, ordinary differential
equations solver (ODE), and model stiffness. Part of
the effort to produce simulation models is devoted to
the efficiency of the solution process; in fact, the
shorter the simulation run is, the greater the number
of trials possible. This is the common solution for
simulation-based preliminary design.
4 CONTROLLER TESTING
Fig. 11 shows the simulation model created during
the design phase of the control system of the Cavour.
The model has been used to test nine different
controller diagrams in order to select the best one, as
explained in section 2 [13].
In real life, the system (the controller in this case)
operates in real time, so the designer has to be sure
Gas turbine model
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 Real-time simulation of a COGAG naval ship propulsion system
Fig. 11 Overall control and propulsion model in
Simulink environment
that the performance predicted by simulation will
also be maintained in a real environment. Generally,
testing of the real controller is made on board the
ship, partially during the delivery period at berth,
and then completed during full-scale ship trials.
These trials are time consuming and costly, as they
require the complete availability of the vessel.
The innovation of the authors’ approach consists
of using the real-time interactive simulation of the
propulsion to anticipate the testing phase of the real
controller. In this way, the effective availability of the
ship is not required, and thus the trials can be carried
out even before the vessel is built. This is made
possible by the adoption of an RT-HIL method.
RT-HIL simulation consists of a test set-up where
the real hardware controller is connected, by ad hoc
developed software, with the simulated propulsion
plant. The real controller can be tested with the aid
of the simulated propulsion plant that can exchange
data in real time. From a practical point of view, the
adoption of this approach has two main challenges
in running the model in real time and also interfa-
cing it with the real controller. These challenges are
different, but related to each other, because the
software solution for the real-time simulation also
has to support the communication protocol used by
the controller. In fact, the controller software has to
be installed on a networked device able to exchange
data with the field using the OPC (object linking and
embedding (OLE) for process control) protocol. OPC
is an industry standard, but is not widely available
for use in scientific environments, such as MATLAB.
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55
However, OPC is natively supported by most soft-
ware devoted to data acquisition and industry
automation. Among these, LabVIEWH from National
Instruments is also able to run MATLAB models in
real time, by means of a proper add-on module,
called Simulation Interface ToolkitH. Thus the choice
of LabVIEW as the connecting element between the
model and the real controller was straightforward.
Figure 12 shows the block diagram of the experi-
mental set-up used for testing the controller.
Cavour.exe is the RT application that executes the
propulsion model. It is a LabVIEW program embed-
ding a dll (dynamic linked library) generated by
means of the joint use of the LabVIEW Simulation
Interface Toolkit and the Real-Time Workshop
module of MATLAB. The mechanism involved first
converting the MATLAB model to C and compiling
as dll. Then the dll is combined with additional code,
in order to make it manageable by LabVIEW.
The Cavour.exe application is an OPC client. It
reads the command parameters on the controller,
which is acting as the OPC server, and writes back
the results. All the parameters exchanged via OPC
can be logged to a file, and are also available to the
operator by means of a graphical panel. In this way it
is possible to have a comprehensive view of all the
system working parameters.
Since the Cavour.exe application is completely
configurable during the simulation (switch on/off of
GT, switch on/off of some auxiliary elements, etc.), it
is possible to test the controller simulating different
working scenarios (Fig. 13). This is an additional
advantage of the RT-HIL approach; not only can the
designer debug the controller before the onboard
delivery, but he is also able to test it in extreme
Fig. 12 Hardware-in-the-loop scheme
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56 M Altosole, G Benvenuto, M Figari, and U Campora

situations, which would be difficult to realize with a

real vessel.

4.1 Real time versus batch simulations

To better understand the importance of the RT-HIL
approach in obtaining an even more realistic
behaviour of the system, a comparison of the two
methods is presented.
This section shows the simulation results of the
slam start manoeuvre obtained with both simulation
techniques: batch and real time. The difference
between the two methods is the control system
(the real ABB control system for the RT-HIL simula-
tion and the simulated one for the batch simulation),
while the propulsion model is the same for the two
methods.
In Fig. 14, some important ship parameters are
reported (ship speed, GT control signal (TIC), GT
torque, and shaft speed) against time. Red and blue
lines (continuous line) are used for batch simulation,
while the green (dashes) is used for the real-time
simulation. It can be noted that the overall beha-
viour is the same but the real-time results (real
controller) show a slower system response than the
batch results.
The differences between the simulated and the
real controller can partially be due to some para-
meter values tuned during the work and partially to
the difference between the ABB and Simulink soft-
ware in performing similar tasks (i.e. integration,
ramp, PID, etc.). The former difference could be
reduced, if necessary, by a review of the batch model
in order to incorporate the final values of the
controller parameters (not performed at the moment
because it is not vital for the project). The latter
difference seems more difficult to deal with. ABB
software is normally dedicated to industrial control
so it incorporates sophisticated control functions
that would be difficult to reproduce.
Obviously, the real-time simulation offers a more
precise estimation of the ‘real’ system behaviour.
The control system was developed using the batch
simulation technique. Afterwards it was optimized
using the RT-HIL technique.
Real-time and batch simulation methods, if used
in an integrated design procedure, can provide
useful insight into the process and they allow proper
control system prototyping and testing before the
ship delivery.

Fig. 13 Hardware-in-the-loop software components

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 Real-time simulation of a COGAG naval ship propulsion system 57

Fig. 14 Comparison between batch and real-time simulations

5 FULL-SCALE TRIALS deceleration from (approximately) full speed to half

During the first full-scale trial, the ship sailed with
the propulsion control system working at 100 per
cent of its capability. This was the first evidence that
the new design and test procedure of the controller
fulfilled the expected targets. In fact, of the two
weeks originally scheduled for the sea trials to test
and tune the propulsion controller, only two working
days were effectively used, delivering a remarkable
saving in time and manpower.
During full-scale trials, a measurement campaign
was arranged in order to collect data from the system
in operation. Several different manoeuvres (accel-
eration, deceleration, turning, crash stop, slam start,
etc.) were recorded with the aim of validating the
simulation model in detail.
In Figs 15 and 16, a comparison between simu-
lated and measured data is provided. Two man-
oeuvres have been compared: an acceleration from
(approximately) half speed to full speed, and a
speed.
To carry out the comparison, the registered time
histories (several hours of navigation) were analysed
and identified with well-known ship manoeuvres.
From the recorded data, the time history of the
‘telegraph’ (command lever) was extracted and fed
into the simulation model as an input signal. Then
the results of the simulation (in terms of ship speed,
shaft speed, etc.) were superimposed on the plot of
the pertinent registered data.
For this comparison, the original simulation
model (i.e. the one used to develop the controller),
without any tuning or corrections, was used.
Figures 15 and 16 show the comparison of the
following parameters: ship speed, shaft speed, shaft
torque, shaft thrust, fuel consumption, and GT
temperature. The continuous line represents simu-
lated results while the dotted line represents data
recorded during sea trials. Despite the highly demand-
ing manoeuvres involving transient responses of all

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58 M Altosole, G Benvenuto, M Figari, and U Campora

Fig. 15 Simulated and measured data from the acceleration manoeuvre

the elements modelled, overall a good accuracy was
obtained.
The simulation model is able to represent the
transient and steady state behaviour of the ship
propulsion and control systems in different operating
conditions. This important result has been obtained
by a detailed modelling of both the ship propulsion
system and the propulsion control system.
Some areas of discrepancy exist and will require
detailed investigation:
1. Ship speed shows good correlation. During accel-
eration, in the low speed range the simulated
speed increases sharply, while the measured speed
has a smoother behaviour. During the deceleration
the behaviour is reversed. The difference does not
depend on the added mass value; in fact its effect
was negligible for most of the simulations.
2. Shaft speed shows good correlation over the
entire working range; the differences between
simulated and measured data are quite similar to
those registered for the ship speed.
3. Shaft torque and shaft thrust show a good
correlation. The simulated values are higher than
the measured ones only at very high loads. An
explanation of the differences is not possible at
the moment.

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 Real-time simulation of a COGAG naval ship propulsion system 59

Fig. 16 Simulated and measured data from the deceleration manoeuvre

4. Fuel consumption shows good correlation. Only
during a rapid increase in the command lever
(throttle) position was the simulated flow rate
result slightly under what was estimated.
5. The power turbine temperature shows good
correlation; the major differences arise during
deceleration where the simulated results drop
rapidly while the real GT behaves in a smoother
way.
The differences in the transient response for the
fuel consumption and for the temperature are
probably due to the simulation of the GT internal
governor TCS. The final parameters of the TCS
installed on board are not yet known and probably
differ from the parameters known at the time of the
simulation model set up (two years before the full-
scale trials).
6 CONCLUSIONS
The propulsion control system design is a major
question in order to obtain the desired performance.
The tuning of the control system of a complex ship
was traditionally targeted as one of the most time-
consuming activities during sea trials.

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60 M Altosole, G Benvenuto, M Figari, and U Campora
For the aircraft carrier Cavour, the problem was
addressed by a massive use of simulation tech-
niques. Ad hoc simulation models and different
simulation techniques were developed and used in
the different phases of the project, from basic
controller design to controller development and,
finally, to controller tuning by the use of hardware-
in-the-loop test bed in the factory. The final tuning
at sea lasted less than half of that normally
scheduled, and during the sea trials all the desired
performances were fulfilled.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors wish to thank the company ABB PS&S
(Marine Automation Systems, Genoa, Italy) and
particularly the Chief of the Unit, M. Maresca, the
Project Manager, V. Giuffra, the Project Engineer, A.
Santi, the engineers, P. Bobbio, A. Zanichelli, and L.
Maffioletti, for their valuable collaboration through-
out the entire aircraft carrier Cavour project.
The authors also wish to thank Fincantieri (Naval
Ship Unit, Genoa, particularly S. Michetti, M. Ratto,
and F. Conti) and the Italian Navy (general staff,
Rome, particularly Commander S. D’Arco) for their
valuable support.
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APPENDIX e turbine pressure ratio
gC , gT , gb compressor, turbine, and burning
Notation efficiency
r sea water density (kg/m3)
cp constant pressure specific heat
v angular velocity (1/s)
(kJ/kg K)
CL, CD rudder lift and drag coefficients
D propeller diameter (m) Subscripts
e number of engines per shaft
FS, FL, FD rudder forces (N) C compressor
h specific enthalpy (kJ/kg) f fuel
i gear reduction ratio i inlet section
J advance coefficient (non-dimen- o output section
sional) 5 Va/nD m motor
Jp polar moment of inertia of the whole nd non-dimensional
shaftline reduced to shaft speed (kg m2) T turbine

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